Cubic weight calculator
Work out cubic metres, cubic weight and chargeable weight from a carton's size and dead weight, at the cubic factor on your rate card.
Your numbers
The numbers filled in are examples. Replace them with your own.
Use the cubic factor on your rate card. It can differ by carrier and by service.
Results
- Volume
- 0.288 m³
- Cubic weight
- 72 kg
- Dead weight
- 24 kg
- Chargeable weight
- 72 kg
Charged on cubic weight: it is higher than the dead weight.
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How cubic weight works
A carrier has to charge for the space a carton takes up on the truck as well as what it weighs. Cubic weight turns that space into kilograms: length x width x height in metres gives cubic metres, and cubic metres x the cubic factor gives the cubic weight.
The chargeable weight is whichever is higher, the cubic weight or the dead weight on the scale. A light but bulky carton is charged on its size, and a small heavy one on its weight.
Worked example, with example numbers
Example numbers: 3 cartons, each 60 cm x 40 cm x 40 cm and 8 kg, at an example cubic factor of 250 kg per cubic metre.
One carton is 0.6 x 0.4 x 0.4 = 0.096 cubic metres, so its cubic weight is 0.096 x 250 = 24 kg.
All 3 cartons: 0.288 cubic metres, a cubic weight of 72 kg and a dead weight of 24 kg.
The chargeable weight is the higher of the two: 72 kg.
Questions
- What is cubic weight?
- Cubic weight turns the space a carton takes up into a weight, using a cubic factor set in your rate card. It lets a carrier charge for a carton that is light but bulky.
- Which cubic factor should I use?
- The one printed on your rate card. It may be called a cubic conversion or a cubic allowance, and written as something like "1 m3 = 250 kg". It can differ by carrier and by service. The 250 filled in here is only a starting value, so replace it with yours.
- What is the difference between dead weight and chargeable weight?
- Dead weight is what the carton weighs on a scale. Chargeable weight, also called rated weight, is the higher of the dead weight and the cubic weight, and it is the weight the freight rate is applied to.
- Does a carrier round the chargeable weight?
- Some rate cards round it up, for example to the next whole kilogram, and others charge it as calculated. This calculator does not round, so check the terms on your rate card and compare with your invoices.
- What if my cartons are different sizes?
- Work out each size on its own and add the results together. The item count here is for cartons that are all the same size and weight.
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