Cubic weight, cubic metre and chargeable weight calculator
Cubic weight is a consignment's volume in cubic metres multiplied by the carrier's conversion factor, which is 250 kg per cubic metre for most Australian road freight, 333 for some express couriers and 167 for air. Carriers charge on whichever is greater, cubic or actual weight. Enter your carton dimensions, quantity and weight to see all three and which one you will be billed on.
Chargeable weight
360 kg
Charged on cubic weight. The divisor comparison is in the breakdown; confirm the factor with your carrier.
- Cubic m3 total
- 1.44
- Cubic weight kg
- 360
- Actual weight kg
- 160
- Sea revenue tonnes
- 1.44
Show breakdown
Calculation breakdown
- Cubic m3 each
- 0.072
- Cubic m3 total
- 1.44
- Cubic weight kg
- 360
- Actual weight kg
- 160
- Chargeable weight kg
- 360
- Charged on
- cubic weight
- Density kg per m3
- 111.1
- Sea revenue tonnes
- 1.44
| Cubic m3 each | 0.072 |
|---|---|
| Cubic m3 total | 1.44 |
| Cubic weight kg | 360 |
| Actual weight kg | 160 |
| Chargeable weight kg | 360 |
| Charged on | cubic weight |
| Density kg per m3 | 111.1 |
| Sea revenue tonnes | 1.44 |
| Cubic m3 each | Cubic m3 total | Actual weight kg | Cubic weight kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.072 | 1.44 | 160 | 360 |
| Carrier | Divisor kg per m3 | Chargeable weight kg | Sea revenue tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road freight (general Australian default) | 250 | 360 | — |
| Express courier (some carriers) | 333 | 479.52 | — |
| Air freight (IATA 1:6000) | 167 | 240.48 | — |
| Sea freight LCL (revenue tonne) | 1,000 | 1,440 | 1.44 |
Carriers charge the greater of actual and cubic weight. Confirm rounding, minimum charges and the conversion factor with your carrier.
1.44 m³ has a cubic weight of 360 kg against 160 kg actual weight. The chargeable weight is 360 kg.
At a glance
- Cubic metres
- length × width × height in metres, times quantity
- Cubic weight
- cubic metres × the carrier's divisor (250 kg/m³ road, 333 express, 167 air)
- Chargeable weight
- the greater of cubic weight and actual weight
- Sea freight LCL
- charged per revenue tonne, the greater of 1 m³ and 1,000 kg
- Australian standard pallet footprint
- 1165 × 1165 mm
- Note
- Divisors are carrier defaults; check your rate card
How it is calculated
Multiply outer dimensions by quantity to find volume. Apply the carrier divisor and compare that cubic weight with actual weight; the larger amount is chargeable.
m3_each = L × W × H × unit_factor (cm: 1e-6, mm: 1e-9, m: 1)
m3_total = Σ m3_each × qty
cubic_kg = m3_total × divisor
actual_kg = Σ weight_each × qty
chargeable_kg = max(cubic_kg, actual_kg)
charged_on = cubic_kg > actual_kg ? "cubic weight" : actual_kg > cubic_kg ? "actual weight" : "equal"
density = actual_kg ÷ m3_total (kg/m³; shown so the visitor sees why)
sea_rt = max(m3_total, actual_kg ÷ 1000) (revenue tonne for LCL sea freight)- Rates as at 2026-09-07 from Freight Divisors: carrier rate cards; verify each preset annually · Verification pending
- Rates as at 2026-09-07 from Pallets And Containers: Chep Australia pallet specifications; ISO 668 container dimensions · Verification pending
How do you calculate cubic weight in Australia?
Measure the outer length, width and height of one carton, multiply them to get its volume, and convert to cubic metres (divide by 1,000,000 if you measured in centimetres). Multiply by the number of cartons for the consignment volume. Then multiply the cubic metres by the carrier’s conversion factor. Most Australian road and general freight carriers use 250 kilograms per cubic metre, so a 1.44 cubic metre consignment has a cubic weight of 360 kilograms. Express and courier services often use a higher factor such as 333, and air freight uses 167 (the IATA 1:6000 ratio). The factor is on your rate card; the calculator lets you set it.
What is chargeable weight and why does the carrier use it?
Chargeable weight is the greater of the actual weight and the cubic weight, and it is what the freight charge is calculated on. Trucks and aircraft run out of space before they run out of payload, so a light, bulky consignment is charged as though it weighed what that space would carry in dense freight. Anything with a density below the divisor (below 250 kg per cubic metre for road) is charged on cubic weight; anything denser is charged on actual weight. The calculator shows the density so you can see how far from the line you are, and what packing more tightly would save.
How is sea freight charged if not by cubic weight?
Less-than-container-load sea freight is charged per revenue tonne: one revenue tonne is one cubic metre or one thousand kilograms, whichever is greater. So a 1.44 cubic metre consignment weighing 160 kilograms is 1.44 revenue tonnes. Full containers are charged per container, and the question becomes how many cartons or pallets fit, which the pallet and carton fit calculator answers. Air freight is always by chargeable weight at 167 kilograms per cubic metre.
How does cubic weight affect landed cost and pricing?
Freight on a light, bulky product can be a larger share of landed cost than duty. If your ERP allocates freight across a shipment by value, a cheap bulky item is under-costed and a dense expensive item is over-costed; allocating by cubic weight is more accurate for road and air. Knowing the chargeable weight per carton lets you set the allocation basis and check the carrier’s invoice line by line.
| Measure | Road (250 kg/m³) | Air (167 kg/m³) |
|---|---|---|
| Cubic metres each | 0.072 m³ | 0.072 m³ |
| Cubic metres total | 1.440 m³ | 1.440 m³ |
| Cubic weight | 360.00 kg | 240.48 kg |
| Actual weight | 160.00 kg | 160.00 kg |
| Chargeable weight | 360.00 kg (cubic) | 240.48 kg (cubic) |
| Density | 111.1 kg/m³ | 111.1 kg/m³ |
| Sea freight LCL | 1.440 revenue tonnes |
Frequently asked questions
What conversion factor do Australian carriers use for cubic weight?
Most road and general freight carriers, including Australia Post parcels and StarTrack, use 250 kilograms per cubic metre. Some express and courier services use 333, and international air freight uses 167 (6,000 cubic centimetres per kilogram). Your carrier's rate card states the factor; the calculator defaults to 250 and lets you change it.
Is cubic weight the same as volumetric weight?
Yes. Volumetric weight, dimensional weight and cubic weight are the same idea: the volume of a consignment converted to a weight using the carrier's factor. Couriers tend to say volumetric or dimensional; Australian freight companies say cubic. The chargeable weight is the greater of that figure and the actual weight.
Do I measure the carton or the pallet?
Measure whatever the carrier picks up as a unit. For loose cartons, measure each carton. For a palletised consignment, measure the pallet footprint (1165 × 1165 mm for a standard Australian pallet) and the total height including the pallet, because the carrier charges on the space the pallet occupies, not the sum of the cartons on it.
How do I reduce cubic weight?
Reduce the space, not the weight: smaller cartons with less void fill, nesting or knock-down packaging, stacking to the pallet height limit rather than half-filling a pallet, and consolidating consignments so one pallet is full. The density figure in the calculator shows how far below the carrier's factor you are.
ERP for wholesale distribution in Australia
Freight allocation, carton dimensions and cubic weight can live on the product record in your ERP so every quote and receipt uses them automatically.
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