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What weighs more: a drop weight of 8 kg or a teddy bear of 3 kg?

The cost for shipping packages internationally is determined by the physical or dimensional weight of the package. This means the physical weight is determined by using scales, while the dimensional weight is determined by using a calculator. Whichever weight is higher, then that number will be included in the shipping cost of your goods from the United States.

Since we are interested in shipping goods from America, where the accepted unit weight is a pound (pound - abbreviated as ‘lb’ from the Latin libra, which means ‘pound’), and the dimensions are measured in inches (inch - abbreviated as ‘in’), then all further calculations will be carried out in pounds and inches. That is, in the same units used by all sellers in the United States.

Size and weight restrictions for packages in the United States, Canada, and European countries that use the metric system are generally the same.  The only difference is that in the country of origin, they are calculated in inches and pounds, while in the receiving European countries, these calculations are done in centimeters and kilograms. To calculate the cost of shipping a package from the USA, the units of measurement are not important, so you should not waste your time and energy  converting inches into centimeters, or vice versa.

The concept of dimensional weight for the pricing of international packages was originally introduced at the request of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).This organization also developed a payment method for the concept. If you do not care to know why it was done, then you can skip the next paragraph and go directly to the formulas for calculating  dimensional weight.

Since carriers of international  cargo are bound by the dimensions of their cargo space—air crafts in particular—they are interested in the most efficient use of their entire space. The standard of efficiency that has been adopted worldwide is: 1 cubic meter of cargo must weigh 167 kg.  In other words, a carrier’s business activity only becomes profitable when the cargo space is filled with a specific volume and weight of goods—meaning, the density of the carrier matters most.. As an example: when paying per kilogram, it is more profitable to transport bricks than it is to transport foam. So, to create a reasonable balance, the IATA introduced the concept of dimensional weight.

For a general calculation the following formula will work:

V-kg = A x B x C / 363 (where A, B, C – are sides in inches and V-kg – is a dimensional weight in kilograms)

For the calculation in the U.S., or the so-called imperial system, the formula is as follows:

V-lb = A x B x C / 166 (where A, B, C – are sides in inches and V-lb – is a dimensional weight in pounds)

At the same time, for packages that are transported across the border,  size and weight limitations have also been established – namely,  that for A, B, C, V-lb and V-kg, there are set limits, beyond which the cargo is automatically transferred to the category "express delivery only.”. You can read about this in more detail in our blog. For now, let’s go back to the topic of dimensional weight.

To make it easier for you, we have placed a calculator at the top of the page, which has  already been programmed with the correct formula. Thus, you can easily calculate almost the exact cost of postal delivery of your package from the U.S. by  physical or dimensional weight. If the dimensional weight is higher than the physical, then this is the amount that will be used for shipping.  Unfortunately, there is no bargaining here.

An employee of a transportation company will see the same numbers as you – the reading of the scales (a physical weight of the object) and the number in the calculator (the dimensional weight). He will choose the number that is greater  and then multiply the kilograms or pounds by the rate, in dollars. Since transportation is his business, all fractional weights and dimensions are rounded upward and not in your favor. There are a lot of nuances that depend on the carrier, your destination country and shipping method; so, if you are lucky, the carrier will round 4.2 pounds down to 4.  But in most cases, this will be recorded as 5 pounds.

How the dimensions are determined when calculating dimensional weight

To accurately determine the values ​​of A, B and C, you need to imagine a rectangular box that will hold your entire item, because the length, width and  height are determined the same way as for a package: by the most projecting parts.

Once again, please note: to correctly determine the shipping cost of delivering your goods from the U.S., you should  NOT use the linear dimensions of your item, but of its packaging (a box).

Soroka-Vorovka Service is your reliable and, most importantly, intelligent purchasing and shipping assistant in the United States. When packing your purchases, we do our best to minimize the size of the package, so you do not end up paying to ship “air” across the Atlantic. Consequently, the final size of the package, which would be a  consolidation of all your purchases, will only be known by the manager of Soroka-Vorovka, and only after all of your purchases are delivered to our warehouse in New York.

We can remove the inner packaging, pack your clothes and shoes more tightly, place smaller items  inside bigger ones – all of this is reflected in the concept of "repackaging" which we provide free of charge. The end result?  You will save on shipping costs. If the package ends up too heavy or too large, then we will divide it into standard, smaller  packages, so you won’t have to overpay for the dimensional weight. Would such overpayment be high? Oh, yeah!

How much would be the overpayment for the dimensional weight?

Remember this  math problem for elementary school? What weighs more – one kilogram of foam or one kilogram of concrete? If this question were to be answered by the employees of most transport companies, their answers would definitely stump a math teacher.

Say we have a drop weight of 8 kg (17.6 pounds) and a large teddy bear weighing 3 kg (6.6 pounds). The dimensions of the drop weight, in a box, are 20 cm x 20 cm x 30 cm, and the size of an American drop weight is, respectively, 9 in x 9 in x 12 inches. We put these dimensions into the formula and see that the dimensional weight of our drop weight is 2.7 kg (6 pounds), while the physical weight, when packaged, is 8.2, (i.e. 8 kg). In this case, the  physical weight is higher. Hence, the carrier will agree to transport the drop weight across the Atlantic, if you pay for its physical weight of 17.6 pounds, at a cost of $ 104.55.

Now, let’s place a 3 kg teddy bear in a box – we will get a packaged item with the dimensions (H x W x D) of 50 cm x 40 cm x 30 cm; or, respectively, 20 in x 16 in x 12 inches. When we put these dimension into the formula, we see that the dimensional weight of the teddy bear is equal 10.5 kg (23 pounds), while its physical weight, when packaged, is only 3.5 kg.  That’s 4 kg when rounded upward.  In this case, the dimensional weight is greater, which means  the carrier will agree to transport the bear across the Atlantic for the dimensional weight of 10.5 kg, at a cost of $ 124.30.

So, you see, our 8 kg drop weight eventually turned out to be 5.6 pounds lighter than a fluffy, 3 kg teddy bear. This is a great example that demonstrates how carrier companies calculate shipping costs, and there is no way around it. Thus, our role, as your trusted buying and shipping assistant in the U.S., becomes that much more important.  Because your total shipping costs will ultimately depend on how competently and creatively we package your items for shipment.. Added to which, we won’t charge extra for repacking, and we won’t add a cent to the carrier's shipping rates.  To be certain,  Soroka-Vorovka will give you the lowest prices for purchasing and shipping your goods from the United States.

Enjoy your shopping in the US stores! Soroka-Vorovka, your smart buying and shipping assistant, will make sure you do!