# Sources for the divisor presets

The only seed data in Freight Weight Check is the three divisor presets. Each one is based on public pages fetched on 8 November 2026. Carriers change their rules, so treat these as common conventions, not tariffs.

| Preset | Value used | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air freight | 6000 cm³/kg | "it is safe to treat 6000 cm3/kg as the baseline for scheduled air freight unless a specific carrier tells you otherwise" and "The 6000 divisor is equivalent to a density of 167 kg per cubic metre." Also notes IATA practice of rounding the chargeable figure up to the next half kilogram. | https://blog.gettransport.com/logistics-guide/chargeable-volumetric-weight-calculation-2026/ |
| Air freight (cross-check) | 6000 cm³/kg = 166 in³/lb | Lists "166 in3/lb ... common for IATA shipments" and UPS applying "166 cubic inches per pound (6,000 cm3/kg)" to US domestic retail rates. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimensional_weight |
| Express courier | 5000 cm³/kg | Lists DHL Express "Global: 5,000 cm3/kg (138 cu in/lb)" and FedEx and UPS using "139 cubic inches per pound (5,000 cm3/kg)" for some services. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimensional_weight |
| Express courier (cross-check) | 5000 cm³/kg | Express "uses 5000 cm3/kg in metric, which corresponds to a density of 200 kg per cubic metre." | https://blog.gettransport.com/logistics-guide/chargeable-volumetric-weight-calculation-2026/ |
| Sea LCL | 1 CBM = 1000 kg (divisor 1000) | "1 CBM is treated as equivalent to 1,000 kg (1 MT) for comparison purposes under W/M" and "1 RT = 1 CBM or 1,000 kg (1 MT), whichever is higher." | https://www.cogoport.com/blogs/how-to-calculate-chargeable-weight-ocean-freight |
| Chargeable weight rule | greater of actual and volumetric | Fee based on "the dimensional weight or the actual weight, whichever is greater." | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimensional_weight |

Unit conversions (exact by definition): 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg.

Pages tried but not usable at the time of fetching: a DHL UK volumetric weight article (timed out), a UPS UK dimensions page (access denied) and an IATA manual page (404). None of their content was used.