Density Factor

Density Factor: How to Read and Use It

This guide explains the Density Factor shown in the Measurements section on Air Booking, Sea Booking, Air Shipment, and Sea Shipment. It helps you see at a glance whether your cargo is dense (heavy for its size) or volumetric (light for its size), and how that affects chargeable weight and pricing.

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What Is the Density Factor?

The density factor is the ratio:

Density Factor = Volume (cm³) ÷ Weight (kg)

• It is computed from the header volume and weight (either aggregated from packages or manually overridden).
• Volume is expressed in cm³ and weight in kg, so the result is in cm³ per kg.
• The scale used in the bar is 1 (dense) to 6000 (volumetric), matching the common air freight divisor (e.g. IATA 1:6000).

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How to Read the Bar Indicator

The density factor is shown in two ways:

1. Fill bar
   A blue bar that fills from the left toward the right. The more it fills, the more volumetric (light for size) the cargo is.

2. Numeric badge
   A small label on the bar showing the exact density factor value (e.g. 167.0, 3000.0).

Scale Under the Bar

• (1:1) Dense (left)
  Low ratio: heavy for the volume. Actual weight typically drives chargeable weight.

• 1:6 (middle)
  Mid-range: mixed density.

• Volumetric (1:6000) (right)
  High ratio: light for the volume. Volumetric weight typically drives chargeable weight (e.g. volume in cm³ ÷ 6000).

Examples

Bar position	Approx. factor	Meaning
Far left	< 500	Very dense; chargeable weight ≈ actual weight
Left–centre	500–2000	Moderate density
Centre–right	2000–6000	Light; chargeable weight often = volume weight
Far right	> 6000	Very volumetric; chargeable weight = volume weight

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Where You See It

The density factor bar appears in the Measurements section on:

• Air Booking
• Sea Booking
• Air Shipment
• Sea Shipment

Header Volume and Weight are usually filled from the packages table. If you use Override Volume & Weight, you can enter volume and weight manually; the density factor is then calculated from those overridden values.

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How It’s Used in Freight

1. Chargeable weight
   Carriers (especially in air freight) charge on the higher of:

   • Actual weight (kg), and
   • Volumetric weight = volume (cm³) ÷ divisor (e.g. 6000 for IATA).

   The density factor is exactly volume (cm³) ÷ weight (kg). So:

   • If the factor < divisor (e.g. < 6000): cargo is dense → chargeable weight = actual weight.
   • If the factor ≥ divisor: cargo is volumetric → chargeable weight = volume weight.

2. Pricing and capacity
   Knowing whether you are “left” (dense) or “right” (volumetric) on the bar helps you:

   • Anticipate whether you will be charged on weight or on volume.
   • Compare different shipments and packaging choices.

3. Override Volume & Weight
   When you check Override Volume & Weight, header volume and weight are no longer updated from package totals. You can enter totals manually (e.g. from a master AWB or different system). The density factor bar and number always reflect the current header volume and weight, whether from packages or overridden.

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Practical Tips

• Bar mostly empty (left)
  Cargo is dense. Focus on actual weight and weight limits.

• Bar mostly full (right)
  Cargo is volumetric. Improving packing (smaller volume for same weight) can reduce chargeable weight and cost.

• Factor near 167 (≈ 1:167)
  Equivalent to about 167 kg/m³, often used as a “break-even” density when the divisor is 6000 (1 m³ = 1,000,000 cm³ → 1,000,000 ÷ 6000 ≈ 167 kg/m³).

• Changing packages
  When you add or edit packages and do not use Override Volume & Weight, header volume and weight (and thus the density factor) update from package totals. After changing packages, the bar and number refresh automatically.

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Summary

• Density factor = Volume (cm³) ÷ Weight (kg).
• Bar: left = dense, right = volumetric (scale 1 to 6000).
• Use it to see whether chargeable weight will be driven by actual weight or volumetric weight, and to compare or optimize shipments.
• Override Volume & Weight lets you set header totals manually; the density factor is always based on the current header volume and weight.