Dimensioning is the process of measuring either the area or the volume that an object occupies. It is the method of calculating capacity for the storage, handling, transporting and invoicing of goods. Vehicles and storage units have both volume and weight capacity limits and can easily become full in terms of volume before they reach their capacity in weight. By dimensioning for capacity needs, companies and warehouses can make optimal use of space in order to minimize costs in order to maximize profits.
Background
In 1985, the Norwegian company Cargoscan, which officially became part of the
Mettler Toledo
Mettler Toledo () is a multinational manufacturer of scales and analytical instruments. It is the largest provider of weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, and food retailing applications. The company also provides various ana ...
group in 2000, began supplying
dimensioners Dimensioners are weighing and volume measuring systems for measuring three-dimensional or cuboid-shaped objects such as packages, parcels, pallets, cartons and boxes. They are frequently used as part of a much larger logistical system in a distribut ...
and data capture products to transport and logistics companies around the world. The aim was to provide the industry with a system for revenue recovery and protection. It seemed that if carriers were to take both weight and volume into consideration when invoicing, they could charge customers more fairly according to services provided and make better use of resources.
In transport and logistics
Shipping costs have historically been calculated based on weight alone. By charging only by weight, lightweight, low-density packages become unprofitable for freight carriers due to the amount of space they take up in trucks, aircraft, and ships in proportion to their actual weight. By using dimensioning technology to calculate an item's
dimensional weight
Dimensional weight, also known as volumetric weight, is a pricing technique for commercial freight transport (including courier and postal services), which uses an estimated weight that is calculated from the length, width and height of a packag ...
, carriers are able to charge based on either volume or weight, depending on which is greater.
In the warehousing industry, dimensioning is used to provide an overview of the volume items in stock which can reduce the costs of materials, return handling, shipping and manpower. It can also be used to determine capacity limits for storage to determine if additional storage requirements are needed at some point.
The main reasons that companies choose to invest in automated dimensioning systems include reduced operational costs, revenue recovery, increased throughput, reduced returns and quality control.
- Why dimensioning?
Dimensioning systems are used not only by the biggest companies in the industry such as DHL Express
DHL is an American founded, German logistics company providing courier, package delivery and express mail service, which is a division of the German logistics firm Deutsche Post. The company group delivers over 1.8 billion parcels per year. DHL ...
, United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service (UPS, stylized as ups) is an American multinational corporation, multinational package delivery, shipping & receiving and supply chain management company founded in 1907. Originally known as the American Messenger Company ...
, FedEx
FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...
and TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
but also by postal companies, shipping retailers, and small handling companies around the world
References
Freight transport