A Guide to Accurately Measuring Your Parcel for Shipping
The dimensions of your package are one of the elements that will allow the carrier to calculate the price of your shipment. They must therefore be exact, to the nearest centimeter!
Write down the outside dimensions of your parcel and not the inside dimensions, which are often given by packaging suppliers. This will avoid any re-invoicing of your delvieries by the courier delivery or delviery service.
In this article discover our advice on how to measure your different parcels!
How to measure a classic cardboard box?
The 3 dimensions to be recorded are the length, width and height, all 3 calculated in centimetres.
L = length corresponding to the largest side (total lenght) l = width corresponding to the intermediate side H = height of the smallest side
If your object cannot be packed in a box, and it has a cylindrical shape, the diameter of the cylinder is considered as the height and width.
Please note that most parcel delivery service and courier companies do not accept "atypical" (not rectangular or cubic) shapes or may charge you extra shipping costs for any surcharge packet or large parcels. We advise you to always send your parcels in standard cardboard parcels based on your parcel size and not an oversized carton.
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Sign up nowHow to measure a pallet for a shipment?
The length, height and width are also taken into account, although we usually speak only in total length and width. In Europe, the standard pallet dimensions are: 120 x 80 x 14.5 cm.
You will also find 120x100 cm or 114x114 cm (mainly used in chemistry).
How to measure my parcel when sending a letter (envelope)?
Measure only the length x width (L x W).
Here are some reference measurements: A shoe box = Length x Width x Height : 35 cm x 22 cm x 13 cm An A4 sheet of paper = L x W = 29,5 cm x 21,5 cm A postcard = L x W = 16 cm x 11 cm
The volumetric weight: particular case
Finally, you should know that in some cases, the dimensions given can be used to calculate the density of your parcel: this is called volumetric weight (calculated in kilograms) (contrary to the real dimensional weight) which will calculate the volume that your parcel really takes in cubic meter!
Sometimes you need to ship bulky shipments that are larger parcels but for which the shipping prices are lower than for a small and weighing shipment. So do not forget to weigh your parcel before choosing your delivery services! The shipping rates and postage rates will depend on which shipping company or courier company you use (TNT, Parcel force, DHL, Royal Mail, Fedex, UPS etc...) some use the wolumetric weight the other don't.
The parcel carrier will then take into account the higher weight between the 2. If you need more information on how to calculate the volumetric weight of your parcel, why and when to use this weight, this article was made for you!
