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Cartons & Crates

To determine the cubic dimensions of a shipment, measure the length, width and height. Next, multiply the length by the width by the height to obtain the cubic dimensions in inches.

Length 24", width 18", height 18"
24" x 18" x 18" = 7,776 cubic inches

To convert cubic inches to cubic feet, divide cubic inches by 1,728 (the number of cubic inches in a cubic foot).

7,776 % 1,728 = 4.5 cubic feet

To determine the density, divide the weight of the shipment (80 pounds) by the number of cubic feet.

80 % 4.5 = 17.78 pounds per cubic foot

To determine the dimensional weight, divide cubic inches by 194 (the dimensional factor).

7,776 % 197 = 40.08 dimensional pounds

Palletized Shipments

In cases where the shipment is palletized, the dimensions of the pallet determine cubic dimensions. Although the original dimensions of the carton remain the same, the cubic dimensions now include the pallet.

Length 48", width 40", height 24" (carton height of 18" plus pallet height of 6")
48" x 40" x 24" = 46,080 cubic inches

Convert to feet by dividing by 1,728

46,080 % 1,728 = 26.7 cubic feet

The density then equals the weight, 110 pounds (80 pounds for the carton and approximately 30 pounds for the pallet), divided by the number of cubic feet.

110 % 26.7 = 4.12 pounds per cubic foot

80lb. Carton + 30 lb. Carton = 110 lb. Total

Conversion Information

Following are a few conversion constants to help when converting to and from metric.