Re: 747 vs DC-10 Limitations
Even if you are just shipping paper, it still has to travel in pallets or containers like ULDs. So you will never completely "volume out" a cargo hold.
Volumetric weight is a calculation that airlines use when booking freight.
Basically, an airline is at a disadvantage is someone moves no weight in a big box, so they charge them as a function of the dimensions.
Lets say the pallet is a 1cbm box at 100kg actual weight.
100cm x 100cm x 100 cms = 1,000000. Then divide by 6000 and you get 166.67.
So 166.67kg volumetric weight is the amount that the airline will charge you for.
Whichever figure is higher (actual or volumetric) will be used by the airline.