cargo-calculation

name	cargo-calculation
description	Compute chargeable weight, CBM, freight ton, and LDM for any shipment given dimensions and gross weight. Surfaces the dominant factor (weight vs volume) and warns when the shipment crosses a mode-economic threshold. Reads the IATA volumetric divisor and trailer dimensions from the practice profile. TRIGGER: chargeable weight, volumetric weight, CBM, m³, freight ton, LDM, loading meters, dimensional weight, cargo calc, calculează marfa, calculează chargeable, cât iese pe air, cât iese pe sea, cât iese pe road. Also: "cât iese chargeable pe X colete", "fă calculul pe marfa asta", "what's the chargeable on", "how many CBM is", "convert this to LDM".
metadata	{"author":"DCS Premium Freight SRL","version":"1.0.0","pattern":"B"}

Cargo calculation

Deterministic cargo arithmetic. Input: dimensions, weights, mode. Output: the four canonical metrics with the dominant factor flagged.

Read the profile first

Before computing anything, check the practice profile for:

• IATA volumetric divisor (default 6000; some courier operations use 5000)
• Units (default cm/kg; some operations use inch/lb)
• Trailer base for LDM (default 2.4m × 13.6m EU semi-trailer)

If the profile is missing, prompt the operator once for the divisor and units, note in the response that defaults were used, and offer to write the answer into the profile.

Inputs to collect

Ask only for what's missing. If the operator says "4 pallets 120×80×140 cm, 250 kg each", you have everything you need; don't ask follow-ups.

Required:

• Number of pieces
• Dimensions per piece — L × W × H, in the unit from profile
• Weight per piece or total gross weight
• Mode (air / sea / road) — ask if not stated

Optional (improves output if present):

• Stackable — if yes, halves LDM in the optimistic case (note the assumption)
• Pallet type (EUR / industrial / non-standard) — affects LDM precision
• Commodity — surfaces whether the calculation might trigger a tariff class

Formulas

Volumetric weight (air)

volumetric_kg = (L_cm × W_cm × H_cm × pieces) / divisor

divisor from profile (default 6000). Result rounded up to the next 0.5 kg per IATA convention.

Chargeable weight (air)

chargeable_kg = max(gross_kg_total, volumetric_kg)

CBM (sea / road)

cbm = (L_cm × W_cm × H_cm × pieces) / 1,000,000

Freight ton (sea — LCL break-bulk convention)

freight_ton = max(cbm, gross_tonnes)

Where gross_tonnes = gross_kg_total / 1000. The carrier bills on whichever is greater (1 W/M — weight or measurement).

LDM (road — loading meters)

For non-stackable cargo on a standard trailer:

ldm = (L_cm × W_cm × pieces) / (trailer_width_cm × 100)

With profile default trailer_width_cm = 240:

ldm = (L_cm × W_cm × pieces) / 24,000

For stackable cargo where double-stacking fits the trailer height:

ldm_stacked = ldm / 2

Flag the assumption explicitly. "Assuming double-stackable; LDM is X if not stackable."

Pallet count (informational)

If the dimensions suggest EUR pallets (≤120 × 80 cm footprint):

eur_pallets = ceil(footprint_area / (120 × 80))

If industrial-pallet footprint (≤120 × 100):

ind_pallets = ceil(footprint_area / (120 × 100))

Use this as a sanity check, not as the primary output.

Dominant factor logic

After computing both chargeable_kg (air) and freight_ton (sea):

• If volumetric_kg > gross_kg_total → volume-dominant (cargo is light for its size; air freight will charge for the box, not the weight)
• Else → weight-dominant

For sea:

• If cbm > gross_tonnes → volume-dominant
• Else → weight-dominant

Surface this in the output. Operators use it to decide which carrier-specific break point matters.

Threshold warnings

Surface, but don't block, when:

Crossing	Warning
chargeable_kg > 1,000 kg air	"Above 1000 kg — General Cargo Rate often beats Minimum/Normal; ask carrier for GCR."
chargeable_kg > 3,000 kg air	"Above 3 t — consider part charter quote for comparison."
chargeable_kg > 5,000 kg air	"Above 5 t — full charter range; FCL sea / charter often beats scheduled."
cbm > 15 m³ LCL	"Above 15 CBM — break-even with FCL 20' is usually 13–18 CBM depending on lane; price both."
cbm > 30 m³ LCL	"Above 30 CBM — almost always cheaper as FCL 20'."
ldm > 13.6 road	"Exceeds a single semi-trailer; needs two trucks or mega-trailer (13.8m) — surface to operator."

These thresholds are conventions, not hard rules. They're worth surfacing because operators sometimes anchor on the first quote and miss a cheaper mode.

Output format

Use this exact layout — operators scan it visually.

CARGO SUMMARY
─────────────────────────────────────────
Pieces:          [N] × [L × W × H cm]
Gross Weight:    [X] kg
CBM:             [X.XX] m³
─────────────────────────────────────────
AIR  → Volumetric:   [X] kg  (divisor [6000])
     → Chargeable:   [X] kg
SEA  → Freight Ton:  [X.XX] (W/M)
ROAD → LDM:          [X.XX] ldm  (non-stack)
                     [X.XX] ldm  (if stackable)
─────────────────────────────────────────
Dominant factor:     [WEIGHT / VOLUME]
─────────────────────────────────────────
Notes:
[Any threshold warnings]
[Any assumption flags]

When mode is specified by the operator, lead with that mode's metric and collapse the others into a single line:

AIR — Chargeable Weight: 720 kg (volumetric 720, gross 540, divisor 6000)
Volume-dominant; consider GCR if quoting >1000 kg lanes.

Other modes for reference: CBM 4.32 m³ · LDM 1.6 (non-stack) · FT 4.32 W/M

Bilingual output

If the operator types in Romanian, respond in Romanian. The layout stays the same; labels translate:

EN	RO
Pieces	Colete
Gross Weight	Greutate brută
CBM	CBM (sau metri cubi)
Volumetric	Volumetric
Chargeable	Chargeable (sau taxabil)
Freight Ton	Freight Ton (W/M)
Loading Meters	Metri liniari (LDM)
Dominant factor	Factor dominant
Weight / Volume	Greutate / Volum
Notes	Observații

Common errors to refuse

• Negative dimensions or weights — reject the input, ask for correction.
• Zero pieces — reject, ask for correction.
• Unit ambiguity ("60 × 40 × 30" with no unit) — ask once before computing. Don't guess.
• Mixing units in one shipment ("3 pallets 120 cm × 80 cm × 100 cm and 2 pallets in inches") — calculate each group separately, sum at the end, surface the conversion.

Edge cases

Single piece, partial dimensions — if the operator gives only L × W (e.g., a flat crate), ask for H. Without H you cannot compute volumetric.

Total weight without per-piece breakdown — compute as if uniform; flag that the calculation assumes uniform weight distribution. Real-world this matters for LDM stacking decisions.

Non-standard pallets (oversized industrial, half-EUR, custom crates) — fall back to physical L × W × H of each unit; do not assume pallet footprint.

Volume given directly as CBM — fine, use it. Skip the dimensional calculation. Note in output that CBM was input, not derived.

When the operator asks for the carrier-side perspective

If the operator says "and what would the carrier charge — give me a rate" — this skill does not quote rates. Hand off to the operator's rate platform connector if installed, or refuse cleanly:

"I don't have buy rates loaded. The chargeable is [X]. Try cargo.one / WebCargo / your rate sheet for the [origin–destination] lane to convert to a quote."