The volumetric weight of a shipment is a calculation that reflects the density of a package. A less dense item generally occupies more volume of space, in comparison to its actual weight. The volumetric or dimensional weight is calculated and compared with the actual weight of the shipment to ascertain which is greater; the higher weight is used to calculate the shipment cost.

The conversion factor used for calculating the volumetric weight of DHL and UPS shipments is 5000 and the formula is:

length x width x height (cm) / 5000

The forumula for calculating volumetric weight of UK Mail shipment is:

length x width x height (cm) / 4000