Throwback Thursday | Need Your DIM Weight? There’s an App for That!

Oh no! Not again?! Earlier this month, UPS announced U.S. rate changes that will take effect on December 26, 2016. Depending on shipping practices, increases can be experienced differently. The good news? Ernest has a DIM Weight app to keep shipping rate surprises at bay.

Don’t be dim when it comes to packaging. Ernest’s brand new DIMcalc app is here to help!

The itunes App Store just launched Ernest’s first — but certainly not last — app for the iPhone and iPad! (If you’re on a mobile device, click this link. If you’re not, search for “dimensional weight” in the App Store.)

As we’ve written about before, both USPS and FedEx have changed their pricing models in recent months. They now charge based on dimensional weight, also known as DIM weight. What does that mean? DIM factors height, length and width into the weight of a package, instead of just the traditional weight.

Your DIM weight is then multiplied by your USPS or FedEx costing table to determine your shipping cost.

Ernest’s DIMcalc does that math for you while removing any guess work. Simply enter in the dimensions and your measuring method into the DIMcalc app and — ta da! — it spits out your DIM weight.

Additionally, DIMcalc factors in the method by which you measure your box. If you manually measure around the outside of the box, simply click the “Outside” button. If you choose to use your supplier’s published size, use either the “Single-Wall RSC” or “Double-Wall RSC” button, depending on your type of box. Suppliers like Ernest use internal dimensions.

This will save you time, hassle and risk of error — resulting in real cost savings! DIMcalc can also help you determine if your freight costs are consistently too high. If so, Ernest can work with you to redesign your packaging to save on shipping.

This is likely the first of many apps for Ernest! We want to give you state-of-the-art packaging resources, and sending them directly to your phone is the best place for that. What’s next? You’ll have to wait and see!

When you’re done using the app — and before you go back to playing Candy Crush and taking Snapchats — use your phone to give us a call about your packaging needs!