UPS Billable Weight Calculator
Enter your package dimensions and actual weight to determine the billable weight for your UPS shipment.
Calculation Results:
Dimensional Weight: 0.00 lbs
Billable Weight: 0.00 lbs
Understanding UPS Billable Weight
When shipping with UPS, the cost of your shipment isn't always based solely on the physical weight of your package. Instead, UPS (like many other carriers) uses a concept called "billable weight," which is the greater of the package's actual weight or its dimensional weight.
Actual Weight
The actual weight is simply the physical weight of your package, measured on a scale. This is straightforward and easy to determine.
Dimensional Weight
Dimensional weight (often abbreviated as DIM weight) accounts for the amount of space a package occupies on a truck or airplane. Even if a package is light, if it's large, it takes up valuable space. To calculate dimensional weight, UPS uses a formula:
Dimensional Weight = (Length x Width x Height) / Dimensional Divisor
Where:
- Length, Width, Height: The package's dimensions in inches.
- Dimensional Divisor: A number set by UPS that can vary based on the service (e.g., Ground, Air, International) and sometimes the account. Common divisors for US domestic shipments are 139 (often for air services) and 166 (often for ground services) when dimensions are in inches and weight is in pounds. For international shipments or different units, the divisor will change (e.g., 5000 or 6000 for cm/kg).
The dimensional weight calculation ensures that shippers are charged fairly for the space their packages consume, not just their mass.
Billable Weight
The billable weight is the final weight used to calculate your shipping charges. It is determined by comparing the actual weight and the dimensional weight:
Billable Weight = MAX(Actual Weight, Dimensional Weight)
UPS will always charge you based on the higher of these two values. This means that a very light but bulky package might be charged based on its dimensional weight, while a small, heavy package will be charged based on its actual weight.
Why is this important?
Understanding how billable weight is calculated can help you optimize your packaging and potentially reduce shipping costs. By using appropriately sized boxes and minimizing empty space, you can often reduce your package's dimensional weight and, consequently, your overall shipping expenses.
Example Calculation:
Let's say you have a package with the following characteristics:
- Length: 20 inches
- Width: 15 inches
- Height: 10 inches
- Actual Weight: 12 lbs
- Dimensional Divisor: 139 (for an air shipment)
First, calculate the Dimensional Weight:
Dimensional Weight = (20 x 15 x 10) / 139 = 3000 / 139 ≈ 21.58 lbs
Next, compare Actual Weight and Dimensional Weight:
- Actual Weight: 12 lbs
- Dimensional Weight: 21.58 lbs
Since 21.58 lbs is greater than 12 lbs, the Billable Weight for this package would be 21.58 lbs.