When you decide to launch your own business, your task is to conduct a thorough study and get as much information about supply chain functioning as possible. It’s a rather complicated and intricate process that encompasses several stages. It’s not enough just to have a clear idea of what you are going to do. You are to find reliable and cost-effective suppliers, hire the best freight shipping companies, and satisfy your clients (after you target your audience, of course).
You should keep in mind that being a business owner is not only about profits but also about great expenses. You may be surprised to get to know how high logistics costs may be. Moreover, if you are a beginner, you are prone to mistakes. One of the most confusing things about shipping all newbies have to deal with is cargo weight. If you think that you can just weigh your items in your office and calculate all the operations in accordance with outcome measures, you are wrong.
There are three major terms you should know and understand the difference between them. They are:
- Actual weight.
It is exactly what the product weighs. By the way, it should be highlighted that packaging (bubble wrap, pallets, or just paper) is included. Thus, it’s a big mistake to weigh your products before packaging. If you think to save some money in such a way, you are not right. All the items are measured before loading. Then, during the transportation, this procedure is repeated several times. If some mismatches appear, you are to pay fines.
- Volumetric or dimensional weight.
It is calculated from the length, width, and height of a package. If you do not know how to calculate it, don’t worry. There are two possible ways out you may expereince. The first one is to use special online calculators. There are lots of them on the Internet. The second way out is to entrust this task to your freight broker. It’s more convenient and reliable, by the way. The thing is some carriers use different formulas. If you choose the wrong one, it leads to mistakes and fines.
It has to be mentioned that if you regularly ship small but high-density items, you may not be too affected by dimensional or volumetric weight.
- Chargeable weight.
It’s exactly what you are paying for. the carriers compare volumetric and dimensional measurements and charge for the greatest ones. Thus, it’s better when your cargo has almost similar measures.
It should be highlighted that the exact measurements of your cargo are necessary not only for the calculation of the price you have to pay for shipping services. They also help you to select the most appropriate mode of transportation as well as the type of vehicle. They allow you to define whether you have to order less than truckload shipping or it’s necessary to pay for a full truckload.
By the way, the greater part of modern entrepreneurs prefers to entrust all logistical issues to professional freight forwarders or brokers. The experts possess all the needed knowledge and skills to deal with orders of any level of complexity. They definitely won’t confuse different types of weight and are even able to help you to reduce shipping costs.
Yet, the number of feasible logistics firms is so enormous that it’s a real quiz to choose the best one. To cope with this task, you have to pay attention to the ratings of the company and reviews from former clients. It’s also necessary to define whether the chosen broker is able to meet the needs of your business or not. You are to clarify the coverage area and feasible capacities of the firm. Finally, the pricing policy should be reasonable. Good services can cost nothing. But it’s also not a good idea to pay the whole fortune for shipping a standard cargo to the next city.
So, if you want to get the most from your business, it’s of prime importance to pay attention even to the tiniest details. If you have some doubts or are not good at some subjects, it’s better to ask for help from professionals. Thus, in such a way, you won’t confuse actual weight with a chargeable one and avoid fines and delays.