Item weight vs dimensional weight

Question: Why is my shipping rate so high?

Answer: Shipping is calculated by an item’s weight and where the item is being shipped to. However, carriers will consider dimensional weight instead of item weight.

Dimensional weight bases the package weight by an item’s dimensions and package density. What this means is that regardless of the of the item weight, the carrier as established a predetermined weight per cubic foot. The carrier will charge their rate based on which of the two is greater: Item or Dimensional

How is dimensional weight calculated?

Dimensional weight is calculated by multiplying the item’s length, width and height together and then being divided by the Shipping Factor.

Formula:

(Dw) = Dimensional weight | (L) = Length | (W) = Width | (H) = Height | (SF) = Shipping Factor

Dw = (L * W * H) / SF

Carrier	Minimum Density	Shipping Factor
FedEx	12 lbs/ft³	139

Using a sample product and it’s dimensions, we can determine what the dimensional weight will be. (dimensions have been rounded to the nearest inch)

Item Weight	Length	Width	Height
1.76 lbs	13 in.	11 in.	3 in.

Dw = (13 * 11 * 3) / 139 = 3.08 lbs

More information on dimensional weight can be found here.