When it comes to shipping, certain carriers may impose restrictions on the size of the shipping box you can use. For instance, USPS has a maximum limit of 108 inches for the combined length and girth of the package.

This article lists how to determine if you’ve exceeded that limit and automate the process.


Topics

  1. How to calculate the length and girth of a package
  2. How to automatically calculate package dimensions

How to calculate the length and girth of a package

  1. Measure the three parcel dimensions in inches. See the example below.
    • 30″ = Length
    • 10″ = Width
    • 15″ = Height
  2. Add the two smallest dimensions and multiply by two. This is your package’s girth.
    • Formula: [Value 1 + Value 2] x 2 = Girth
    • Example: Our width and height are the smallest dimensions (10″ and 15″).
    • Example calculations: [10″ + 15″] x 2 = 50″ (Girth)
  3. Take the longest dimension and add this to the girth. The result is the combined length and girth of your parcel.
    • Formula: Value 3 + Girth = Combined Length + Girth
    • Example: Our longest dimension is the length (30″).
    • Example calculations: 30″ + 50″ = 80″ (Combined Length and Girth)

How to automatically calculate package dimensions

If you’d prefer to automate this process, you can use Ordoro, which determines if the package is oversized per carrier.

See the screenshot below where a package is too large to ship via USPS. An error message is returned when trying to fetch shipping rates.