Knowing your shipment’s weight helps you get an accurate quote, along with pickup and delivery details.But sometimes you don’t have a freight scale, or your items are big, heavy, or an odd shape that won’t sit on one.This article gives you four simple tips to estimate weight.
Using quick and easy calculations, looking up some simple information, you can get a more accurate quote with any carrier.
Tips for quick counting
Tip 1:Using simple primary school math
If you’re transporting a large number of small, irregularly shaped items that are difficult to calculate in terms of volume, you only need to know the weight of one item to accurately estimate how much your shipment will weigh. Your elementary school math class knowledge will come in handy.
Just multiply the weight of one item by the number of items you’re shipping and – voila! – you know how much your shipment weighs.
Tip 2:Make the maker’s sizes work for you
Suppose you don’t have the tools at hand to measure your goods, but your goods happen to be regular in shape – like a box of standard-type packaged parts, furniture, or the like. You can use the following little method.
Ask your supplier for the length, width and height of the entire box of goods and multiply them directly together so you can get the volume of your shipment. Or just ask your supplier the volume of a box of your goods.
The above two methods are for heavy weight, irregular shape relatively small volume of goods and relatively light weight, regular shape of goods, respectively.
There’s a little bit of common sense you need to know when choosing each of these two methods. Shipping companies are not fixed on choosing either the volume or the weight of the goods to be charged – it depends on what type of goods you have. Shipping companies usually charge according to the greater of “volumetric weight” or “actual weight”.
If the cargo is heavy, such as cotton, chairs, etc., which are large and light, the shipping company will charge by volume, taking the volumetric weight as the basis for charging, because they take up more space.
If the cargo is small, that is, large and light, then the shipping company will charge by volume, taking the volume weight as the basis for charging, because they take up more space.
Tip 3: Go back to the basics when data is missing
If you can’t put the items you’re shipping on a smaller scale to get a weight and the manufacturer doesn’t include specs to help you determine how hefty your shipment is,there is a third option.
Ask the factory to pack one real sample carton.
Have them include the inner boxes, padding, manuals, and labels.
Request two simple photos.
One shows the sealed carton on a scale, the other shows a tape measure on all sides.This will give you an idea of what the weight and volume of your individual items are, respectively.
Get a draft packing list before mass packing starts.At this stage, determining the volume and weight of your goods will allow you to save more and cost less during transportation.
Regarding estimating the size and volume of goods yourself, there are some everyday tools that can help you:a phone camera, a tape measure, and a luggage scale.These three items prevent most surprises.
Make sure to count packaging materials in
Please be sure not to overlook the weight of the packaging material of the item. It may seem light, but it adds up, and when you’re shipping a lot of goods, the weight of those shipping materials can become a number that can’t be ignored.Include them in your estimate.
Common items to include:
- Outer cartons and any inner boxes.
- Polybags, bubble wrap, foam, and corner guards.
- Inserts, manuals, barcodes, and “Fragile” labels.
- Tape, straps, and stretch film.
- Pallets and pallet corners for large loads.
Simple ranges you can use as a rough check:
- Polybag: a few grams per unit.
- Small inner box: tens of grams per unit.
- Standard outer carton: about half a kilo to a kilo each.
- Stretch film on a pallet: about a kilo.
- Wood pallet: about 15–25 kilos; plastic is often lighter.
Summing it up
With these four tips, you’ll be able to get an accurate quote for your shipment, even without a freight scale. Read our other freight shipping tips to help ensure you have the best possible freight shipping experience. Start your online quote today, our team of professionals will give you the best possible program. You just need to focus on growing your business and we will take care of all your transportation challenges.
