Logistics
What is Dimensional weight?
DIM weight
A pricing weight calculated from a package's size rather than what it actually weighs, so carriers can charge fairly for light bulky boxes that fill up a truck. Carriers compare it to the real weight and bill whichever is higher.
Why it matters in practice
Dimensional weight is the reason a pillow can cost more to ship than a dumbbell. Carriers work it out from length by width by height divided by a divisor they set, then compare that figure to the actual weight and bill the larger one. In practice it makes box selection a margin decision: shipping the same product in a right sized carton instead of an oversized one lowers the billed weight without changing the product at all. It also means any shipping estimate built from product weight alone will understate what you really pay on anything bulky, which tends to show up as a quiet margin leak on exactly the products that look cheap to ship.
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