When it comes to shipping costs, many eCommerce businesses are caught out by a silent profit killer: DIM weight, also known as dimensional weight.
You might be shipping lightweight products, but if your cartons are oversized or inefficiently packed, you could be paying far more than necessary.
At eBPak, we work closely with Australian eCommerce brands, dropshippers and logistics managers to help reduce packaging waste, lower freight costs and improve shipment efficiency.
In this guide, we’ll break down what DIM weight is, why it matters, and how shipment consolidation (and smarter packaging) can significantly cut your costs.
What Is DIM Weight
DIM weight charges generally depend on how much space your package uses in transit, not just how much it weighs. Bigger boxes take up more room so they usually cost more to ship.
Using an appropriately-sized box is one of the simplest ways to help reduce shipping costs. You can also use better internal protective packaging options. At eBPak, you can rely on us to provide the best protective packaging solutions without compromising on taking up too much packaging space. This includes anything from Kraft Honeycomb Protective Paper and Bubble Wrap to Foam vs Foil Wrap.
Why This Impacts Your Shipping Costs
Imagine shipping a pillow in a large, half-empty box. The pillow might only weigh 1kg, but because the carton takes up a lot of space, the carrier charges you as if it weighs much more. On the other hand, a snug, right-sized box would cost significantly less to ship, even if the weight stays the same.
With fuel prices, carrier surcharges and international freight costs continuing to rise, reducing DIM weight has become an essential part of the process to help keep costs down.
Typical risk factors
For Australian eCommerce businesses shipping domestically or internationally, DIM weight pricing can quickly erode profit margins. Here are some typical triggers to look out for:
Bulky but lightweight items
Products such as cushions, bedding, clothing and other soft goods often weigh very little relative to their volume. Since carrier prices are often based on the space a parcel occupies, these items attract DIM weight charges that far exceed their actual weight.
Shipping costs can become disproportionate to the product value, forcing businesses to absorb fees or increase prices.
Oversized cartons
Having the correct type and size of package for your items is the most important rule when it comes to best practices for packing shipments that arrive in perfect condition. Cartons selected for convenience rather than fit can dramatically inflate DIM weight. Even marginal increases in carton dimensions can push a shipment into a higher pricing tier or trigger oversized parcel fees.
This causes higher freight charges, potential surcharges from carriers, and reduced eligibility for cost-effective services; particularly for international air freight.
Boxes with excessive void space
Excess void space created by poor carton selection or overuse of filler material increases parcel dimensions without adding any functional value. From a carrier’s perspective, you’re paying to transport empty space.
As a result, you have elevated DIM weight costs, higher packaging expenses, increased waste, and a less sustainable fulfilment operation. At eBPak, we have an extensive eco-friendly packaging range that can help your business with sustainable options without excessive contribution towards your DIM weight charges.
Multiple small parcels
Shipping an order across several small parcels means each parcel is individually assessed for DIM weight. Even if each box is small, the combined DIM charges often exceed the cost of sending a single larger parcel.
Failure to consolidate shipments where possible means that businesses miss opportunities to optimise carton usage and reduce total volume. This leads to compounded shipping costs, multiple handling fees, increased risk of delivery delays, and more complex tracking for both the business and the customer; making internal processes more difficult and creating unsatisfactory customer experiences.
Practical Strategies to Reduce DIM Weight
Fortunately, reducing dimensional weight doesn’t require sacrificing product protection. It’s about smarter packaging choices and better shipment planning.
Use Poly Mailers and Smaller Outer Boxes Where Appropriate
For soft goods, apparel and non-fragile items, poly mailers can dramatically reduce parcel volume. When combined with the right-sized outer carton (sometimes necessary such as following Amazon packaging shipment requirements) or even shipped as is where allowed, you’ll lower DIM weight while keeping products protected.
At eBPak, we see many brands reduce shipping costs immediately simply by switching from rigid boxes to flexible packaging; such as our best selling signature item, the Poly Mailer 255mm x 330mm 02 Mailing Satchel White. Not only is this product self sealing, tear resistant and comes in various sizes and colours, it is extremely lightweight, saving you on DIM weight charges.
Avoid Double-Boxing When It’s Not Required
This approach maintains protection while significantly reducing carton dimensions and dimensional weight. Double-boxing is often used as a default safety measure, but in many cases, it adds unnecessary bulk.
Instead:
-
Assess the fragility of the product realistically
-
Use stronger heavy duty or double-wall cartons rather than two separate boxes
-
Pair with internal cushioning like inserts or dividers
Use Cartons Designed for Multi-Item Packing
If you’re shipping multiple items to the same customer, shipment consolidation is one of the most effective ways to reduce DIM weight charges. For high-volume eCommerce businesses and dropshippers, this strategy alone can lead to significant monthly savings.
Rather than shipping each item separately:
-
Use cartons specifically designed for multi-item packing, such as our range of the very popular and reliable Premium Tuck eCommerce Mailing Boxes.
-
Select box sizes that allow items to sit snugly together
-
Minimise unused space inside the carton
Use Dividers, Inserts and Inner Cartons
One common concern with consolidation is product damage. The solution here isn’t bigger boxes, but rather, better internal packaging. You can use helpful products like cardboard dividers, custom inserts and inner cartons. Check out our corrugated Cardboard Backing Board Brown A4 size 302 x 215mm or something like our Cardboard Corner Protector Guards 50mm x50mm 1000pcs pack for optimum safety shipping solutions.
By keeping items separated and secure within a single carton, you reduce the need for oversized packaging while maintaining protection.
This is particularly effective for:
-
Fragile or mixed-product orders
-
Glassware, cosmetics and electronics
-
Subscription boxes and bundled products
Simple Change, Significant Impact
DIM weight pricing is designed to protect carrier capacity, but without deliberate packaging and consolidation strategies, it can silently impact eCommerce profitability; particularly in the Australian market where long distances and air freight are common.
Ready to Reduce Your DIM Weight Costs?
If you’re tired of paying for air in your boxes, it’s time to rethink your packaging strategy.
Contact eBPak today to speak with our packaging specialists all about your packaging needs.
Let’s help you ship smarter, save money and grow your business; without wasting space or any of your resources.