DHL Express volumetric weight calculator
DHL Express works out the volumetric weight of each piece as length × width × height in centimetres ÷ 5000 and bills the higher of that and the actual weight. In the UK guide each piece is rounded up to the next 0.5 kg, and a shipment over 30 kg to the next whole kg.
- Divisor
- 5000 cm³/kg, for each piece in the shipment
- Each side
- Measured in centimetres; the guide states no rounding of the sides
- Piece weight
- The higher of actual and volumetric weight, up to the next 0.5 kg (DHL Express Worldwide)
- Shipment
- Up to the next 0.5 kg up to 30 kg, then the next whole kg
- Economy Select
- Pieces up to the next kg; shipment the next kg up to 70 kg, then 5 kg
- Overweight piece
- Surcharge on any piece over 70 kg, scale or volumetric
- Source
- DHL Express UK Service & Rate Guide 2026, pp. 15, 28 and 30
The DHL Express rule, step by step
- Measure each piece in centimetres: length × width × height.
- Divide by 5000 to get the volumetric weight of that piece.
- Take the higher of the volumetric and actual weight and round it up to the next 0.5 kg.
- Add the pieces. If the shipment comes to more than 30 kg, round the total up to the next whole kg.
A shipment over 30 kg
| Piece | Qty | Size (cm) | Actual (kg) | Volumetric (kg) | Billed each (kg) | Line total (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box A · mugs | 3 | 40 × 30 × 25 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 18 |
| Box B · cushions | 2 | 60 × 40 × 30 | 8 | 14.4 | 14.5 | 29 |
| Box C · books | 1 | 30 × 25 × 20 | 9.5 | 3 | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Shipment | 6 | 37.5 total | Pieces: 56.5 | 57 |
The pieces add up to 56.5 kg. Over 30 kg DHL Express bills whole kilograms, so the shipment is billed 57 kg, against 37.5 kg on the scale. The light mug and cushion boxes are billed on volume; the books on their actual weight.
Open this shipment with the DHL rule
Express Worldwide vs Economy Select
The same guide prices DHL Economy Select, its slower road service, in coarser steps: each piece up to the next whole kg, and the shipment up to the next whole kg to 70 kg, then the next 5 kg. The six boxes above come to 58 kg that way, against 57 kg on Express Worldwide. The divisor is 5000 for both.
One large, light piece
A 62 × 45 × 40 cm carton weighing 9 kg is 111,600 cm³ ÷ 5000 = 22.32 kg, rounded up to 22.5 kg. 13.5 kg of that is air: on a light piece, only a smaller carton lowers the bill.
Cartons measured in inches and pounds
Choose inches and pounds in the calculator above: it converts each side and the weight exactly (1 in = 2.54 cm, 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg) before dividing by 5000. In inches and pounds the same divisor is about 139 in³/lb, the figure US carriers use; see 5000 vs 6000 for what the divisor means.
What this does not cover
- Surcharges: overweight and oversize pieces, remote area, fuel and others, and prices.
- DHL Express guides for other countries, which can use other weight steps, and other DHL businesses (DHL eCommerce, DHL Parcel, DHL Freight), which publish their own rules.
- Contracts with a different divisor or rounding.
Sources
DHL Express UK Service & Rate Guide 2026: p. 15 (volumetric weight, each piece ÷ 5,000), p. 28 (Express Worldwide weight steps), p. 30 (Economy Select weight steps). Checked 28 October 2026.
Related
Last updated: 28 October 2026. Billable weight only: surcharges, minimum charges and your negotiated rates are not included.