Paste the shipment’s package list, pick the carrier rule and see whether the load bills on actual or DIM weight, what the freight costs and how much of it each product carries.
Pre-sizing and estimating tool: results do not replace design, calculations or reports signed by a licensed professional, nor verification against the applicable codes and standards.
Total for each line of the list (quantity × weight of each package).
The split allocates freight by the weight actually billed (actual or DIM), useful for costing each product.
Shipment chargeable weight with the usual factor of each mode. The dashed line is the actual weight.
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DIM weight is the weight a carrier assigns to a package based on the space it takes: volume in cubic inches divided by the DIM divisor. You are billed on the larger of actual (scale) weight and DIM weight, the chargeable weight. Light, bulky items such as foam, furniture and appliances often bill on DIM weight.
The one in your contract or the carrier service guide. UPS and FedEx use 139 in³/lb for daily rates, USPS and many retail rates use 166, IATA air freight uses 6,000 cm³/kg (about 166 in³/lb) and ocean LCL bills 1 metric ton per cubic meter. Negotiated contracts often raise the divisor to 166 or 194; change the field and the page updates.
Measure the finished package at its widest points: handles, bulges and the pallet count. Carriers measure to the nearest inch and round up, and many round the result up to the next pound. Under-measuring usually comes back as an audit adjustment on the invoice.
The 32 packages total 65.46 ft³ and 1,121 lb actual weight. With divisor 139 the DIM weight is 814 lb, lower than the actual weight, so the shipment bills on 1,121 lb. At $1.10 per chargeable pound the estimated freight is $1,233.10.
Per shipment compares totals, so dense items like the fastener boxes offset bulky ones like the foam packs. Per package, each box pays the larger of actual and DIM weight and the sum is never lower. In the example, chargeable weight rises from 1,121 lb per shipment to 1,512 lb per package, which is how most parcel carriers bill.
It allocates total freight in proportion to the weight each item makes the carrier bill, so you know the freight cost inside each delivered product. In the example the fastener boxes carry 47% of the bill, while each foam pack carries only $9.90 because the shipment is billed on actual weight. Switch to per-package billing to see how the split changes.
Freight is a linear estimate: real rates have zones, weight breaks, fuel and residential surcharges, additional handling and oversize fees, and in LTL the NMFC freight class, none of which are modeled. Dimensions are not rounded automatically. Use it to compare packaging and quotes, and confirm the final amount with the carrier rate.
Important notice: Indus Metrics tools produce estimates and pre-sizing results from the data you enter and from published engineering methods. They do not replace design, calculations or reports signed by a licensed professional engineer (PE), nor verification against the applicable codes, standards and regulations, such as OSHA rules and the ASME codes. Material and fuel properties vary: check manufacturer data or your own process analyses before deciding. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use.
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