DIM Divisor Chart
Every major carrier’s dimensional-weight factor in one table — metric divisor, kg/m³ equivalent, imperial divisor and billing rule. Last verified: 13 August 2026.
DHL, UPS, FedEx and TNT International use ÷5,000 cm³/kg (equivalently 200 kg/m³ or ÷139 in³/lb). IATA air cargo uses ÷6,000 (≈167 kg/m³). USPS also uses ÷139 in³/lb for US domestic parcels over 1 cubic foot — it dropped from 166 to 139 on 12 July 2026, raising billable weight on dim-rated parcels by about 19%. Australian cubic-weight carriers (Australia Post, StarTrack, Toll) use 250 kg/m³, equivalent to ÷4,000. Chargeable weight is always the greater of actual and volumetric weight.
- 12 Jul 2026 — USPS cut its DIM divisor from 166 to 139 for Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select, and began rounding every dimension up to the next whole inch. Billable weight on dim-rated parcels rose about 19%. The 1 ft³ threshold still applies.
- 18 Aug 2025 — UPS and FedEx both switched to rounding every fractional dimension up to the next whole inch (11.1 in bills as 12 in), instead of rounding to the nearest inch.
- 1 Apr 2025 — UPS SurePost became UPS Ground Saver, and no longer hands final delivery to USPS.
| Carrier | Service | Metric divisor | kg per m³ | Imperial | Billing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHL Express | International | ÷ 5,000 | 200 | ÷ 139 in³/lb | Per piece | Calc → |
| UPS | International | ÷ 5,000 | 200 | ÷ 139 in³/lb | Per piece | Calc → |
| UPS | US domestic | — | — | ÷ 139 in³/lb | Per piece | Calc → |
| FedEx | International | ÷ 5,000 | 200 | ÷ 139 in³/lb | Per piece | Calc → |
| FedEx | US domestic | — | — | ÷ 139 in³/lb | Per piece | Calc → |
| TNT | International Express | ÷ 5,000 | 200 | ÷ 139 in³/lb | Per piece | Calc → |
| TNT | Domestic (Australia) | ÷ 4,000 | 250 | — | Per piece | Calc → |
| Aramex | International | ÷ 5,000 | 200 | ÷ 139 in³/lb | Per piece | |
| USPS | Domestic (parcels > 1 ft³) | — | — | ÷ 139 in³/lb | Per piece |
| Carrier | Service | Metric divisor | kg per m³ | Imperial | Billing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air cargo (IATA standard) | General air freight | ÷ 6,000 | ≈167 | ÷ 366 in³/kg | Per shipment | Calc → |
| Australia Post / eParcel | Domestic cubic weight | ÷ 4,000 | 250 | — | Per piece | Calc → |
| StarTrack | Domestic (AU) | ÷ 4,000 | 250 | — | Per piece | Calc → |
| Toll | Domestic (AU) | ÷ 4,000 | 250 | — | Per piece | Calc → |
| European road groupage | LTL (commonly) | ÷ 3,000 | ≈333 | — | Varies by forwarder | |
| Sea freight LCL | W/M revenue ton | 1 CBM vs 1,000 kg | 1,000 | — | Per shipment | Calc → |
Divisors vary by service level, route and contract — negotiated accounts often carry custom factors. Treat this chart as the standard published rules and confirm against your rate card. Found an outdated value? Tell us.
Every divisor above is preloaded in our free calculators — result as you type.
How to read and use these divisors
DIM Divisor, kg/m³ and in³/lb Are One Rule
Three notations describe one thing. Divide 1,000,000 (the cubic centimetres in a cubic metre) by the metric divisor to get the density notation: ÷5,000 → 200 kg/m³, ÷6,000 → 166.7 kg/m³, ÷4,000 → 250 kg/m³. Imperial divisors work the same way in in³/lb. A lower divisor means a higher bill for the same box, so ÷4,000 (Australian domestic) is the strictest common standard and ÷6,000 (IATA air cargo) the most forgiving.
Two DIM Divisors, Two Billing Rules
The divisor is only half of the pricing rule. The billing mode column matters just as much: express couriers take max(volumetric, actual) for each piece and sum them, while IATA air cargo compares the shipment totals. On a consignment mixing dense and bulky cartons this alone changes the chargeable weight by 10–20% — see per-piece vs per-shipment billing for a worked example.
DIM Divisors You Can Negotiate
Published divisors are list terms. High-volume shippers routinely negotiate relief — moving an express contract from ÷5,000 to ÷6,000 cuts volumetric weight by 17% on every light, bulky parcel, which for a business shipping apparel, foam, or packaging is worth more than most packaging projects. If your freight is consistently volume-billed, the divisor line in your rate card is the highest-leverage thing to negotiate.
What This DIM Divisor Chart Does Not Cover
Divisors change with service level, route, contract, and occasionally with annual rate updates. Regional postal operators, domestic economy services and marketplace-fulfilment programmes often run their own factors. Surcharges — oversize, additional handling, remote area, peak season — sit on top of the chargeable weight and are not part of the divisor. Treat this table as the published baseline and confirm against your own rate card; the last-verified date above tells you how fresh our check is.
Download the data
The full verified table is available as structured data — free to cite or embed with attribution.
What is a DIM divisor?+
The DIM (dimensional) divisor converts a package’s volume into a billable weight: L × W × H ÷ divisor = volumetric weight. A lower divisor produces a higher billable weight for the same box — ÷4,000 (Australia) is stricter than ÷5,000 (international express), which is stricter than ÷6,000 (air cargo).
Why do carriers use different divisors?+
The divisor reflects each network’s cost of space. Aircraft belly space is scarcest, so express couriers price volume aggressively (÷5,000). Freight-forwarded air cargo uses the IATA standard ÷6,000. Ground networks in Australia standardized on 250 kg/m³ (÷4,000). Sea freight has abundant space, so 1 CBM is rated against a full tonne.
Is the divisor negotiable?+
Yes — high-volume shippers routinely negotiate custom DIM divisors (e.g. ÷6,000 instead of ÷5,000 on an express contract). If you ship consistently light, bulky goods, the divisor is one of the most valuable lines in your rate negotiation.
How do I convert a divisor to kg per cubic metre?+
Divide 1,000,000 (the cm³ in a cubic metre) by the divisor: ÷5,000 → 200 kg/m³, ÷6,000 → 166.7 kg/m³, ÷4,000 → 250 kg/m³. Both notations describe the same rule.
Which weight am I actually billed — actual or volumetric?+
Always the greater of the two, called the chargeable (billable) weight. Express couriers compare per piece and sum the results; IATA air cargo compares shipment totals — the same boxes can produce different bills under each rule.