Billable weight is the weight a carrier uses to calculate shipping charges. It is usually the greater of the shipment’s actual weight or dimensional weight. Actual weight is the physical scale weight, while dimensional weight reflects how much space the package or freight occupies. Carriers use billable weight to price shipments fairly when cargo is bulky but lightweight. It is common in parcel shipping, air freight, LTL, courier services, and ecommerce fulfilment. Many carriers then apply a zone rate to the billable weight, pricing the shipment by the distance between origin and destination.
- Actual weight: gross weight of the shipment including packaging
- Dimensional weight: length x width x height divided by the carrier’s divisor
- Billable weight: whichever of the above is higher
Light, bulky shipments bill on dimensional weight. Dense, heavy shipments bill on actual weight.
Related terms: Volumetric Weight, Chargeable Weight.
