What chargeable weight is, and why a light parcel can still cost more

A light, bulky parcel takes more space than the scale suggests. Carriers usually bill the higher of volumetric and actual weight.

How volumetric weight is calculated

Convert dimensions to centimetres. Volumetric kg = length × width × height ÷ divisor. The divisor comes from your lane. 5000 and 6000 are common demos, not a global official table.

Worked sample (illustration only)

Sample: 40 × 30 × 20 cm, actual 3.2 kg, divisor 5000, step 0.5 kg. Volumetric weight 4.8 kg, chargeable weight rounds to 5.0 kg. Actual weight is lower; the estimate still uses the 5.0 kg band.

Limits

This is not the carrier’s final quote. Outer cartons, dunnage, and lane surcharges can change the billed weight. Replace the sample divisor with the one on your label or logistics portal.