Reading packing data: carton size, gross weight and chargeable weight
Carton dimensions and gross weight are the two numbers that decide what a shipment costs. This note shows how to combine them into chargeable weight, using the real carton data we publish for every model.
01 · The two numbers on every product page
Every product page on this site lists the carton dimensions in millimetres and the gross weight in kilograms. Gross weight is the whole packed carton — the unit, its accessories, any consumables that travel with it, and the packing material itself. It is not the weight of the machine on its own.
We publish both for one reason: so you can price the freight before you enquire, rather than after you have settled a unit price and then discovered the shipping cost.
02 · Why two numbers are not enough
A forwarder does not bill on weight alone, or on size alone. It bills on the greater of two figures: the actual weight of the shipment, and the space it occupies. That second figure is volumetric weight, and for bulky equipment it is usually the one that applies.
03 · Working out volumetric weight
The method is to multiply the carton's length, width and height in centimetres, then divide by a factor set by the carrier. The two factors you will meet most often are:
- Express courier services — divide by 5,000
- Air and sea freight — divide by 6,000
The factor is a commercial convention rather than a physical constant, and it varies by carrier and by lane. Read the figures below as a planning estimate, and confirm the divisor your forwarder will use on your route.
04 · Worked examples from our own catalogue
| Model | Carton (cm) | Gross weight | Volumetric ÷5,000 | Volumetric ÷6,000 | Chargeable weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VOR-WZ-LSM802 | 53 × 45 × 113 | 36 kg | 53.9 kg | 44.9 kg | 53.9 kg courier / 44.9 kg air, sea |
| VOR-PD-01 | 81 × 77 × 92 | 63.5 kg | 114.8 kg | 95.6 kg | 114.8 kg courier / 95.6 kg air, sea |
| VOR-PM-CAR | 58 × 44 × 40 | 16 kg | 20.4 kg | 17.0 kg | 20.4 kg courier / 17.0 kg air, sea |
| VOR-MJ-M1 | 21.5 × 19 × 14.5 | 1.2 kg | 1.18 kg | 0.99 kg | 1.2 kg both |
| VOR-WZ-PEN | 24 × 12 × 13 | 1.5 kg | 0.75 kg | 0.62 kg | 1.5 kg both |
05 · What the examples show
Two patterns are worth noting. The large vertical platforms and the pelvic floor chairs are volumetric-dominant. The LSM802 weighs 36 kg, but it bills at 53.9 kg by courier, because its carton is 113 cm tall. Across five or ten units, the gap between the two divisors becomes a real number in your landed cost.
The small items run the other way. The microneedling pen and the mobile nail printer bill on actual weight, because their cartons are too small for volumetric weight to overtake it. So the rule is simply: work out both, and take the larger. Do not assume the same one always wins.
06 · Multi-carton orders
Some models ship as more than one carton. The pelvic floor chair with its separate main unit travels as two boxes with different dimensions and different weights — 43.5 kg and 63.6 kg. Volumetric weight is worked out per carton and then added together. Adding the weights first and measuring one box would understate the volume, and the quote that comes back will be wrong.
07 · What to send your forwarder
- Carton dimensions, per box, in centimetres
- Gross weight, per box, in kilograms
- Number of boxes per unit ordered
- Total volume in cubic metres
- Destination city, and the Incoterm you are buying on
The first two are on every product page. For an actual quotation on a specific quantity, send us the model codes and the destination, and we will put the packing list in writing, box by box.
Other notes and documents
Our certificates and test documents are listed on the Certifications section of the home page. Technical documentation is available to qualified buyers on request.