Measuring your package for shipping might look like a simple task, but it requires getting the dimension accurately to ensure your package is not oversized. Packages are shipped in a box, pouch, flat pack, or envelop, and there are standard measurements for kind of package. Let’s look at how to measure the dimensions and weight of your package for shipping to help you estimate shipping costs accurately.
HOW TO MEASURE THE SIZE OF YOUR PACKAGE
You know the size of a package by measuring in dimensions. The dimensions of a package are length, width, height, and girth. Here is how to measure the dimensions of a package.
Length: The length is the longest dimension of the package measured in inches. Identify the longest side of the shipping box, hold a ruler or tape from one end to the other and write down the measurement.
Width: The width is the horizontal and shorter side when looking at the top of the package. It is perpendicular to the length and measured in inches. To measure the width, stretch your tape or ruler across from one horizontal end to the other and write down the measurement.
Height: The height is perpendicular to the length and width. It’s measured vertically from the bottom of the box to the top of the package. In most cases has the smallest measurement. To get the height of the package, measure the standing side and record in inches.
Girth: Girth is the total distance around the thickest part of the package measured in inches. You measure the girth by doubling the width and height and adding them together. The girth of a package with a cylindrical shape is the circumference of that package.
You get the total size of your package by simply adding the length and girth measurements together. For example, if your girth measurement was 30 inches and your length was 20, the size of the package would be 50 inches. If you’re shipping an irregular-shaped package, measure it the same way you would measure a rectangular one by taking the length, width, height, and girth. Length is always the longest measurement, regardless of the orientation of the package.
THE DIMENSIONAL WEIGHT OF YOUR PACKAGE
Dimensional weight enables freight carriers to calculate how much volume your package holds and put that volume into weight. It reflects package density is a pricing technique that helps shipping companies maximize shipping frequency. The dimensional weight of the package is the amount of space your package occupies compared to its actual weight. If it is higher than the actual weight, you will have to pay for the cost of the dimensional weight. Before now, shipping carriers charge for just the actual weight of a package. So, people were packing lightweight items, and freight carriers found themselves packing several lightweights and could not ship many packages at once because the lightweights took up a lot of space.
To calculate the dimensional weight of your package, get the length, widths, and height, multiply them together to get the volume. Take the number and divide it by a number called the dimensional factor, or DIM factor, and you’ll get your dimensional weight. The dimensional factor is available on your freight carrier’s website.