Make Ship Happen: A Blog for Shipping Professionals

How to Calculate Dimensional Weight for Parcel Shipping

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We all know that oversized packages are going to cost more to ship. The trick is knowing how much the size of your parcel is going to drive up the shipping costs.

Most parcel shipping software programs will automatically calculate dimensional weight for you when you enter the dimensions of the package you are shipping.

But do you understand how the program arrives at the dimensional weight?

What if you have to calculate the dimensional weight of a package on the fly? Would you know how?

Have no fear, I am going to share the UPS "secret formula" for calculating dimensional weight with you! (Okay, it's not secret, but you wouldn't believe how many shipping professionals aren't exactly sure how to calculate the cost without their trusty computer software.)

Okay, here goes:

Step 1: Measure the length, width, and height of your package in inches. Round to the closest full inch increment. (Anything under a half inch, round down, anything a half inch or over round up to the next nearest inch. For example, 27.49 inches would round down to 27" and 36.75 would round up to 37".)

Let's say your parcel measures 27" x 37" x 14".

Step 2: Multiply the dimensions of your parcel to determine the cubic size of your parcel.

So, using the example above: 27 x 37 x 14 = 13986 cubic inches

Step 3: Choose your UPS carrier service.

For UPS Air (DOMESTIC): Divide the cubic size of your parcel by 166 to determine the dimensional weight of the parcel.

Using the example above:

13986 cubic inches / 166 = 84.253 dimensional weight in pounds

Round up to the next whole pound for any fraction of a pound.

Therefore, for UPS Air service, the above package would be 85 dimensional pounds.

For UPS Ground (DOMESTIC): If the cubic size of the parcel in inches is more than 5,184, divide the cubic size of your parcel by 166 to determine the dimensional weight of the parcel as above.

If the cubic size in inches is less than 5,184, use the actual weight of the package.

For INTERNATIONAL shipments: For export shipments, divide the cubic size by 139 when measured in inches to determine the dimensional weight. Increase any fraction to the next whole pound. (NOTE: THIS INCLUDES UPS STANDARD TO CANADA where the cubic size is greater than 5184.)

There you have the "secret formula" of how to calculate dimensional shipping weight!

To learn more about parcel shipping and how the right shipping software can revolutionize the way you do business, watch the on-demand webinar, Seeing Shipping is Believing.