What is Dimensional Weight?
Dimensional weight, also known as “dim” weight, is a tactic used by shipping and freight companies to basically ensure they don’t lose money on lightweight packages. Dim weight has long been used for air freight, and about 5 years ago, the big shipping carriers like FedEx and UPS also started applying dimensional weight to packages shipped via ground service.
Dimensional weight works by calculating the cubic size of a package by multiplying its length, width and height. Once the dimensional weight is calculated, it is then compared to the actual weight of the package in some circumstances, and the larger of the two is used to determine the package’s actual billable weight.
When it comes to eCommerce order fulfillment, online merchants are often concerned about when dim weight will actually be triggered, and how they can anticipate those charges. So let’s talk about how to calculate dimensional weight, and when it’s applied.
How Do You Calculate Dimensional Weight?
To determine the dim weight of a package, you must first measure the length, width and height of the package in inches using the longest point on each side, taking into account any bulges or misshaped sides.
You then multiply those dimensions to get the cubic size of the package. For example, let’s say your package is 30 cm x 12 cm x 12 cm. In this case, you multiply these 3 dimensions and determine that the package is 4,320 cubic centimeters
When calculating dimensional weight, it’s important to keep in mind that most shipping carriers will have you round up to the nearest whole number. For instance, if the width of your package is 12.50 centimeters, you’d round up to 13 cm.
To determine the dimensional weight of a package, same as all the major carriers, we currently use the same calculation, which is the cubic centimeters size of a package divided by 5000 for both domestic and international shipments. These calculations are shown in more detail below:
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