Calculating your shipping rates seems like a fairly simple task. All you would need is the weight of the items and the destination, right? Wrong. In the shipping industry, weight can mean different things. Every time you make a shipment, SFL Worldwide has several factors to ensure, such as the timeline, budget, level of service, etc., to calculate something called Dimensional Weight or DIM.
If you’re confused and hear the terms “Dimensional Weight” and “Chargeable Weight” thrown around in contracts in the shipping industry, this page will explain everything you need to know about these shipping terms related to weight.
Dimensional Weight, also known as DIM weight, volumetric weight, or cubed weight, is calculated by multiplying the length by width by height and dividing it by the dimensional weight divisor.
Actual weight is different from the terms Chargeable Weight and Dimensional Weight. Actual weight is the real weight of the items in your shipment, whereas Dimensional Weight is the space all the items, including packaging material, occupied in a carrier.
One of the most important reasons for calculating Dimensional Weight is large shipping conglomerates such as FedEx and DHL calculate their prices based on DIM weight.
Shipping carriers such as FedEx, UPS, and USPS have their way of calculating Dimensional Weight. Other factors, such as the nature of your shipments (domestic or international), influence the shipping price for your items.
To calculate Dimensional Weight, FedEx uses a straightforward method. It uses the higher number between DIM Weight and Actual Weight to determine the final shipping price. However, this will vary depending on the FedEx service used.
The standard formula FedEx Dimensional Weight uses in kg – Length X Height X Width in cm / 5000
UPS Dimensional Weight calculations are done using a simple method of multiplying the height by the length by the width. You can calculate the dimensional weight for UPS shipments based on the billable weight in the scenario that the dimensional weight is higher than the actual weight.
The standard formula for calculating UPS Dimensional Weight is done by determining the cubic size by multiplying L by W by H and dividing with the DIM divisor for UPS.
Calculating the USPS Dimensional Weight is as simple and straightforward as most carriers. USPS, however, estimates the weight only on Priority Mail and Parcel Select shipments exceeding one cubic foot.
Other shippers may have surcharges on larger shipments in addition to the standard charges.
You need to multiply the length by width by height of your package and divide by the DIM divisor as prescribed by the shipper for domestic and international shipments. Below are the steps to calculate dimensional weight.
For domestic shipments, you will calculate it as
This gives you a dimensional weight of 31.23 lbs.
For international shipments, you will calculate it as
This gives you a dimensional weight of 37.29 lbs.
All shipping carriers typically round your numbers to the nearest whole number as the dimensional weight. In this example, the shipping carrier will round it up to the nearest number, 32 lbs for domestic shipments and 38 lbs for international shipments.
This concept of Dimensional Weight was first created when parcel carriers realized that the space occupied by your package on the mode of transport is not the same as the weight of the actual shipment.
Since the total cargo space is limited in the carrier, it only made sense to charge customers based on weight and the amount of room their package would occupy on the carrier.
Dimensional weight is calculated by multiplying the length, width, and height of a package, and dividing the result by a dimensional divisor (like 139 or 166).
Shipping carriers will charge based on whichever is greater: the actual physical weight or the calculated dimensional weight.
FedEx uses 139 for both domestic and international. UPS uses 139 for daily rates and 166 for retail rates. USPS uses 166.
It generally applies to most commercial air and ground shipments, though very small packages might sometimes be exempt depending on the carrier.
You can minimize charges by using the smallest possible box for your items to reduce the cubic size.
You must measure the longest points on each axis (length, width, height) to calculate the dimensional volume.
Shipping your items securely should always be the number one priority. That said, it is important to note that the larger your box, the more your dimensional weight is. It is essential, therefore, to pack your items using only the necessary shipping material. This helps keep your costs low without sacrificing the quality of your shipments.
At SFL Worldwide, our team of packing specialists can advise you on the suitable packaging and dunnage to use for efficient packing. Contact us at 1-800-691-2335 to learn more, and visit our website to get a quote for your next shipment.
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Carminie Bachan
1 year ago
I had the best experience with SFL Shipping. My packages were delivered faster than I expected. I will definitely be using them again. Also, Sunny was extremely helpful and courteous responded my email very efficiently. Thank you, Sunny Trivedi.
Manoj Kumar Reddy
1 year ago
I used SFL Worldwide to ship my package to India, Rahul Karelia helped with whole process. It was easy and quick, thanks for your service.
Mon Pal
1 year ago
Needed to send a 3-page document for signature from US to Greece and SFL was able to send for 1/5 of the price, and it arrived in 3 business days. The return Greece to US was less of a discount, but still a substantial savings. Once I requested a quote a personal guide contacted me via email to see if I needed anything and sent me the link to fill out the form. Super easy and will be using SFL going forward. Thanks, Rahul, for making this so easy!
Kaushal Acharya
1 year ago
SFL worldwide provides outstanding shipping service from the USA to India! Reliable, prompt and professional. The process was quick, efficient, and hassle-free. Detailed packaging details were provided like box size or box type to pick based on requirements. The customer support team was friendly and helpful. Highly recommend!
Kavya Chowdary
1 year ago
I've recently used SFL Worldwide to ship documents. I'm in Dallas, TX and initiated a shipment from Dallas to India. Worked with "Naman" he gave me good instruction and cleared all the queries regarding shipment.
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