Chargeable Weight

TL;DR: Chargeable weight is the figure your air or express shipment is billed on. It is whichever is higher: the actual gross weight on the scale or the volumetric weight based on the package size.

Carriers use chargeable weight so that light but bulky cargo pays fairly for the space it takes up in an aircraft. The carrier weighs the shipment, measures each package, calculates the Volumetric Weight, and then bills on the larger of the two numbers.

Here is a simple example. A carton measures 60 x 40 x 30 cm, which is 72,000 cubic centimeters. Using the common air cargo divisor of 6000, the volumetric weight is 12 kg. If the carton actually weighs 25 kg, the chargeable weight is 25 kg. If the same carton held light foam and weighed only 5 kg, the chargeable weight would be 12 kg instead.

Divisors vary. Air cargo commonly uses 6000, while express couriers such as DHL, FedEx, and UPS commonly use 5000, which produces a higher volumetric weight for the same box. Individual carriers can apply their own rules, and many round up to the next half or whole kilogram.

For dense cargo such as glass mosaic tile sheets, the actual weight is almost always the higher figure, so reducing box size will not lower the cost much. Reducing total weight, for example by shipping only a sample section, has the real effect. Compare with Gross Weight and Net Weight.