What Do Throw Goods, Heavy Goods, Half Throw, Full Throw and No Throw Mean?

In the field of logistics and transportation, especially in international freight and cross-border e-commerce logistics, terms such as “throwing”, “heavy cargo” and related “half throwing”, “full throwing”, “no throwing” are used to describe the classification of goods and the way of freight calculation.

Throw cargo (also known as bubble cargo): This is a type of cargo defined by the comparison between the volume and actual weight of the goods. Specifically, when the volume-weight (calculated by multiplying the volume of the goods by a conversion factor, typically using a specific conversion coefficient, such as the weight corresponding to each cubic meter of goods) is greater than its actual gross weight, the cargo is considered to throw cargo. The characteristic of throw cargo is that it occupies a large space but has relatively light mass.

Heavy cargo: In contrast to light cargo, heavy cargo refers to goods whose actual weight is greater than their volume. Such goods are usually of high density and occupy relatively small space compared to their weight.

Half Carriage: This is a method of freight calculation, referring to the practice of using the average value of the cargo’s volume weight and actual weight as the basis for billing. This approach is more advantageous for goods with larger volumes but not significantly heavier actual weights, serving as a compromise solution to balance the impact of volume and weight on freight charges.

Full Breakover: It is also a method of freight calculation, referring to taking the greater value between the volumetric weight and the actual weight as the basis for freight calculation, typically applicable to goods where the volumetric weight significantly exceeds the actual weight. This means that even if the goods are very light, the freight will still be calculated based on their volumetric weight due to occupying a large space.

Free of charge: In terms of freight calculation, free of charge means that the volume weight of the goods is not considered, and the freight is charged based solely on the actual weight of the goods. This is highly advantageous for goods that are large in volume but light in actual weight, avoiding the high freight charges associated with their large volume.

These terms reflect the fine division of the logistics industry based on cargo characteristics and freight cost considerations. This division helps cargo owners and logistics service providers arrange transportation more reasonably, but it also affects the budget and control of logistics costs.