Chargeable weight and freight estimator
Carriers bill the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. This instrument shows both, names which one is driving your bill, and converts the difference into money.
Parcel and rate inputs
Billed weight and cost
Volume is driving the billed weight. The carrier bills 4.00 kg because it compares 2.50 kg against 4.00 kg and takes the larger figure.
Base cost
$12.00Freight at 9.00 per kg × 4.00 kg
$36.00Estimated freight
$48.00Parameters and when they were checked
| Parameter | Default | Range | Basis | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 40 cm | 1–200 | Parcel length as measured at the warehouse. | 2026-W40 |
| Width | 30 cm | 1–200 | Parcel width as measured at the warehouse. | 2026-W40 |
| Height | 20 cm | 1–200 | Parcel height as measured at the warehouse. | 2026-W40 |
| Actual weight | 2.5 kg | 0.1–50 | Scale weight before the volumetric comparison. | 2026-W40 |
| Volumetric divisor | 6000 | 3000–9000 | The divisor your chosen line publishes. 6000 is the common default; 5000 is stricter. | 2026-W40 |
| Rate per kg | 9 USD/kg | 1–60 | Your own quote per kilogram. This is an input, not a claim about current rates. | 2026-W40 |
| Base cost | 12 USD | 0–200 | The fixed portion of a line quote. Your own figure. | 2026-W40 |
- Source:
- Defaults are our starting figures; every one of them is editable on this page.
- Sample:
- Parameter rows carry no sample count of their own. Where a row depends on data, the sample is stated on the page that publishes it.
- Recorded:
- 2026-W40
- Known gap:
- These defaults are planning figures. Your own quote or invoice is the authority.
How to read the result
- Volumetric weight is length times width times height divided by the divisor. Billed weight is the greater of that figure and the scale weight.
- The extra-cost line is what the volumetric rule actually costs you: the billed weight minus the actual weight, multiplied by your rate per kilogram.
- A divisor of 5000 produces a heavier volumetric figure than 7000 for the same box. Express lines tend to use the stricter divisors.
- Rounding to the next half kilogram is common on real invoices. This instrument does not apply a rounding rule because it varies by line.
Using it
- Open the instrument above. It calculates with the defaults immediately, so there is nothing to set up before you see a result.
- Replace the defaults with your own figures. Each field names what it expects and which week its default was checked.
- Read the result panel. If a field falls outside its expected range, the page says so and pauses the calculation rather than returning a figure built on bad input.
- Use Reset to return every field to its default. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or stored after you leave the page, except the QC checklist, which stays in your browser.
Questions that come up
Why is my billed weight higher than what the scale said?
Because the carrier compares two figures and bills the larger one. A light but bulky parcel loses that comparison: its volume weight exceeds its scale weight.
Which divisor should I use?
The one your line publishes. If you do not know it, run the calculation at 5000 and at 7000 to see the range, then confirm with the quote you were given.
Does removing a shoe box help?
It helps twice: it removes the box weight and it reduces the measured dimensions. On footwear the box is usually the reason volume wins.