Landed Cost
Part of Packaging and labelling specifications
Checking carton dimensions before freight booking
Measure filled cartons, calculate their volume and reconcile counts and weights with the freight provider before booking.
Before requesting freight against final figures, measure a closed carton packed as it will travel. Record external length, width and height, gross weight, contents and the carton count for that type. Mark estimates as estimates, then confirm the chosen carrier or forwarder’s booking fields, charging method and service limits.
Measure the shipping unit
Use the agreed carton with its intended products, inserts, dividers, cushioning and closure. Measure the widest outside points after sealing, not the flat carton blank or retail box. Weigh the filled carton with its packaging. If straps, a pallet or overhang form part of the unit handed over, record that configuration separately and ask the provider how it should be declared.
Field / Entry to confirm
- Carton ID and pack version
- The sample measured and packing instruction used.
- External dimensions
- Length × width × height, with units and protrusions noted.
- Gross weight
- Filled, sealed carton including packaging.
- Contents
- Product and variant counts per carton.
- Shipment total
- Number of cartons of this type and any pallet configuration.
- Status
- Measured, supplier estimate or open.
Record distinct size and weight groups separately; an average can hide a carton that exceeds a service limit. If the box, unit count or cushioning changes, measure the revised filled carton. Check samples from the production run against the agreed pack before using their figures as final.
Calculate volume and check the charging rule
Convert the external dimensions to metres and multiply length × width × height to obtain cubic metres per carton. A hypothetical carton measuring 0.50 m × 0.40 m × 0.30 m has a volume of 0.06 m³. Forty identical cartons total 2.4 m³ before pallets or loading allowances. These are arithmetic examples, not shipment measurements or a freight quote.
A carrier may compare actual and dimensional weight or use another charging basis. The rule depends on the service and contract; a parcel formula is not a sea, air or all-carrier rate. Ask the provider how it will assess this shipment and whether any dimension or weight limit changes the available service.
Reconcile the booking request
Send the provider each carton group’s count, dimensions and gross weight, plus any pallet details it requests. For imports, reconcile the packing list with actual package counts and carton marks.
Before release, compare the packed-goods record with the freight request. If a carton or packing quantity has changed, obtain new measurements and a revised freight assessment. Keep the confirmed figures and the source of any remaining estimate together.
