How to use this calculator
- Enter or choose chargeable weight.
- Enter or choose first weight band up to.
- Enter or choose charge for the first band.
- Enter or choose each additional step.
- Enter or choose charge per additional step.
- The cost per parcel updates as you type. Use Copy result or Share to keep it.
Method
Steps = ⌈(Weight − First band) ÷ Step⌉; Freight = First charge + Steps × Step charge; Cost = Freight × (1 + Fuel%) + Surcharges
- First band
- weight covered by the first charge
- Step
- size of each additional weight increment
- Fuel%
- fuel surcharge applied to base freight
Worked example
- Extra weight = 2.3 − 0.5 = 1.8; steps = ⌈1.8 ÷ 0.5⌉ = 4.
- Freight = 6.00 + 4 × 1.50 = 12.00.
- Fuel = 12% × 12.00 = 1.44.
- Cost = 12.00 + 1.44 + 2.50 = 15.94.
A 2.3 kg parcel costs 15.94 on this zone’s rates: 12.00 freight, 1.44 fuel and 2.50 surcharges.
What the result means
Run the same parcel through each zone’s rates to build a shipping table for your checkout, or to see where a weight step makes a slightly lighter package noticeably cheaper.
Assumptions and limits
- The fuel surcharge applies to base freight only.
- Rates are entered by you; no carrier’s prices are built in.
- Some carriers apply fuel surcharge to other surcharges too, use non-uniform weight bands or price by flat bands; adjust the inputs to match your rate card.
Questions
What is a shipping zone?
Carriers group destinations into zones by distance or region, and each zone has its own price table. Your carrier’s rate guide shows which zone a destination falls in.
What weight should I enter?
The chargeable weight: the greater of actual and volumetric weight. The Shipping Chargeable Weight Calculator works it out.