6000 is the IATA standard volumetric divisor for air freight when dimensions are in centimetres and weight in kilograms. It corresponds to a density of 167 kg per cubic metre, the point at which volume and weight charging are equal.

What is chargeable weight?

Chargeable weight is the higher of actual gross weight and volumetric (dimensional) weight. Airlines charge on whichever is greater because light, bulky cargo takes space that could otherwise carry heavier freight.

Should I use the divisor 5000 instead?

Some express integrators use 5000 for international parcels, which is more aggressive (lower threshold). True airport-to-airport air cargo under IATA convention uses 6000. This tool defaults to 6000 but lets you change it.

How are multiple pieces handled?

Each piece line computes its own volumetric and gross weight and the higher value is taken, then multiplied by quantity. The shipment chargeable weight is the sum across all lines, which is then usually rounded up to the next 0.5 kg by carriers.

Does the rate include surcharges?

No. The rate per kilogram you enter is the line-haul rate only. Fuel and security surcharges, AWB fees, and handling are added separately by the carrier and are not part of chargeable weight.

What is the Air Freight Chargeable Weight Calculator?

Compute volumetric weight from L×W×H in centimetres divided by 6000, take the higher of gross or volumetric weight as the chargeable weight per piece, total the shipment, and apply a rate per kilogram. Built for freight forwarders and exporters. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Air Freight Chargeable Weight Calculator

Name: Air Freight Chargeable Weight Calculator
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Air freight is charged on chargeable weight — the greater of a shipment’s actual gross weight and its volumetric weight. Light but bulky cargo is billed on the space it occupies, so getting this number right is essential for accurate quoting and AWB verification.

How it works

For each piece, volumetric weight uses the IATA divisor of 6000 when dimensions are in centimetres:

volumetric kg = (length × width × height in cm) / 6000
chargeable    = max(gross weight, volumetric weight)
piece total   = chargeable × quantity
shipment total= sum of all piece totals
charge        = shipment chargeable weight × rate per kg

The divisor 6000 reflects a billing density of 167 kg/m³. Below that density a shipment is “volume cargo” and is charged on its dimensions.

Example

A pallet 120 × 100 × 110 cm weighing 90 kg gross has a volumetric weight of 120 × 100 × 110 ÷ 6000 = 220 kg. Because 220 kg exceeds the 90 kg gross weight, the chargeable weight is 220 kg. At a rate of 3.50 per kg the line-haul charge is 770.

Why the 6000 divisor matters

The number 6000 is not arbitrary — it defines the crossover density. A box that is exactly as heavy as its volumetric equivalent weighs 1 kg per 6,000 cm³, which equals 166.7 kg per cubic metre. Cargo denser than this is billed on actual weight; cargo lighter than this (foam, pillows, empty packaging) is billed on volume. Knowing where your cargo sits relative to that density threshold helps you anticipate costs before measurement.

For context, consumer electronics boxes often fall just below the density threshold, making them volume cargo. Dense industrial components such as machinery parts or metal fittings are almost always actual-weight shipments. Mixed pallets benefit from this tool’s per-piece calculation, because each piece’s threshold is evaluated independently before summing.

5000 vs. 6000 divisor

Express integrators — DHL Express, FedEx, UPS — typically apply a 5000 divisor for international door-to-door parcels rather than the IATA 6000. A 5000 divisor raises the volumetric weight for any given box by 20%, meaning more shipments are billed by volume. If you are quoting or verifying an express waybill rather than an airport-to-airport AWB, switch the tool’s divisor to 5000. True air cargo under IATA convention uses 6000.

Multiple-piece shipments

Airlines charge on the total chargeable weight of the consignment, not piece-by-piece. This tool sums each line’s chargeable weight (piece chargeable × quantity) to give the shipment total. In practice, carriers round the final total up to the next 0.5 kg before applying the rate, which the tool also shows. Entering each piece type on a separate line lets you see which items are driving the chargeable weight — useful when consolidating or redesigning packaging.

Notes

Carriers usually round the final chargeable weight up to the next 0.5 kg. Express integrators sometimes use a 5000 divisor, which raises chargeable weight for the same box — switch the divisor if your carrier uses it. Surcharges and AWB fees are billed on top of the line-haul charge shown here.