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Shed bulk to gain pounds, urges parcel broker

[ January 16, 2023   //   ]

The use of ‘volumetric’ weight to determine the cost of shipments give rise to the most complaints by overseas package shippers, according to new research ParcelHero.

The broker says that instead of simply charging on the actual weight of a package, international carriers bill items based on the combined size and weight of the parcel, using a formula called volumetric weight. According to its research, 60% of all customer complaints are caused by unexpected extra charges due to these calculations and, to add to the confusion, each carrier uses different criteria to calculate volumetric weight, depending on which service is selected.

ParcelHero has launched a tool to calculate exactly what the volumetric weight of a parcel will be, for each carrier service.

ParcelHero’s head of consumer research, David Jinks  says however that there is method in the carriers’ apparent madness: “The space inside the cargo belly-hold of an aircraft is quite restricted; so too is the weight of all the items the aircraft can carry. A carrier must take into account both the weight and overall size of a shipment.

“A carrier will charge on weight or volume (calculated as volumetric weight), whichever is the greater. If a parcel is relatively light but takes up a lot of room, perhaps due to extensive packaging, that needs to be considered when the carrier works out how much to charge for the shipment. This size-based weight is the volumetric measurement.

“Volumetric weight is calculated by multiplying the length, width and height of a parcel (in cm) and then dividing that figure. The big problem is that different companies use different divisors. And some apply a different volumetric formula for their express service compared to their economy service.

“Depending on the carrier, the final figure is divided by 4,000, 5,000 or 6,000 to determine the billable volumetric weight. If you’re sending with an express courier like UPS or FedEx, the devisor will likely be 5,000. Some other companies, such as TNT (which is currently merging with FedEx), use a slightly different formula for their economy service, dividing by 4,000. If you’re sending air freight or economy freight, the divisor will likely be 6,000.”

He added that ParcelHero’s new volumetric tool not only calculates the typical volumetric weight but, by entering the specific carrier and service being considered, it will calculate the exact volumetric weight the shipper will be billed for.

He urges shippers to not only ensure that items are not only carefully padded and sealed (to safely withstand the rigours of being handled at airports and Customs) but that items are packaged as tightly as possible as space wasted by unnecessary bubble wrap or crumpled paper will increase the price.

‘Equally, using old boxes that are too large for the item will incur unnecessarily high costs because of the extra volumetric weight.

https://www.parcelhero.com/en-gb/support/volumetric-weight-calculator

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