How do you calculate dimensional weight?

Multiply length × width × height in inches and divide by the service's dimensional divisor. A 20 × 16 × 12 inch carton is 3,840 cubic inches; at 139 that is 27.6 lb, so a 20 lb parcel bills at 28 lb, the Dimensional Weight calculator's own example.

What is billable weight?

The larger of the actual weight and the dimensional weight, rounded up to the next whole pound. Carriers price on billable weight, so a light, bulky carton pays for its size.

What divisor should I use?

The one in your contract for that service; carriers publish standard divisors and many contracts negotiate a higher one. A higher divisor gives a lower dimensional weight. Put each service and its divisor on Setup.

How does the workbook find a better carton height?

The Height for no extra column is the tallest carton at the same length and width whose dimensional weight bills no more than the actual weight: actual weight rounded up × divisor ÷ (length × width).

Why does the mug set show dimensional but no extra pounds?

Its dimensional weight, 6.9 lb, is above its 6.4 lb actual weight, but both round up to 7 lb, so the bill is the same. A slightly larger carton would start to cost more.

Does the workbook use macros?

No. It is a plain .xlsx with ordinary formulas, tables and native charts. The Verify sheet re-checks the formulas against fixed test cartons and shows Self-check: PASS.

Packaging and Warehouse

Dimensional Weight Excel Template

Dimensional weight = length × width × height ÷ the service's divisor; billable weight = the larger of actual and dimensional weight, rounded up to the whole pound. List every shipping carton and see which ones bill on dimensional weight, the extra pounds and what they cost a month, and how tall each carton could be before it pays for air.

Free, and a plain .xlsx with no macros to enable. A CSV with live formulas and a printed how-to guide come with it.

Overview

This dimensional weight template is a working Excel workbook for packaging engineers, shipping and logistics managers and e-commerce operations teams. Each shipping carton is one row with its product, the service it ships on, its length, width and height after the carrier's rounding, its packed weight and how many ship a month; each service's dimensional divisor and a planning rate per billable pound come from Setup. The workbook gives the cube, the dimensional weight, the whole-pound billable weight, the pounds dimensional weight adds over the actual weight, the height at which it would add nothing, and the extra pounds and cost each month. It ships with eight cartons at a fictional homewares maker, so every tile and chart is filled in when you open it.

In the example a pair of throw pillows ships in a 20 × 16 × 12 inch carton: 3,840 cubic inches ÷ 139 is 27.6 lb, so a 4.5 lb parcel bills at 28 lb. That is 23 extra pounds on each of 900 shipments a month, 19,665 at 0.95 a pound and most of the 32,638 the eight cartons pay each month. Without compression it would need to be 2.2 inches tall to avoid the extra. Vacuum packing the duvet cuts its extra from 13 lb to 2 lb a parcel.

Costs use a planning rate per pound, not your carrier's zone tables, minimums or surcharges. The download is a plain .xlsx with no macros. A CSV with live formulas is also included for other tools; the dashboard, charts, dropdowns and self-check are in the .xlsx.

What this template includes

Setup sheet with your company and currency, and the shipping services with their dimensional divisor and average rate per billable pound
Cartons table, one row per carton: product, service, rated length, width and height, actual weight and shipments a month, with a Check column
Per carton: cube, dimensional weight, billable weight, billed on dimensional (Yes/No), extra pounds, the height for no extra, and the extra pounds and cost a month
Dashboard with four tiles (cartons, shipments a month, cartons billed on dimensional weight, dimensional cost a month), dimensional against actual weight, the monthly cost by carton, and the carton table
Method sheet with every formula, and a Verify sheet that re-checks the formulas against an independent reference and the Dimensional Weight calculator (Self-check: PASS)
CSV with live formulas for the Cartons table; the dashboard, charts, dropdowns and self-check are in the .xlsx

Suggested use case

Use it to find the cartons that pay most for dimensional weight, to size a new carton before ordering it, or to compare services with different divisors for bulky, light products.

How to use it

On Setup, type your company and currency, and list your shipping services with their dimensional divisor and average rate per billable pound.
On Cartons, give each carton a row: product, service, rated length, width and height, actual weight and shipments a month.
Fix anything the Check column names.
Open the Dashboard: the cartons billed on dimensional weight and what it costs each month.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate dimensional weight?: Multiply length × width × height in inches and divide by the service's dimensional divisor. A 20 × 16 × 12 inch carton is 3,840 cubic inches; at 139 that is 27.6 lb, so a 20 lb parcel bills at 28 lb, the Dimensional Weight calculator's own example.
What is billable weight?: The larger of the actual weight and the dimensional weight, rounded up to the next whole pound. Carriers price on billable weight, so a light, bulky carton pays for its size.
What divisor should I use?: The one in your contract for that service; carriers publish standard divisors and many contracts negotiate a higher one. A higher divisor gives a lower dimensional weight. Put each service and its divisor on Setup.
How does the workbook find a better carton height?: The Height for no extra column is the tallest carton at the same length and width whose dimensional weight bills no more than the actual weight: actual weight rounded up × divisor ÷ (length × width).
Why does the mug set show dimensional but no extra pounds?: Its dimensional weight, 6.9 lb, is above its 6.4 lb actual weight, but both round up to 7 lb, so the bill is the same. A slightly larger carton would start to cost more.
Does the workbook use macros?: No. It is a plain .xlsx with ordinary formulas, tables and native charts. The Verify sheet re-checks the formulas against fixed test cartons and shows Self-check: PASS.