Many of our private customers get worried about parcel dimensions and how to measure their parcels. Don’t worry – it’s not as hard as you think!
Dublin & National Deliveries:
Within Ireland it’s really easy! There’s no need to get confused with complicated calculations, most of the time you don’t even need to measure your parcel, just give us an approximate size when you make your booking. Sometimes we’ll ask you for simple measurements like length and width and we will assign the appropriate vehicle for your delivery:
International Deliveries:
If you’re sending something overseas, you’ll need to give us measurements. But we’ll make this process as easy as we can for you. You don’t need to do any complicated calculations yourself!
For parcels of all sizes, just give us the weight, length, width and height of your parcel and we’ll do the hard work for you.
There’s only one important thing to remember – if your parcel is an irregular shape, you’ll need to measure at the widest points in order to ensure that you get an accurate quote and avoid additional charges at a later stage.
If you’re shipping larger loads like pallets or containers it’s usually fairly straightforward, call our office and we’ll guide you through it.n
Here’s a little more information for those of you who still have questions…
Volumetric Weight
International deliveries are shipped on the basis of volumetric weight (also known as dimensional weight). This is a measure of how much space they occupy, rather than their actual weight.
The calculation takes the dimensions of your parcel and adjusts it by a conversion factor. Different international carriers have different conversion factors, which is why it’s best to call us and we can give you an instant quote.
The basic calculation for volumetric weight looks like this:
Length x Width x Height / conversion factor
For measurements in centimetres, the following conversion factors are used:
- DHL – between 6000 (air) and 1000 (ocean) depending on the mode of transport
- FedEx – 5000 for most international shipments
- UPS – 5000 for most international shipments
How to Avoid Overpaying
If you use an oversize box for your items, you may well end up paying more than necessary because of the extra space the box takes up. Don’t overpack your box, as you may risk damage to the contents. But do ensure that there’s no more space than necessary to safely pack your items.
Call us today and we’ll help you with measurements – 01 6610000
