Calculating the chargeable weight of your shipment
The shipment weight refers to the total weight in kilograms, encompassing both the packaging material and the contents. It serves as a comprehensive measurement of the entire shipment.
It is essential to calculate the weight of your shipment because:
You are being billed based on this measurement.
It will help you to reconcile the shipment weight with your courier partner.
In this article, you will learn
Calculating the chargeable weight of a shipment
The chargeable weight of a shipment is determined by either its volumetric weight or deadweight, whichever is greater.
Volumetric weight: It is also known as dimensional weight and is an estimate of the weight of the package (box/ flyer) calculated based on its dimensions.
If the shipment is packed in a box, the box's dimensions are considered for the shipment and if a flyer is used, the product's dimensions are considered instead.
Deadweight: It is the weight of the product along with the packaging material in kilograms.
Calculating the volumetric weight for a single-item shipment
To calculate the volumetric weight of a single item shipment, you need to follow the below-given steps:
Step 1: Calculate the volume
Measure the length, width, and height of the sealed package in centimetres (up to 2 decimal places)
Note: Each measurement needs to be from the most extreme point on a package, so it's the widest part, its tallest part, and its longest part.
Once you have taken these measurements, multiply them to obtain the volume.
Volume = length x width x height (in cm)
Note: The longest shared measurement will be considered as the length, followed by the width and height.
Step 2: Apply the modifier
Courier partners have different standardised modifiers incorporated by the organisation. These modifiers generally depend on the type of shipment. Therefore, you need to divide the shipment weight with this modifier (typically a whole number) to obtain the dimensional weight.
For example, for all domestic shipments, dimensional weight is determined by dividing volume by 5,000 (in centimetres).
Dimensional weight (UPS) = (length x width x height) / 5000
Calculating the volumetric weight for multiple-item shipment
To calculate the volumetric weight of a multiple-item shipment, you need to follow the below-given steps:
Step 1: Calculate the volume
This is calculated by examining the weights and dimensions of all ordered items packed. Let’s take an example of a shipment with four order items:
Products | Weight | Length | Width | Height |
Product 1 | 200 g | 10 cm | 10 cm | 10 cm |
Product 2 | 300 g | 13 cm | 13 cm | 13 cm |
Product 3 | 500 g | 15 cm | 15 cm | 15 cm |
Product 4 | 800 g | 20 cm | 20 cm | 20cm |
Length of the shipment = Max. of all order items’ length = 20 cm
Width of the shipment = Max. of all order items’ width = 20 cm
Height of the shipment = Sum of all order items’ height = 58 cm
Once you have calculated the dimensions, multiply them to obtain the volume.
Volume = length x width x height (in cm)
Step 2: Apply the modifier
Courier partners have different standardised modifiers incorporated by the organisation. These modifiers generally depend on the type of shipment. Therefore, you need to divide the shipment weight with this modifier (typically a whole number) to obtain the dimensional weight.
For example, for all domestic shipments, dimensional weight is determined by dividing volume by 5,000 (in centimetres).
Dimensional weight (UPS) = (length x width x height) / 5000
Tracking the shipment weight on your Eshopbox workspace
You can track the weight of your shipments on the Eshopbox workspace by following the below steps:
From the header of your Eshopbox workspace, navigate to Orders > All Orders.
Select the order for which you want to check the shipment weight and click on Orders. The shipment weight will be available once orders are in Ready to ship status.
You can view the following details associated with the shipment:
Shipment chargeable slab: This is the slab for the shipment's chargeable weight, rounded up to the nearest 0.5 kg. The chargeable weight is determined by the greater value between the dead weight and volumetric weight, used to calculate shipping costs.
Shipment dimensions (LxWxH): Shipment Dimensions refer to the physical measurements of a shipment, including its length, width, and height (in cm). These dimensions are crucial for calculating the shipping cost and determining the best method for handling and transporting the package. The shipment dimensions depend on the packaging used:
Box Packaging: If the shipment is packed in a box, the box's dimensions are considered for the shipment.
Flyer Packaging: If a flyer is used, the product's dimensions are considered instead.
Packaging material used
You can also track the shipment chargeable weight via the Sales report. Learn here how to export the sales order report.
Note: A 5-10% variance will be added to the shipping weight comprising the packaging materials used.