Freight Forwarder Insights

Understanding Chargeable Weight: A Key Metric for China Freight Forwarders

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Huin International Logistics

In:

Shipping dictionary

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Created:

19 Jan 2024

Through Chargeable Weight, carriers take into account both the size and the weight of your shipment, and use the larger value to calculate the final rate.

What is Chargeable Weight?

Chargeable Weight = Volumetric Weight vs Gross Weight, whichever is greater.

How do you calculate Volumetric Weight?

Volumetric Weight = (length x width x height ) ÷ dimension factor*

*Dimensional Factor is a certain set number. For traditional air freight, it is 6000, and for express couriers (FedEx, DHL, UPS,etc) it is 5000.

Here's an example using our formula

Why do airlines use Chargeable Weight?

Larger goods with a light overall weight can take up more space on an aircraft than a small, heavy item.

Therefore, with chargeable weight, carriers take into account both the size and the weight, and use the larger value to calculate the final rate.