Air travel is one of the most sophisticated modes of transportation, but it is also one of the most expensive to maintain, so air freight is more expensive than ground and ocean freight. It is important to be aware of two concepts when transporting goods by air: Actual Weight and Volumetric Weight.
Depending on the weight of the shipment, either the actual or natural weight will determine the air freight price. Based on the gross and net weights of your product, you can calculate the actual weight of your product. The volumetric weight is then compared with this value to determine the fees. Whichever is greater is charged.
In this case, the transportation company would want to charge you based on the amount of space it takes up rather than the weight, otherwise they would not be able to make a sustainable profit. If you are unaware of the difference between actual weight and volume weight, you may be surprised if you are charged by volumetric weight.
In order to calculate the volumetric weight, the ratio is usually 1:167 for air delivery and 1:200 for express delivery. Accordingly, a cubic meter is estimated to weigh approximately 167 kilograms for air freight and 200 kilograms for express delivery. As a result, if you are shipping something large and bulky, you will likely be charged according to its size and not its weight. Please feel free to contact us if you would like a more in-depth explanation with additional details and calculations. Get in touch with our expert team and we’ll walk you through the process and estimate whether your goods will be charged based on volume or weight.
