Measuring your Freight

Measuring your freight correctly is one of the most important steps in shipping. The price you pay for a shipment essentially comes down to four factors:

1. The space it takes up on a truck
2. The effort involved in handling it
3. The distance it is travelling
4. Any special services it requires

Key to this are the dimensions and weight of your freight. Accurate measurements of these two factors allow FreightSimple to provide reliable, transparent quotes that will be the final price you pay.

Unfortunately if the measurements are wrong, then additional charges may need to be imposed. So it's always better to get the measurements correct in the first instance.

Weight

It's always best to weigh your freight yourself, if possible, to get an accurate measurement.

If this isn't possible, it is good practice to check the weight against a source like the product catalogue, or a product page on a website.

From time-to-time, a carrier might inspect a shipment and re-weigh it. If there is a discrepancy found, and you believe this is incorrect, we will challenge the carrier on your behalf. Supporting evidence such as product catalogues or website product pages will be needed to make the dispute.

Please remember to include the weight of the pallet and any additional packaging in your total weight. The carrier has to move it all, not just what is inside.

Another important reason to get the weight right is because lift-gates have a certain maximum capacity. If your pickup/delivery requires a lift-gate but the weight was found to be too heavy, pickup/delivery might be refused or delayed, causing complications and potentially additional costs with the shipment.

Length, Width, Height

It is important to get the length, width and height of your freight correct.

1. Be extra careful if the shape is irregular

   If your freight is irregular, imagine a box around the freight, and measure that box. Be particularly careful about overhang on pallets.

2. Make sure you take overhang into account

   Any overhang beyond the confines of the pallet must count towards the dimensions.

3. Round up

   To ensure a correct quote, please round up to the next nearest inch.

While an inch here and there might not seem like a big deal, it can be the difference between paying the price you expect, or paying more. Some of the rates available on FreightSimple as known as pallet rates - and they are based on the assumption your freight will fit perfectly in a standard 48" x 40" slot on a truck. An inch might make the difference between fitting perfectly into slot and preventing a pallet from being loaded next to it.