Understanding and Calculating Dimensional Weight

What is Dimensional Weight

Dimensional Weight, or DIM Weight is a pricing technique determined by package size, rather than weight. Carriers use this technique to account for the space a package takes up on a delivery truck. The cost will be determined by whether actual weight or dimensional weight is greater. This will become your billable weight.

Steps to calculating dimensional weight

First, measure the length, width, and height of your package. Carriers will round up to the nearest whole number. 

Note: For odd-shaped packages, you would take the longest dimension on each side and round up.

Next, multiply those package dimensions to get the cubic size of the package.

Example: your package is 11.5" x 11.5" x 12" 

   Your calculation will be 12 x 12 x 12 = 1728

Lastly, you have to take your cubic size and divide this by the carrier's dimensional factor, or DIM factor. We have these listed on the bottom page of our rate sheet for each carrier. Using the example of a DIM factor of 166 you would take your cubic size and divide that by 166.

Example: 1728 / 166 = 10.41

Using the example above, you would quote your shipping rate with the weight of 10.41 pounds.