Insights · Tools

Tools for Planning Complex Cargo

Four calculators and references built from the questions we answer every day. Results are indicative — our engineers confirm the final answer for your route.

Request a Quote

Tool 1

CBM & Chargeable Weight Calculator

Enter dimensions and weight; outputs CBM and air/sea chargeable weight.

Result

CBM per piece: 0.960 m³
Total volume: 0.960 m³
Total gross weight: 150 kg

Chargeable weight by transport mode
Mode	Volumetric	Chargeable
Air (1 : 6,000)Volume governs	160 kg	160 kg
Sea LCL (W/M, 1 m³ = 1,000 kg)Volume governs	960 kg	960 kg
Road groupage (1 : 3,000)Volume governs	320 kg	320 kg

Chargeable weight is the greater of gross and volumetric weight. Divisors are industry defaults; individual carriers and consolidators may apply different ratios, and sea LCL is often rated per revenue ton (whichever is greater of 1 m³ or 1,000 kg).

Tool 2

OOG Pre-Check

Enter L×W×H and weight; the tool flags whether the cargo is likely out-of-gauge and prompts an engineer call-back.

Length (m)

Width (m)

Height (m)

Gross weight (t)

Single piece, including any skid or crate.

Indicative reference limits

Reference cargo envelopes used by the pre-check
Equipment	L × W × H (m)	Payload (t)
Standard trailer	13.6 × 2.55 × 2.7	24
40' HC container	12.03 × 2.35 × 2.69	26
20' GP container	5.9 × 2.35 × 2.39	28

Trailer envelope assumes a standard flatbed within a 4.0 m overall height. Legal limits vary by country.

Verdict

Standard cargo

Container fit

40' HC containerDoes not fit — width 2.4 m > 2.35 m
20' GP containerDoes not fit — length 6 m > 5.9 m, width 2.4 m > 2.35 m, height 2.5 m > 2.39 m

Limits are indicative reference values. Legal road limits vary by country and by permit class; permits and a route survey determine the final answer.
Cargo fits the standard trailer envelope. Border crossings and transit countries may still apply lower limits, so confirm the corridor before booking.
Container fit uses internal dimensions only; allow for lashing, dunnage and the door opening, which is smaller than the internal cross-section.

Tool 3

Incoterms® 2020 Guide

Who pays and who carries risk for each term. Print the page or save it as a PDF.

Show rules for

Showing 11 of 11 rules. Seller obligations are shown in teal. Based on ICC Incoterms® 2020; the contract of sale governs and the rules do not cover title, payment or breach.

EXW Ex Works

Any mode of transport

Obligations under EXW Ex Works
Obligation	Who
Main carriage	Buyer arranges and pays
Insurance	No obligation on either partyBuyer insures at its own option; the seller has no obligation.
Export clearance	Buyer
Import clearance	Buyer
Risk transfers	When the goods are placed at the buyer's disposal at the seller's premises or another named place, not loaded on any collecting vehicle.

Watch out: Export formalities sit with a buyer who is usually not established in the origin country, so in practice the seller ends up clearing anyway — FCA reflects that reality and puts loading risk where it belongs.

FCA Free Carrier

Any mode of transport

Obligations under FCA Free Carrier
Obligation	Who
Main carriage	Buyer arranges and pays
Insurance	No obligation on either partyBuyer insures at its own option; the seller has no obligation.
Export clearance	Seller
Import clearance	Buyer
Risk transfers	When the goods are handed to the carrier nominated by the buyer at the named place — loaded on the buyer's vehicle if that place is the seller's premises, otherwise on the seller's arriving vehicle ready for unloading.

Watch out: The right rule for containerised and multimodal cargo into Central Asia; since 2020 the buyer can instruct its carrier to issue the seller an on-board bill of lading where a letter of credit needs one.

CPT Carriage Paid To

Any mode of transport

Obligations under CPT Carriage Paid To
Obligation	Who
Main carriage	Seller arranges and pays
Insurance	No obligation on either partyNo obligation on either party; the buyer bears transit risk and should insure.
Export clearance	Seller
Import clearance	Buyer
Risk transfers	When the goods are handed to the first carrier at origin — even though the seller pays carriage to the named place of destination.

Watch out: Freight to Almaty or Tashkent is paid by the seller but risk passed at origin, so the buyer carries the whole transit and should arrange its own cover.

CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid To

Any mode of transport

Obligations under CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid To
Obligation	Who
Main carriage	Seller arranges and pays
Insurance	Seller — Institute Cargo Clauses (A), all risksSeller must insure to Institute Cargo Clauses (A) or equivalent for at least 110% of the contract value, in the contract currency, unless otherwise agreed.
Export clearance	Seller
Import clearance	Buyer
Risk transfers	When the goods are handed to the first carrier at origin; the seller pays carriage and insurance to the named place of destination.

Watch out: Check that the seller's policy names the buyer as beneficiary, covers the full inland leg to the named destination and can be claimed on locally, not only in the seller's country.

DAP Delivered at Place

Any mode of transport

Obligations under DAP Delivered at Place
Obligation	Who
Main carriage	Seller arranges and pays
Insurance	No obligation on either partyNo obligation; the seller bears transit risk and normally insures for its own account.
Export clearance	Seller
Import clearance	Buyer
Risk transfers	When the goods are placed at the buyer's disposal on the arriving means of transport, ready for unloading, at the named place of destination.

Watch out: Import clearance is still the buyer's job, so agree in the contract who pays waiting time and demurrage if the truck or wagon sits at the border or terminal while clearance is pending.

DPU Delivered at Place Unloaded

Any mode of transport

Obligations under DPU Delivered at Place Unloaded
Obligation	Who
Main carriage	Seller arranges and pays
Insurance	No obligation on either partyNo obligation; the seller bears transit risk and normally insures for its own account.
Export clearance	Seller
Import clearance	Buyer
Risk transfers	When the goods, once unloaded from the arriving means of transport, are placed at the buyer's disposal at the named place of destination.

Watch out: The only rule that makes the seller unload, so name a place where the seller's forwarder actually controls unloading (a terminal or warehouse), not a site the seller cannot access before import clearance.

DDP Delivered Duty Paid

Any mode of transport

Obligations under DDP Delivered Duty Paid
Obligation	Who
Main carriage	Seller arranges and pays
Insurance	No obligation on either partyNo obligation; the seller bears transit risk and normally insures for its own account.
Export clearance	Seller
Import clearance	Seller
Risk transfers	When the goods, cleared for import, are placed at the buyer's disposal on the arriving means of transport, ready for unloading, at the named place of destination.

Watch out: Makes the seller the importer of record and payer of duties and VAT, which is often impractical in the EAEU where the declarant generally has to be a locally established entity — DAP with the buyer clearing is usually the workable alternative.

FAS Free Alongside Ship

Sea and inland waterway only

Obligations under FAS Free Alongside Ship
Obligation	Who
Main carriage	Buyer arranges and pays
Insurance	No obligation on either partyBuyer insures at its own option; the seller has no obligation.
Export clearance	Seller
Import clearance	Buyer
Risk transfers	When the goods are placed alongside the vessel nominated by the buyer (on the quay or a barge) at the named port of shipment.

Watch out: Meant for bulk and break-bulk loaded over the quay; for a landlocked buyer it leaves the whole sea leg, transit port and onward rail or road to arrange from thousands of kilometres away.

FOB Free on Board

Sea and inland waterway only

Obligations under FOB Free on Board
Obligation	Who
Main carriage	Buyer arranges and pays
Insurance	No obligation on either partyBuyer insures at its own option; the seller has no obligation.
Export clearance	Seller
Import clearance	Buyer
Risk transfers	When the goods are on board the vessel nominated by the buyer at the named port of shipment.

Watch out: A sea-only rule that is frequently misused for containers handed over at a container yard days before loading — the seller then carries risk it does not control; FCA is the correct term.

CFR Cost and Freight

Sea and inland waterway only

Obligations under CFR Cost and Freight
Obligation	Who
Main carriage	Seller arranges and pays
Insurance	No obligation on either partyNo obligation on either party; the buyer bears transit risk and should insure.
Export clearance	Seller
Import clearance	Buyer
Risk transfers	When the goods are on board the vessel at the port of shipment — even though the seller pays freight to the named port of destination.

Watch out: The named destination is a seaport such as Poti, Bandar Abbas or Qingdao, not the inland delivery point, so the buyer arranges and bears risk on the onward rail or road leg from the moment the goods are on board at origin.

CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight

Sea and inland waterway only

Obligations under CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight
Obligation	Who
Main carriage	Seller arranges and pays
Insurance	Seller — Institute Cargo Clauses (C), minimum coverSeller must insure to at least Institute Cargo Clauses (C) or equivalent for 110% of the contract value, unless a higher level is agreed.
Export clearance	Seller
Import clearance	Buyer
Risk transfers	When the goods are on board the vessel at the port of shipment; the seller pays freight and insurance to the named port of destination.

Watch out: ICC (C) is minimum cover and stops at the discharge port, so the inland leg to Central Asia and most theft or wetting losses are uninsured unless the buyer extends the cover.

Incoterms® and the Incoterms® 2020 logo are trademarks of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). This guide is a summary for orientation only; refer to the ICC text for the full rules.

Tool 4

Container & Equipment Specs

Dimensions and payloads of containers, flat racks, trailers and rail wagons.

Typical values for ISO series-1 containers. Payloads assume the container's rated max gross; the road or rail leg in the destination country usually allows less.

ISO containers: typical dimensions and payloads
Type	Internal L × W × H (m)	Door opening W × H (m)	Tare (kg)	Max payload (kg)	Capacity (m³)
20' GP (dry)	5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39	2.34 × 2.28	2,200–2,300	28,200	33
40' GP (dry)	12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39	2.34 × 2.28	3,700–3,800	26,700	67
40' HC (high cube)	12.03 × 2.35 × 2.69	2.34 × 2.58	3,900–4,000	26,500	76
45' HC (high cube)	13.55 × 2.35 × 2.69	2.34 × 2.58	4,800–5,000	25,500–27,700	86
20' Open Top	5.89 × 2.35 × 2.35 (under tarpaulin)	2.34 × 2.28	2,300–2,400	28,000	32
40' Open Top	12.03 × 2.35 × 2.35 (under tarpaulin)	2.34 × 2.28	3,800–4,000	26,500	65
20' Flat Rack	5.94 × 2.40 × 2.35 (floor to top of end wall)	— (open sides and top)	2,500–2,900	27,000–31,000 (heavy-duty units higher)	—
40' Flat Rack	12.13 × 2.40 × 1.95–2.14	— (open sides and top)	5,000–5,700	39,000–45,000	—
20' Reefer	5.44 × 2.29 × 2.27	2.29 × 2.26	3,000–3,100	27,400	28
40' HC Reefer	11.58 × 2.29 × 2.55	2.29 × 2.57	4,500–4,800	29,000	67
20' ISO tank T11 (liquids)	— (external frame 6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59)	—	3,400–4,200	26,000–32,000 (max gross 30,480–36,000)	21–26 (21,000–26,000 L)
20' ISO tank T50 (LPG / gases)	— (external frame 6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59)	—	8,000–10,000	20,000–26,000 (product-dependent)	24–25 (approx.)

All figures are typical or indicative and vary by manufacturer, operator and route. Confirm the specific unit with your Navigator Sea Land coordinator before finalising packing or lashing plans.

Have a cargo others call impossible?

Share your dimensions, weights and route. Our project engineers will respond within one business day with a feasible solution and a transparent quotation.

Request a Quote Speak to a Project Engineer