How do I calculate the billing weight (Dimensional Weight) of my shipment?
Dimensional weight is the pricing method used for transferring commercial freight to maximize shipping efficiency. This method uses an estimated weight calculated by the length, width and height of a package (L x W x H).
At Fulfyld, all orders are shipped via USPS, FedEx and UPS delivery services, based on the shipping speed chosen. Each order is shipped based on the carrier billable weight of your product once packaged. This means that whichever amount is greater, dimensional or actual weight, that is your billable weight.
What is dimensional weight?
Dimensional weight is the pricing method used for transferring commercial freight to maximize shipping efficiency. This method uses an estimated weight calculated by the length, width and height of a package (L x W x H). Basically, dimensional weight calculates how much volume a box is holding then converts that volume into weight.
Dimensional factors when shipping with Fulfyld:
- All domestic orders use a DIM factor of 166. Dimensional weight for domestic orders is calculated as follows: (L x W x H)/166
- Al international shipments use a DIM factor of 139. Dimensional weight for International shipments is calculated as follows: (L x W x H)/139
Dimensional weight is only used as the billing weight when the dimensional weight is greater than the actual weight of the shipped package. DIM weight does not apply for any domestic shipments where the actual weight is less than 1LB.
For Example, if you have a domestic shipment that is 14x10x10 with an actual weight of 3lbs, the DIM weight is 9lbs. You would be billed for a 9LB shipment instead of a 3LB shipment since the DIM weight is greater than the actual weight.
How to calculate dimensional weight:
- First, measure the volume of your package by measuring the length, width and height. Be sure to consider any lumps or bumps on the packaging (i.e. bulging, asymmetrical or irregular packaging) and round up to the nearest whole number.
- Next, take those numbers and multiply each dimension to get the cubic size of your package. This is your package’s volume in cubic inches. For instance, if your package is 20 inches by 20 inches by 10 inches, the size of your package would be 4,000 cubic inches.
- Then, divide the cubic size of the package (for our example, 4000 cubic inches) by the dimensional factor, or the DIM factor above (Domestic DIM factor = 166, International DIM Factor = 139). This represents cubic inches per pound and are numbers set by the shipping carriers, such as UPS and FedEx. The final number you get will be your dimensional weight.
- Lastly, compare the dimensional weight to the actual weight of your package to determine which is greater, and that is how you will get your billable weight.
