First we need to understand the difference between:

‘Dead Weight’ – The actual weight of the item

‘Cubic Weight’ (Volume/Dimensional Weight) – Which takes into account the Length, Width and Height of the package and is used as a billing technique in the Freight Industry.

Cubic Weight includes packaging material i.e. pallet etc

Example

Take for example the difference between 10kg parcels of metal manufacturing parts opposed to a 10kg parcel of clothing items. The parcel of clothing items would take up more space in proportion to its weight then the parcel of metal manufacturing parts. This means that the ‘transportation vehicle’ would not be able to maximize its carrying capacity by not having available space for other items.

That is why the concept of Cubic Weight has been adopted by freight companies the world over as a uniform means of establishing a minimum charge for the cubic space a parcel occupies.

Your delivery will be charged on the (dead) actual weight or ‘dimensional’ (cubic) weight, depending on which is the greater of the two. The cubic weight can affect the amount you pay when your consignment is light in weight, but large in size.

Cubic density is the amount of space a package occupies in relation to its actual weight.

Calculating Cubic Weight

• Please refer to our Quick Quote calculator and just add the dimensions of your parcel to receive your cubic weight

Or

• If you would like a manual version then follow these steps:

1. Measure the carton in centimeters
2. Multiply the length x width x height x 250 for domestic freight or (value*) for international freight.  * The (value) for international freight varies according to which freight company you choose
3. Compare the cubic weight to the (dead) actual weight and use the greater

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