Volumetric weight (kg) = Length × Width × Height in cm ÷ 5,000 for most Indian courier and e-commerce shipments, or ÷ 6,000 for air cargo and many road rate cards. For example, a 40 × 30 × 20 cm box is 24,000 ÷ 5,000 = 4.8 kg volumetric weight.

Multiply Length × Width × Height in inches. Divide by 305 to get kilograms (the inch equivalent of the 5,000 cm divisor), or by 139 to get pounds. You can also enter inches directly in this calculator; it converts every dimension to cm before calculating.

Yes. Volumetric weight, dimensional weight and DIM weight all mean the same thing: a weight worked out from the size of the package. Carriers bill the higher of this and the actual (dead) weight, which is called the chargeable or billable weight.

Couriers bill on the higher of the actual weight and the volumetric weight. A light but bulky parcel takes up space in the van or aircraft that could have carried heavier cargo, so it is charged on its size. If your volumetric weight is higher than the actual weight, that is the weight you will be billed for.

Most Indian courier and e-commerce rate cards (Delhivery, Blue Dart, DTDC, Ekart, Xpressbees and aggregators such as Shiprocket) commonly use 5,000 with dimensions in cm, giving the result in kg. Air cargo and some surface rate cards use 6,000, and contract rates can differ, so always confirm the divisor on your own rate card.

40 × 30 × 20 = 24,000 cm³, and 24,000 ÷ 5,000 = 4.8 kg. If the packed carton actually weighs 3.5 kg, the courier bills 4.8 kg. Many Indian couriers then round up to their weight slab, often 500 g, so check how your rate card rounds.

CFT means cubic feet; 1 CFT is about 28,317 cm³ or 0.0283 CBM. Many Indian surface and part-truckload (PTL) transporters convert volume to weight at a fixed number of kg per CFT, typically somewhere between 6 and 10 kg depending on the transporter, and bill on the higher of that and the actual weight. To reproduce this here, use a custom divisor of 28,317 ÷ (kg per CFT), for example about 3,540 for 8 kg per CFT.

LCL (less than container load) is billed per revenue tonne (RT), which is the higher of the volume in CBM and the weight in metric tonnes. A 2 CBM shipment weighing 800 kg is billed as 2 RT. Most consolidators also charge a minimum of 1 RT per shipment.

Measure the outer length, width and height of the packed carton in centimetres at its widest points, including any bulging, and weigh it after packing. Couriers measure the same way at their hubs, often with automatic dimension scanners, and usually round each side up to the next whole centimetre.

A weight discrepancy is raised when the weight or dimensions measured at the courier hub are higher than what you declared at booking, and the difference is charged back to you. Entering accurate packed dimensions, using standard carton sizes and keeping photos of the packed parcel on a scale with dimensions visible makes such disputes easier to resolve.

Use the smallest carton that protects the product, cut down on void fill, and switch soft goods such as apparel to poly mailers. Compare the divisor and slab rounding across carriers, as the same parcel can bill differently. A fulfilment partner like Edgistify can help standardise right-sized packaging across your SKUs.