DIM Weight & DIM Pricing
PACKING
PACKING – AN IMPORTANT COST FACTORS IN SHIPPING
The five variables in determining shipping costs
- Origin
- Destination
- Delivery Speed
- Package Dimension
- Weight
Packing efficiently helps save environmental resources and money. You need to know the rules of the road about Dimensional Pricing, also known as “DIM Pricing,” which is calculated from “DIM Weight.”
What is DIM Weight?
DIM weight is the assumed weight of your package based on its overall dimensions. For each shipment, you are charged based on the Dimensional Weight or actual weight of the package—whichever is greater.
Why DIM Weight important?
DIM weight is the assumed weight of your package based on its overall dimensions. For each shipment, you are charged based on the Dimensional Weight or actual weight of the package—whichever is greater.
- Major shipping companies use DIM Weight to calculate the minimum price of shipping
- DIM Weight Pricing rewards customers who pack efficiently.
- Efficient packing saves resources all along the supply chain and is good for the environment
Many people unwittingly ship items in packages that are too big and use all the air inside to overfill with cushioning material. These boxes fill up shipping trucks with cubic feet of unneeded cardboard, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap. Some cushioning is needed and if used properly will eliminate damage to the contents but often times the customer overpays for shipping air.
DIM Weight pricing rewards customers who eliminate extra, oversized packaging. It increases the shipment density. And by increasing package density, the carrier can pack more products on their trucks and planes, reducing fuel emissions by decreasing the number of trips. This makes it cost less to ship each package.
DIM Weight is calculated by:
- Multiplying length by width by height in inches. Round each measurement to the nearest inch.
The resulting total is the cubic size of your package. - Dividing by 139 for U.S., Puerto Rico, and international shipments.
The resulting total is the assumed “DIM weight” of your package
Calculating dim weight can seem complicated but using it correctly and right-sizing your packaging will save you money.