Understanding and Calculating Chargeable Weight in Air Freight

If you’re a beginner in import/export, you might have become confused by concepts like calculating the chargeable weight of your freight.

Transferring goods using airplanes might be trickier than shipping them. For example, the volume of goods might be a critical concept because an airplane is not as spacious as a ship. 

So you must be familiar with the chargeable weight and learn how to calculate it in air freight. If you don’t consider the volumetric weight of your cargo, you might miscalculate the transfer cost, leading to financial loss. 

Here at DDPCH, we’re ready to help you consider everything before embarking on your international trade.

In this article, we’ll talk about important aspects of the volumetric weight and its difference with the actual weight of air cargo. Also, we’ll let you learn how to calculate the chargeable weight of your goods.

What is Chargeable Weight?

Chargeable weight is a critical factor for calculating the cost of shipping goods by air. As it comes from the name, it is the weight that is considered to charge customers. 

Chargeable weight is not necessarily equal to the shipment’s actual weight. But why? The reason is that some goods are lightweight but really large and this is not good for airplanes.

In fact, if they want to calculate the cost of transferring solely by considering the actual weight, the price will not compensate for the costs of airplanes. 

So the volumetric (dimensional) weight of goods is also important and companies will charge you whichever is greater. This way, large, lightweight packages will be as costly as smaller, heavier packages. 

As a businessman, you must calculate the chargeable weight of your freight to avoid unexpected expenses.

Actual Weight vs. Volumetric Weight

Actual weight is a straightforward concept. It is the weight of your shipment as measured on a scale. Of course, this is not the most cost-effective measure for air freight pricing.

On the other hand, we calculate the volumetric weight based on the dimensions of the package. It actually reflects the amount of space your shipment occupies considering its actual weight. 

As said earlier, the calculation of volumetric weight is essential for determining the chargeable weight. It’s particularly important when it comes to lightweight but bulky items.

Calculating Volumetric Weight

Here is how we can calculate the volumetric weight of our cargo in air transfer.

• Metric System Calculation:

There is a standard formula for calculating the volumetric weight in the metric system: 

Volumetric Weight (kg)=Length (cm) × Width (cm) × Height (cm)5000​

For example, if you have a package with the dimensions of 50 cm x 40 cm x 30 cm, it has a volumetric weight of

Volumetric Weight (kg)=50 (cm) × 40 (cm) × 30 (cm)5000 = 12 kg​

• Imperial System Calculation:

This is also the formula for calculating the volumetric weight in the imperial system: 

Volumetric Weight (lbs)=Length (in) × Width (in) × Height (in)166​

For example, if you have a package with the dimensions of 20 in x 16 in x 12 in, it has a volumetric weight of:

Volumetric Weight (lbs)=20 (in) × 16 (in) × 12 (in)166 = 23.1 lbs​

As you can see in the formula, the volumetric weight is equal to the volume of the package divided by a standard divisor. The divisor is 5000 for metric and 166 for imperial units.

The divisor reflects the weight of your cargo and is a standard number which is set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The Impact of Density on Chargeable Weight

The density is the mass per unit volume and plays a significant role in determining chargeable weight.

The actual weight of a high-density cargo is typically more than the volumetric weight. On the other hand, low-density shipments often have higher volumetric weights. So the density of your goods is a key factor to predict the chargeable weight.

For example, heavy machinery will likely have a higher actual weight. On the other hand, a large box of pillows will have a higher volumetric weight.

These differences will significantly impact your importing business so try to understand them to plan better and optimize your shipping strategies.

Calculating Chargeable Weight

Now that you know what is the difference between the volumetric and the actual weights, it’s good to learn how to calculate the chargeable weight.

The Chargeable Weight Formula

First, let’s take a look at the formula of chargeable weight. Fortunately, this is not a big deal. You just need to consider the maximum amount between the actual weight and the volumetric weight.

Chargeable Weight = Maximum (Actual Weight, Volumetric Weight)

In fact, you just need to compare the actual weight and the volumetric weight of the shipment.

The chargeable weight is the higher of the two values. This way, the cost of transfer is fairly distributed between heavy and lightweight cargo. The chargeable weight helps to optimize the space of the airplane, regardless of its actual weight.

Chargeable Weight Examples

To understand more about how the chargeable, take a look at the following examples:

1. Sample Calculation for a Small Package

Let’s suppose that we have a package with the following info:

• Dimensions: 30 cm x 20 cm x 10 cm
• Actual Weight: 3 kg
• Volumetric Weight: 30 cm x 20 cm x 10 cm5000 = 1.2 kg
• Chargeable Weight: 3 kg (since actual weight is greater than volumetric weight)

As you see from the example, even though the package has a relatively low volumetric weight, the actual weight is higher. So the actual weight will be used as the chargeable weight.

It’s good to remember this example because this often occurs with smaller, denser items. In such cases, the weight is significant relative to their size, and therefore, the chargeable weight is equal to the actual weight.

2. Sample Calculation for a Large Shipment

Now, look at another example:

• Dimensions: 100 cm x 80 cm x 60 cm
• Actual Weight: 50 kg
• Volumetric Weight: 100 cm x 80 cm x 60 cm5000 = 96 kg
• Chargeable Weight: 96 kg (since volumetric weight is greater than actual weight)

As you see, larger cargo will have a higher volumetric weight, and therefore, the cost of transfer will be charged considering the volumetric weight, not the actual weight.

In the following table, we’ve provided several more examples of calculating volumetric, actual, and chargeable weights for better comparison:

Factors Affecting Chargeable Weight

Here are some factors that might affect the chargeable weight of your freight:

1. Package Dimensions: As said earlier, larger dimensions result in higher volumetric weight, leading to higher chargeable weight.

2. Density of the Shipment: Dense items usually have a higher actual weight compared to volumetric weight.

3. Irregular Shapes: Goods with irregular shapes might have higher volumetric weights.

4. Industry Standards: The divisor of the volumetric weight formula might be different in some countries.

5. Stacking and Palletizing: Optimizing the stacking and palletizing can lead to lower transfer costs.

Common Weight Measurement Issues

Here are some of the issues that you have to consider when working with chargeable weight:

• Inaccurate Scales: Make sure scales and equipment are calibrated correctly to avoid measurement errors. Any measurement issue can lead to great financial losses.

• Packaging Materials: The material and type of packaging can significantly affect the chargeable weight. 

• Environmental Factors: Humidity affects the weight of some materials. For example, hygroscopic materials can absorb moisture from the air and this will increase their weight.

Tips for Accurate Weight Measurement

Here are some tips to reduce your cost regarding the chargeable weight in air freight:

• Use Certified Scales: Try to regularly check and calibrate scales to ensure you’ll use accurate measurements.

• Minimize Packaging: You need to avoid unnecessary packaging materials to keep the actual weight of the cargo low. Of course, this should be done without compromising the protection of the goods.

• Measure in Controlled Conditions: Extreme weather conditions can affect the weight measurements. So avoid weighing shipments in uncontrolled conditions.

Optimizing Chargeable Weight to Reduce Costs

Now, it’s good to see how you can optimize your  cargo to reach lower chargeable weight:

Packaging Optimization

There are two effective strategies for packaging optimization:

1. Using Lightweight Packaging Materials

Lightweight materials can reduce the actual weight. Here are some examples:

• Bubble Wrap: Provides cushioning for fragile items without adding much weight.

• Air Pillows: They are a good choice for volumetric weight management because they take up space without adding significant weight.

You need to find the best material for your goods to reduce the weight and the transfer cost.

2. Efficient Packing Tips

Here are also some tips for efficient packaging:

• Compact Packing: You need to arrange items in a way that minimizes empty space.

• Custom-sized Boxes: Try to order customized boxes to optimize the space and reduce the cost of transfer.

• Multi-functional Packaging: Use packaging that can serve multiple purposes. This way, you’ll reduce the cost of waste.

Maximizing Cargo Space

You can also take some measures to maximize the cargo space. Here are some tips in this regard:

• Stacking: Try to properly stack items and use all available space within the package.

• Uniform Box Sizes: Find standardized box sizes to make stacking and space utilization easier.

• Pallet Optimization: You need to use an optimized arrangement for pallets to reduce space usage.

Conclusion

Understanding and calculating chargeable weight is essential in air freight. By accurately determining the chargeable weight and optimizing packaging and space usage, you can minimize the cost of your freight transfer. DDPCH can help you in this regard to have a profitable importing business by air. So don’t wait and contact our team and ask anything about importing goods from China.

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