How to calculate the total volume of cargo in m3? This question is often asked by clients of transport companies, because the choice of transport and the cost of transportation depend on it. For smaller volume cargo, you can choose cheaper vehicles and thereby save on delivery costs. When it comes to groupage cargo, delivery costs are calculated in proportion to the space your goods occupy. An incorrect calculation can lead to the fact that the entire product simply does not fit into the vehicle, or a more capacious container will be ordered where a smaller one could be used.
How to calculate cargo volume for a transport company
Each item has its own maximum length, width and height. Heterogeneous objects are measured in several places and the largest number obtained is taken. If the cargo has packaging, then it is measured. If not — measurement data increases by 20–30%. The resulting numbers are multiplied to convert to cubic meters. In the event that goods can be nested inside each other, for example, empty containers, corners, their volume is counted as a single number.
Now it’s easy to understand how to calculate the total volume of cargo to be transported. The calculated data are added together, or multiplied by the number of boxes, if they have the same volume, after which 30% is added to this figure, which is allocated to the voids that inevitably form between container units. Values exceeding 0.5 m are usually rounded up to the nearest whole number.
The above coefficients are standard and can vary greatly depending on what exactly needs to be transported and in what packaging.
It should be noted that in logistics it is customary to operate with the value m3, therefore the data in cm3 must be converted by multiplying the resulting number by 0.000001.
When sending consolidated cargo, heavier and lighter, but larger ones are placed in the same vehicle, while the weight and volume are balanced, and each participant wins in payment.
Volumetric cargo weight
There is also such a thing as volumetric weight, which is most often used in air transportation. This is due to the fact that space on the plane is limited and it would be unprofitable to transport cargo that is too light and takes up more space.
To calculate the volumetric weight, the volume obtained from the above calculations is multiplied by a factor of 167. If the final number is greater than the actual weight, the delivery cost will be determined based on it. For land transportation, this coefficient may also occur and varies depending on the adopted regulations.
Often, special online calculators are used to simplify all calculations, but you should understand that you can obtain accurate data on the volume for transportation by contacting the specialists of the transport company and indicating the type and characteristics of your cargo and its dimensions.
