Chargeable weight is the figure your freight is actually billed on, and it is often not what your scale says. On ocean LCL the rule is weight or measure, written W/M: the carrier charges on whichever produces the greater number. Getting this right before booking is the difference between an accurate budget and an amended invoice.
The pivot for ocean freight is one cubic metre against one metric ton, so:
Worked example. Four pallets, each 120 x 100 x 150 cm, each weighing 320 kg.
This shipment pays on 7.2 units. To be charged on weight instead, the same four pallets would need to weigh more than 7.2 tons, which for palletised consumer goods almost never happens. That is why most LCL freight is volume driven.
Measurement is taken over the outside of the shipment as presented, including the pallet base and anything protruding. A 15 cm pallet under a 135 cm stack adds cubic metres to the bill. Overhang is measured too, and it also risks handling damage. Repalletising to a tighter footprint is the cheapest freight saving available.
Air freight uses a volumetric divisor rather than the cubic metre against ton pivot. The standard conversion divides the volume in cubic centimetres by 6,000 to obtain a kilogram equivalent, then charges on the greater of that and the actual weight. Because that divisor is far more aggressive than the ocean pivot, light bulky cargo is punished much harder by air.
| Mode | Pivot | Effect on light cargo |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean LCL | 1 cbm against 1 metric ton | Volume usually governs |
| Air | Volume in cm3 divided by 6,000 | Volumetric weight usually governs, and sharply |
The consolidator remeasures and reweighs at the container freight station. Those figures, not yours, go on the invoice and on the manifest. Declaring optimistic dimensions does not save money, it produces a corrected invoice after the cargo has sailed and, if weights are involved, a mismatch with the verified gross mass declaration required for FCL loading.
More cost levers are in what drives LCL shipping costs, and if your volume is growing, compare against a full container using LCL vs FCL for US exports.
The greater of the shipment's volume in cubic metres and its weight in metric tons, used as the billing unit for LCL.
Multiply length by width by height in centimetres and divide by 1,000,000. Include the pallet.
Most LCL tariffs apply a minimum of one cubic metre or one metric ton, whichever is greater.
No. Full containers are priced per container, subject to payload and road weight limits.
The consolidator measures the cargo as presented, including pallets and overhang, and bills on those figures.
Want your dimensions checked before you book? Send the packing list and we will confirm the chargeable figure.