Shipping Guides
Every guide on DimCheck is written in plain English and checked against official FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL documentation — the same rules the calculators apply.
The basics
- What Is Dimensional Weight? — why carriers charge for space, how divisors work, and what each carrier does
- Billable Weight Explained — actual weight vs DIM weight vs surcharge minimums — which one you pay on
- How to Measure a Package for Shipping — bulges included, longest side first, rounded the way the carrier rounds
Carrier-specific rules
- FedEx Additional Handling and Oversize Fees — dimension and volume triggers, 40-lb and 90-lb minimums, what changed in 2026
- USPS DIM Weight Rules — the 1-cubic-foot threshold, 70-lb cap, and the 166 → 139 divisor change
- UPS Daily Rates vs Retail Rates — 139 vs 166 divisor and why the same box bills differently
- DHL Express Volumetric Weight — the 5,000 cm³/kg divisor and how DHL rounds
Cut costs and keep up with changes
- How to Reduce Dimensional Weight — five levers that actually move the billed number
- How Carriers Round Package Dimensions — 47.1 in becomes 48 in — where the hidden 16% goes
- DIM Weight Rule Changes in 2026 — what changed this year and what stayed the same
Prefer to work from the data? Carrier Rules lists every rule DimCheck encodes with its official source.