• 1201 Creditstone Road Concord, ON L4K 0C2

WHAT IS SHIPMENT DENSITY?

Shipment density is calculated by taking the total weight of the shipment and dividing it by the total cubic feet of the shipment. It is one of the factors that determines the freight rate. To take advantage of the best available rate, shippers should put the cubic footage of the shipment on the bill of lading.
The following are the steps to calculate the density of a shipment:

STEP 1

Measure the length, width, and height of the shipment in inches. Measure to the farthest points, including skids or other packaging. If your skid has freight overhanging the skid, that needs to be included in the measurement as well.
  • On shipments with multiple pieces, repeat step 1 for each piece.

STEP 2

Multiply the three measurements (length x width x height). The result is the total cubic inches of the shipment.
  • If you have multiple pieces, multiply the length x width x height for each piece. Take the results for each piece and add them together to get the total cubic inches for the entire shipment.

STEP 3

Divide the total cubic inches by 1,728 (the number of cubic inches in a cubic foot). The result is the cubic footage of the shipment.

STEP 4

Divide the weight (in pounds) of the shipment by the cubic feet. The result is the pounds per cubic foot of the shipment, otherwise known as the density of the freight.
  • For multiple pieces, be sure to add the weight of each piece together before dividing by the total cubic feet of the shipment.
  • Please ensure to include the skid weight, and any extra packaging/shrink wrap weight in your total weight calculation.
  • Round fractions to the nearest 2 decimal places for the cubic footage number.

IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION ON HOW CUBIC FEET AND DENSITY RELATE TO FREIGHT RATES, CONTACT YOUR VITRAN'S SALES REP.

All values entered must be in a number format(whole or fraction) with no more than 5 decimal places
Unit
Length
Width
Height
Total Wt(lbs.)
Cub ft.
Density lb/cub ft.
Total Cubic ft. 

EXAMPLE:

  1. Multiply Length 40" x Width 48" x Height 29" (22" plus 7" of pallet) = 55,680 cubic inches.
  2. Divide 55,680 by 1,728 = 32.22 cubic feet.
  3. Divide 175 pounds (110 lbs for the cartons and approximately 65 lbs for the pallet) by 32.22 cubic feet = 5.43 pounds per cubic feet, or the actual density of the shipment.

If you need more information on how cubic feet and density relate to freight rates, please contact your Vitran sales representative.