In the realm of international air logistics, many shippers have had the following experience: they happily send out a shipment that seems very light, but are shocked when they receive the freight bill. Why is it so expensive? Where do these unexpectedly high freight charges come from? In fact, the key to the problem often lies in an easily overlooked concept – “air freight volumetric weight”. If you don’t understand air freight volumetric weight, your freight costs might double without you even noticing. Now, let’s delve deep into the truth behind this “hidden freight cost”.

1. Why is there an air freight volumetric weight? – The “Fair Scale” in the aviation industry

In air transportation, there is a core contradiction: the aircraft’s space versus its carrying capacity. The cargo hold of an aircraft has limited space. It needs to consider not only how much weight of goods it can carry but also the space occupied by the goods.

For example, if an aircraft only charges based on the weight of the goods, the following situation might occur: a batch of goods is as light as cotton but takes up a large amount of cargo hold space, while another batch of goods is as heavy as iron but has a relatively small volume. If only charged by weight, it would be unfair to shippers of volume – large but weight – light goods because they occupy more aircraft space without paying the corresponding cost.

According to statistics from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in the past few years, there have been frequent disputes over freight calculations due to the mismatch between the volume and weight of goods. To solve this problem, air freight volumetric weight came into being. Simply put, air freight volumetric weight is used to “price” the space occupied by the goods. It is like a “fair scale” in the aviation industry, allowing every shipper to pay a reasonable freight cost based on the actual resources occupied by the goods.

2. Step – by – step teaching: Accurately calculate the air freight volumetric weight

2.1 Revealing the formula

There is a fixed formula for calculating air freight volumetric weight: Air freight volumetric weight (kg) = Length (cm) × Width (cm) × Height (cm) ÷ 6000. How was this formula derived? It was established through long – term practice and industry standards to ensure fairness and facilitate freight calculations for airlines and freight forwarders.

2.2 Breaking down the steps

2.2.1 How to correctly measure the dimensions of the goods (including packaging)

When measuring the dimensions of the goods, make sure to include the packaging. Since the packaging also takes up space during transportation. Use appropriate measuring tools, such as a tape measure, to measure the longest, widest, and highest parts of the goods. Try to ensure the accuracy of the measurement to avoid inaccurate air freight volumetric weight calculations due to measurement errors.

2.2.2 Detailed calculation of volume and air freight volumetric weight

Suppose we have a shipment with a length of 50 cm, a width of 40 cm, and a height of 30 cm. First, calculate the volume of the goods: Volume = Length × Width × Height = 50 × 40 × 30 = 60000 (cubic centimeters). Then, calculate the air freight volumetric weight according to the formula: Air freight volumetric weight = 60000 ÷ 6000 = 10 (kg).

2.2.3 The key decision: How to compare the “air freight volumetric weight” and the “actual weight” to determine the final “chargeable weight”

After calculating the air freight volumetric weight, you also need to compare it with the actual weight of the goods. The final chargeable weight is the larger value between the air freight volumetric weight and the actual weight. For example, if the actual weight of the above – mentioned goods is 8 kg, since 10 kg (air freight volumetric weight) > 8 kg (actual weight), the final chargeable weight is 10 kg.

3. The “hidden rules” of different courier companies

3.1 International couriers (such as DHL, FedEx) commonly use a divisor of 5000. Why are they more strict?

International courier giants like DHL and FedEx commonly use a divisor of 5000 when calculating air freight volumetric weight. This means that for the same size of goods, the air freight volumetric weight they calculate will be larger than when using a divisor of 6000. This is because these international courier companies have higher operating costs and are more sensitive to the space occupied by the goods. They need to ensure their profits through this method and also encourage shippers to pack their goods more reasonably to reduce space waste.

3.2 Airlines and freight forwarders usually use 6000

In contrast, airlines and most freight forwarders usually use 6000 as the divisor when calculating air freight volumetric weight. This is a more common standard in the industry and is relatively more lenient. However, this doesn’t mean that shippers can be careless. Before shipping, make sure to confirm the charging rules of the courier company or freight forwarder you are using to avoid overpaying freight related to air freight volumetric weight due to a lack of understanding of the rules.

4. Practical tips: How to avoid high air freight volumetric weight charges?

4.1 Packaging optimization: Choose the right – sized box and avoid “putting small items in a large box”

Choosing the right – sized box is the key to reducing air freight volumetric weight charges. Many shippers, for convenience or to protect the goods from damage, choose overly large boxes when packing. As a result, although the goods are light, the large box takes up a lot of space, and the air freight volumetric weight will increase accordingly. Therefore, when packing goods, choose a box that fits the actual size of the goods and try to reduce the empty space inside the box to lower the air freight volumetric weight.

4.2 Compression magic: Use vacuum – compression bags for items such as clothing and bedding

For soft items like clothing and bedding, you can use vacuum – compression bags for compression. Vacuum – compression bags can remove the air from the items, significantly reducing their volume. After compression, the air freight volumetric weight of these items will be significantly reduced, thus saving freight costs.

4.3 Shape management: Reasonably integrate multiple small boxes to reduce empty space

If you have multiple small boxes of goods, arrange them in a reasonable way to reduce the empty space between the boxes. You can use fillers to fill the gaps and make the goods more compact. This not only reduces the air freight volumetric weight but also protects the goods from damage during transportation to a certain extent.

4.4 The ultimate alternative: Compare alternative options such as sea freight (with a charging standard of 1:1000)

If the delivery time of the goods is not extremely urgent, shippers can consider alternative options such as sea freight. The charging standard for sea freight is usually 1:1000, which is more lenient in calculating the air freight volumetric weight compared to air transportation. However, sea freight has a longer transit time, and shippers need to make a comprehensive consideration based on their actual situation.

5. Conclusion: Ship smartly by understanding volumetric weight

After the above learning, I believe you have a deeper understanding of air freight volumetric weight. Air freight volumetric weight is like the “hidden freight cost” in air transportation. If you don’t master its calculation method and relevant rules, your freight costs might increase significantly. Before shipping, shippers must calculate the air freight volumetric weight and the actual weight by themselves, choose the right packaging method and transportation option, and become a savvy logistics manager.