What is 'Chargeable Weight'
Jasson McClain
Passionate Idealist, Creative & Strategic Thinker, Innovative Problem-Solver, Eternal Optimist
Have you ever gotten a quote to ship a 10-pound package, but when you actually shipped it, the shipping company charged you a higher rate based off a 15-pound package?
That is because the “chargeable weight” of the package was 15 pounds. The chargeable weight of a package is the higher value [weight] between the actual weight and it's dimensional weight (or 'dim weight').
Packages take up space in a van, truck, plane…etc. As such, shipping companies use a formula to calculate dimensional weight to ensure they are compensated fairly for transporting larger packages that take up more space, even if the package is relatively light in weight.
For example, if a package weighs 10 pounds but its dimensional weight is calculated to be 15 pounds, the shipping company will use the dimensional weight of 15 pounds as the chargeable weight, and the cost of shipping will be calculated accordingly.
It is important to note that the chargeable weight may vary depending on the shipping company's dimensional weight factor, which can differ between carriers and even between different types of shipments (parcel or freight, ground or air; domestic or international). Therefore, it is always a good idea to check with the shipping company to determine how they calculate chargeable weight for a specific shipment.
Some common dimensional factors:
To determine the dimensional weight, multiply the length, width, and height of the package and divide it by the dimensional weight factor (or dim factor), which is determined by the shipping company.
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For example, if you have a package that measures 20 x 12 x 10 (inches) and the dimensional weight factor is 166, the dimensional weight will be calculated as follows:
1.??????Volume = 20 x 12 x 10 = 2,400 cubic inches
2.??????Dimensional weight = 2,400 ÷ 166 = 14.46 pounds
In this example, if the actual weight of the package is 10 pounds, the shipping company would charge based on the higher value of the dimensional weight, which is 15 pounds, since the dimensional weight factor rounds up to the nearest pound.
Overall, dimensional weight encourages shippers to pack their items more efficiently and compactly, which can lead to lower shipping costs overall. This also helps to prevent shippers from paying lower rates for large, bulky packages that occupy a lot of space but do not weigh very much.
In addition, understanding chargeable weight allows shippers to get accurate rates and compare costs. Good shipping companies will factor the chargeable weight into quotes, but hopefully this sheds some light on why shipping a 10-pound box may cost more than you initially thought.?