The Volumetric Weight formula is applicable in situations such as when the product is large and bulky, or the physical space is incongruent to the weight of the product.
What's The Difference Between Actual & Volumetric Weight?
Actual weight is the true weight of the package as it says on the weighing scale. ... Volumetric weight is how much space the package occupies according to its dimensions, which is then converted to its equivalent weight.
Volumetric weight refers to the overall size of a carton/case and is measured in volumetric kilograms. Volumetric weight can be calculated by multiplying the length, width and height of a parcel (in cm) and dividing that figure by 5000 (some carriers use a divisor of 4000. It is best practice to find what the carrier uses to ensure accurate calcualtions).
The mathematical formula for calculating volumetric weight is the following:
VW = package length*height*width / 5000 (depending on the carrier)
If you are calculating shipping in metric (centimeters) you use 5000 as the divisor, but if you are calculating in American Standard (inches), then you will divide the multiplication total by 305. Your final answer is the volumetric weight. Keep in mind that the courier you select for shipping will determine which formula to apply, charging you whatever is greater between the volumetric weight and the physical weight.
Volumetric weight, sometimes called "dim" or dimensional weight, is used when the space a shipment takes on an aircraft may cost more than the shipment's actual weight.
You should calculate dimensional weight on every shipment, and compare that to its actual weight, and use the greater of the two to determine your shipping cost. Volumetric weight for international shipments is calculated using the formulae below. Volumetric weights for domestic shipments may also vary.
Length x Width x Height in centimetres / 5000 = Volumetric Weight in kilograms rounded up to the nearest 0.5kg
Length x Width x Height in inches / 138.4 = Volumetric Weight in pounds rounded up to the nearest pound
Understanding Volumetric Weight
What is volumetric weight and how it is calculated? The courier industry, and different carriers, use
varying methods for assessing the volumetric weight of a parcel. The majority of couriers base their
delivery rates on either the size or volumetric weight of a parcel, whichever is the greater. The bigger
an item is, the more room it takes up on a vehicle or aircraft, and the more it costs to send. If an item
is large but light, the price will be based on the size rather than the weight. Even if you have a pallet
or a very large item to send, ParcelHero specializes in Large & Heavy parcel delivery
How to Calculate Volumetric Weight
Volume weight (sometimes referred to as dimensional weight) is calculated using a volumetric weight formula.
Different courier companies use different metrics, but to establish the volumetric weight of your
ParcelHero® package, you just need to measure the length, height and width of your parcel.
Then grab your calculator and:
1. Multiply the parcel’s three dimensions (length x height x width)
2. If you are using centimetres then divide the result by 5000 (or 4000 for EU economy services).
If you are using inches then divide the result by 305 (or 245 for EU economy services).
3. The resulting figure represents the volumetric weight of your parcel
The courier will compare the volumetric weight to the actual physical weight of a parcel and charge whichever is
the greater of the two (also known as billable weight or chargeable weight)
When you apply this formula to your product, you need to know the exterior dimensions of the package. For example, the average dimension of a single men’s shoe box is 36cm long, 25cm wide, and 13cm high. Applying the volumetric formula to these numbers looks like this:
VW=36cm*25cm*13cm
VW=11,700cm³/5000
VW=2.34kg (often rounded up to the nearest 0.5kg)
Now, we will assume that you are sending 250 cartons. This means you take the final individual volumetric weight and multiply it by the total number of cartons you are shipping.
VW=2.34kg*250
VW=585kg
For this order, you can now see that using the volumetric weight formula gives you a shipping weight of 600kg for all 250 cartons.
This is not your only shipping option, however. It is important to also calculate your shipment applying the CBM formula, and compare the two.
