Pricing Proposal Insights

Following is the second article in our series explaining elements of our pricing proposal. This one is about Priority Mail dimensional-weight pricing. We hope these articles help you understand the changes and prepare for our new prices. Look for more "Pricing Proposal Insights" in upcoming DMM Advisory releases. 

How to Determine a Priority Mail Dimensional-Weight Price

For rectangular (box-like) items, measure the length, width, and height. The length is always the longest dimension. Round off each individual measurement to the nearest whole inch (20-1/4 inches is considered 20 inches; 20-3/4 inches is 21 inches). Next, multiply the length by the width by the height. The result is the cubic capacity expressed in cubic inches. If the result is 1,728 cubic inches or less, the parcel is less than 1 cubic foot and dimensional‑weight pricing does not apply. If the result exceeds 1,728 cubic inches, divide it by 194 (the "dim factor") to determine the dimensional weight. Round up any fraction of a pound to the next whole pound to get the dimensional-weight price for the parcel. If the actual weight of the parcel exceeds the dimensional weight, base the price on the actual weight.

Irregularly shaped items (pieces that are not rectangular) occupy space and displace other items in transportation containers differently than box-like parcels. To account for this difference, we proposed an "adjustment factor" of 0.785.

Just like you would for rectangular parcels, measure the item's longest dimension, width, and height, and round off each measurement. The width and height are not likely to be uniform dimensions for irregular shapes, so you will need to measure at the maximum cross-sections. For example, in measuring the width and height of a football, the maximum cross-section is in the middle, where the football is thickest. The length is the straight-line distance from one tip to the other.

For more information, see the September/October Mailers Companion. [PDF] | [html]