What is Dimensionial Weight?

The dimensional weight of a shipment reflects the density of a package. A less dense item occupies more volume of space than a normal density package. The dimensional weight is compared to the actual weight of the shipment to see which is greater; the greater weight is used to calculate the shipment cost.

For example: your package is 12″ x 12″ x 12″ and the actual weight is 7 pounds. To calculate dimensional weight you multiply 12 x 12 x 12 to get 1,728 cubic inches. Then you divide that by the standard dimensional factor of 139 to get 12.4 pounds, or 13 pounds rounded up. The shipping charges will be based on 13 pounds as that is larger than the actual weight of 7 pounds.

FedEx, UPS, DHL, and Yamato carriers will all use the dimensional weight of a package if it is greater than the actual weight. USPS does not use dimensional weight when deciding the shipping cost, only the actual weight in pounds.

You can save a lot of shipping cost by consolidating multiple packages to reduce dimensional weight. When submitting a shipping request, if you select more than one package to ship we’ll automatically consolidate and apply our $10.00 service fee for Package Only members. For Package & Mail members, consolidation is free.