TOOLS
CALCULATION: GROSS WEIGHT vs. CUBED WEIGHT
The gross weight or the cubed weight of the cargo defines the price to be paid for shipping, according to the type of transport chosen. In addition, it is an important piece of information when it comes to handling and transporting goods.
Cargo shipping is charged according to the weight of the goods or the space they take up – whichever is greater.
Get to know how to calculate gross and cubed weight so you can budget your expenses and find out if your cargo has cubage or not.
To calculate cubage, multiply Length x Height x Width (LHW) of every piece that needs to be shipped.
Examples:
| BOX WEIGHING 5KG – Aprox. 11 lb. |  |
||
| Lenght | Height | Height | |
| 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.40 | |
| Result | 0.064m³ | ||
| CYLINDER WEIGHING 1,500 KG – Aprox. 3,306 lb. |  |
||
| Lenght | Diameter | Diameter | |
| 2,100 m | 1,000 m | 1,000 m | For cylinders, multiply the diameter by two |
| Result | 2,100 m³ | ||
Air Calculations
For air shipping, accordingly to the IATA, an aircraft can take up to 166.66 kg per cubic meter. That means that the weight-volume ratio is 1:6.
The calculation is always the same: X m³ x 166.66 Kg.
Using the same examples from up above, let us calculate their Gross Weight and Cubic Weight for air shipping:
| Type | Gross Weight | Cube | Cubic Weight |
| Box | 5 Kg | 0.064 m³ | 10.66 Kg |
| Cylinder | 1,500 Kg | 2.10 m³ | 349.98 Kg |
* To apply the correct shipping fee, always look for the greatest weight. In the example of the box, it will be the CUBIC WEIGHT. For the cylinder, it will be the GROSS WEIGHT.
Maritime Calculations
For shipping by water, convention dictates that 1 ton = 1m³.
Using the same examples from up above, let us calculate their Gross Weight and Cubic Weight for shipping by water:
| Type | Gross Weight | Cube | Cubic Weight |
| Box | 5 Kg | 0.064 m³ | 1 Ton |
| Cylinder | 1,500 Kg | 2.10 m³ | 2.10 Ton |
* For shipping by water, calculations are very simple. We always consider that 1m³ is equal to 1 ton. In our box example, only the smallest fee would be charged (it can vary from ½ to 1 ton, depending on the maritime company to perform the service). In our cylinder example, the weight used for charging would be 2.10 tons, even though the cargo has A GROSS WEIGHT of 1.5 ton.
