Freight Quote Request Builder
Forwarders quote faster when the request is complete. Fill this in once and get a finished request you can paste into an email — including the chargeable weight, which is the detail most quote requests leave out.
Shipment Details
Your Request
Nothing You Type Here Leaves Your Browser
This site is not a freight broker
FOB Calc does not quote freight, does not book shipments, and has no freight partner. There is nothing behind this form but the text it prints for you.
No data is sent anywhere
The request is generated in your browser and copied to your clipboard. It is not transmitted, stored, or seen by anyone but you. Send it to whichever forwarder you already work with.
Why chargeable weight matters
LCL and air shipments are billed on the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. A light, bulky shipment pays for the space it occupies, not the kilos it weighs — and a request that omits it often gets requoted.
The conventions we use
LCL: 1 cbm = 1,000 kg. Air: 1 cbm = 167 kg, from the IATA volumetric divisor of 6,000. Carriers do vary the air divisor, and some LCL tariffs use a different ratio — check the figure with your forwarder.
What a Forwarder Actually Needs
Most first quote requests come back as a question rather than a price. These are the details that cause it, and why each one changes the number:
| Detail | Why it changes the quote |
|---|---|
| Origin and destination | Freight is priced port-pair to port-pair. "China to Europe" is not a quotable lane; Ningbo to Rotterdam is. |
| Incoterm | Decides which legs you are buying. Under FOB you buy the main carriage; under EXW you also buy the origin haulage and export clearance. |
| FCL or LCL | Different pricing entirely — per container versus per revenue ton. Below roughly 15 cbm, LCL is usually cheaper; above it, FCL usually wins. |
| Gross weight and volume | Together they determine the chargeable weight, which is the number actually billed on LCL and air. |
| Commodity and HS code | Some goods carry surcharges, need a dangerous-goods declaration, or are restricted on certain lanes. |
| Cargo ready date | Rates move weekly, and a quote is only valid for the sailing it was priced against. A date is what makes the quote usable. |
| Packaging and handling | Pallets, stackability and whether you need a tail-lift decide the handling charges — and sometimes the vehicle. |
A Worked Example
Ningbo to Rotterdam, LCL, 120 cartons of ceramic tableware, 4,800 kg gross, 12 cbm.
On the LCL convention of 1 cbm = 1,000 kg, the volumetric weight is 12 × 1,000 = 12,000 kg. The actual weight is 4,800 kg. Freight is billed on the greater of the two, so the chargeable weight is 12,000 kg and the shipment pays for 12 revenue tons, not the 4.8 tonnes it weighs.
The same shipment by air, at 1 cbm = 167 kg, gives a volumetric weight of 12 × 167 = 2,004 kg. Now the actual weight is the greater figure, so the chargeable weight is 4,800 kg — and the answer has flipped from the sea case purely because the two modes use different ratios.
That reversal is the whole point of the builder. A light, bulky consignment is charged on volume by sea and on weight by air, and neither answer is the number on the packing list.
What This Page Does Not Do
- It does not obtain, compare or estimate freight rates. This site holds no freight rate data and quotes none.
- It does not send your details to any forwarder, and it cannot recommend one.
- It does not calculate a price. Take the request it generates to your own forwarder and let them quote it.
- Container capacities shown in the dropdown are typical usable volumes, not guaranteed — they vary by container and by how your cargo stacks.
Next Steps
- FOB price from EXW — what the origin charges you are asking this forwarder about actually do to your price.
- CIF calculator — add the freight and insurance figures back into your selling price.
- Supplier quote comparison — once freight is quoted, compare suppliers on landed cost.
- Incoterms 2020 explained — which leg of the journey each rule makes you responsible for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a freight quote?
No. It is the request you send to get one. Nothing on this page is transmitted anywhere, and FOB Calc is not a forwarder or a broker.
What is chargeable weight?
The weight a carrier bills you for. On LCL and air, a shipment is charged on whichever is greater — the actual gross weight or the volumetric weight. Chargeable weight is that greater figure.
Why does the same shipment have two different chargeable weights?
Because sea and air use different volumetric ratios. Sea LCL commonly treats 1 cbm as 1,000 kg; air commonly treats 1 cbm as 167 kg. A bulky, light consignment is therefore charged on volume by sea and on weight by air.
What is the difference between FCL and LCL?
FCL means you book the whole container and pay per container. LCL means your cargo shares a container and you pay per revenue ton. As a rough rule, LCL is cheaper below about 15 cbm and FCL above it, but the crossover depends on the lane and the season.
Can I use this for a domestic shipment?
The Incoterms field is irrelevant to a domestic move, and the volumetric conventions differ. Leave the Incoterm blank and enter the road freight details — but check the chargeable weight rule with your carrier, because it is not the same as either sea or air.