subject: Is It Okay To Estimate A Shipment Weight? [print this page] It doesn't matter if you're shipping tiny packages with a bike messenger, or moving FTL truck loads of cargo across international borders, in any shipping situation one of the primary considerations and most important numbers that you're going to have to provide to your New Jersey courier is going to be the weight of your shipment. In many shipping situations, the first questions asked by a shipper, especially if they are new to shipping with a courier company, is whether or not it is okay to estimate the weight of a shipment. There are some situations where this might be more acceptable than others, and it is important to realize this before you put anything down as the listed weight of anything you are shipping with a courier company.
Usually a courier company is going to say that it is okay for you to estimate the weight of your shipment, but this is going to be with certain provisos in mind. First of all, the smaller your package is, generally the more acceptable it is to estimate the shipments weight. For example, a bike messenger might not be allowed to carry anything that weighs more than ten pounds. As long as you can accurately estimate whether or not the shipment is under or above ten pounds, a small difference either way isn't going to matter. On the far end of the spectrum from that, an incorrect estimate on a FTL cargo load could cause immense problems. Trucks by law are only allowed to carry a certain amount of weight, and if you put them overweight you will have to ship some of your goods on a second vehicle. In addition, if you are pre-paying for your shipping and the weight was inaccurate, the courier company may hold your shipment until the account is settled to reflect the accurate weight of the freight.
This is why it is okay for you to estimate your shipping weight, but why it is so important that you do so accurately. Always assume that a courier company is going to weight your shipment themselves, because in almost every case they will, so there is nothing to be gained by estimating low on your weight, and it will only cause delays, and possibly even billing penalties, as some courier might assess an additional surcharge for a fee adjustment in addition to the higher price that reflects the accurate weight of your cargo.
by: Paul McDuffy
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