What will your freight be charged on?
Enter your cartons or pallets to see the total volume, chargeable weight for air, sea, rail and road, and whether you'll fill a container.
Your shipment
Add a line for each carton or pallet size. Measurements in cm, weight in kg per carton or pallet.
Goods value optional
Add a value to estimate duty and 20% UK import VAT. For a full landed cost with freight included, use our duty and VAT calculator.
Guide figures only. Volumetric ratios, container limits and transit times vary by forwarder, route and carrier. Pallet spaces assume a 120 × 100 cm pallet stacked to 1.5 m.
How each mode charges you
Freight is billed on whichever is greater: the actual weight or the volume converted to weight. Here's your shipment through each lens.
Air freight
Sea (LCL)
Sea (FCL)
Rail
Road
Will it fill a container?
Based on typical usable space, which is less than the internal volume because cartons never pack perfectly.
The numbers freight is priced on
CBM (cubic metres)
Length × width × height in metres. A 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton is 0.096 CBM. Sea and rail are priced mainly on volume.
Chargeable weight
Air and road convert volume into a weight. If your goods are light for their size, you pay for the space, not the kilos.
LCL or FCL?
As a rule of thumb, under about 15 CBM share a container (LCL). Above that, a full container (FCL) is often cheaper and faster.
Parcels are different
Couriers use their own volumetric ratios, usually L × W × H ÷ 5,000. See how that works on our courier charges page.
Documents
A commercial invoice, packing list and your EORI number are the minimum for any international shipment.
Duty and VAT
Freight and insurance are usually part of the customs value, so they affect the duty and VAT you pay.
Courier charges explained → · Duty and VAT calculator → · 3PL cost calculator →
Want a price for this shipment?
Send us your shipment details and we'll compare air, sea, rail and road for you, delivered straight into our Thame or Rotterdam warehouse.