To understand the definition of bubble cargo and heavy cargo, it is necessary to know what actual weight, volumetric weight, and billing weight are.

一、actual weight

Actual Weight refers to the weight obtained from weighing (weighing), including Gross Weight (G.W.) and Net Weight (N.W.). The most common is the actual gross weight.

In the transportation of air cargo, the actual gross weight is often compared with the calculated volume weight, and the shipping fee is calculated and charged whichever is larger.

二、volume weight

Volume Weight or Dimensions Weight refers to the weight calculated based on a certain conversion coefficient or formula by calculating the volume of goods.

In air cargo transportation, the conversion coefficient for calculating volume weight is generally 1:167, which means that one cubic meter is approximately 167 kilograms. For example, if a shipment of air freight has an actual gross weight of 95 kilograms and a volume of 1.2 cubic meters, calculated using a 1:167 air freight coefficient, the volume weight of this shipment is 1.2 * 167=200.4 kilograms, which is greater than the actual gross weight of 95 kilograms. Therefore, this shipment is considered as foam cargo (also known as light weight cargo or light cargo/Goods or low density cargo or measurement cargo in English), and the airline will charge based on the volume weight, Instead of actual gross weight. Please note that air freight is generally referred to as bubble cargo, while sea freight is generally referred to as light cargo, with different names.

For example, if a shipment of air freight has an actual gross weight of 560 kilograms and a volume of 1.5CBM, calculated using a 1:167 air freight coefficient, the volume weight of this shipment is 1.5 * 167=250.5 kilograms, which is less than the actual gross weight of 560 kilograms. Therefore, this shipment is a heavy cargo (also known as Dead Weight Cargo or Heavy Cargo/Goods or High Density Cargo in English), and the airline will charge based on the actual gross weight, rather than the volume weight.

In short, according to a certain conversion coefficient, calculate the volume weight, and then compare the volume weight with the actual weight. The larger one will be charged accordingly.

三、Chargeable Weight, also known as C.W., is the weight used to calculate shipping or other miscellaneous expenses. The billed weight is either the actual gross weight or the volumetric weight. The billed weight=actual weight vs volumetric weight, whichever is greater, is the weight used to calculate transportation costs.

四、method of calculation

Calculation method for express delivery and air freight: regular items: length (cm) × Width (cm) × Height (cm) ÷ 6000=Volume weight (KG), i.e. 1CBM ≈ 166.66667KG. Irregular items: maximum length (cm) × Maximum width (cm) × Maximum (cm) ÷ 6000=Volume weight (KG), i.e. 1CBM ≈ 166.66667KG. This is an internationally accepted algorithm.

In short, a weight greater than 166.67 kilograms per cubic meter is called heavy cargo, and a weight less than 166.67 kilograms is called bubble cargo.

Heavy goods are charged based on actual gross weight, while bubble goods are charged based on volume and weight.

note：

1. CBM is short for Cubic Meter, meaning cubic meter. 2. Volume and weight are also measured by length (cm) × Width (cm) × It is not common to calculate the height (cm) ÷ 5000, and generally only express delivery companies use this algorithm. 3. In fact, the division of heavy cargo and foam cargo in air cargo transportation is much more complex, such as depending on the density

 Bilingual comparison: 1:300, 1:400, 1:500, 1:800, 1:1000, etc. Different proportions result in different prices. For example, 25 yuan/kg for 1:300 and 24 yuan/kg for 1:500. The so-called 1:300 means that one cubic meter equals 300 kilograms, 1:400 means that one cubic meter equals 400 kilograms, and so on. 4. In order to fully utilize the space and payload of an aircraft, it is generally necessary to mix heavy cargo and foam cargo in a reasonable manner. Air cargo allocation is a technical activity - well matched, it can fully utilize the limited cabin resources of the aircraft, and even significantly increase additional profits. If there is too much heavy cargo, it will waste space (if the cabin is not full, it will be overweight), and if there is too much cargo, it will waste payload (if the maximum weight is not reached, it will be full).

Calculation method for sea freight:

1. The classification of heavy and light goods by sea freight is much simpler than air freight. China's sea freight LCL business basically distinguishes heavy and light goods based on the standard that 1 cubic meter is equal to 1 ton. In sea freight consolidation, heavy cargo is rare and mostly light cargo. Moreover, sea freight consolidation is calculated based on volume, which is fundamentally different from air freight calculation based on weight, so it is relatively simpler. Many people have made a large amount of sea freight, but have never heard of light and heavy goods because they are rarely used.

2. According to the ship's stowage factor, any cargo with a stowage factor less than the ship's capacity factor is called Dead Weight Cargo/Heavy Goods; Any cargo with a stowage factor greater than the vessel's capacity factor is called Measurement Cargo/Light Goods. 3. According to the perspective of calculating freight rates and international shipping business practices, any cargo with a storage factor of less than 1.1328 cubic meters/ton or 40 cubic feet/ton is called heavy cargo; Any cargo with a stowage factor greater than 1.1328 cubic meters per ton or 40 cubic feet per ton is called light cargo/foam cargo.

4. The concepts of heavy and light goods are closely related to stowage, transportation, storage, and billing. The carrier or freight forwarding company distinguishes heavy cargo, light cargo, and foam cargo according to certain standards.

Tips

Sea freight LCL is based on the density of water at 1000KGS/1CBM. To compare the weight of cargo with cubic meters, if it is greater than 1, it is heavy cargo, and if it is less than 1, it is foam cargo. However, many voyages now have weight limitations, so the proportion is adjusted to around 1 ton/1.5CBM.

Air freight, based on a ratio of 1000 to 6, is equivalent to 1 CBM=166.6 KGS. If 1 CBM exceeds 166.6, it is considered heavy cargo, while on the contrary, it is considered bubble cargo.

The classification of heavy goods, light goods/bubble goods, and flat goods in this article is for reference only. It does not mean that it is actually the same. There is often a great distance between theory and practice. Moreover, in practice, the regulations of different companies may vary. Specific consultation is required with freight forwarding companies, transportation companies, express delivery companies, or logistics companies.