Your shipping process is only as great as the internal process you deploy for preparing your product for shipping out. One of those pivotal processes is weighing your shipment at different stages to understand the individual weight of each element separately.
Gross weight is one such measure that will help you in the process. To begin with, let us define gross weight, and why it is so useful in shipping processes and courier services.
What is Gross Weight?: Definition
It is important to define gross weight right at the start because of its important role in shipping documents and processes.
The gross weight of a product will include not only the exact weight of it, but also the additional packaging and any containers that it might be getting shipped or transported in. The definition for gross weight would thus be the net weight of the product plus its packaging and protective containers or fillers you use for the transit.
You see, apart from your product, you will add a considerable amount of weight to your shipment when you decide the packaging materials for it. Aside from the immediate packaging which will definitely add a little bit of weight, you will have to account for materials such as pallets, boxes, crates, and protective filling such as bubble wrap and peanuts that will add even more.
Which is why the gross weight of your product will be calculated right before it is shipped including all of the additional packaging in the mix. You’ll also need to define weighing standards before you go ahead with the process.
Importance and Usage of Gross Weight
Apart from it being a logistical requirement, knowing gross weight meaning is so important because it will affect the safety and cost efficiency of your shipment process. While gross weight is a critical measurement that will help you determine shipping costs even if you do it in-house, freight companies also base their rates based on gross weight.
Calculating and understanding the meaning of gross weight will help you figure out if your shipment meets the weight and dimension requirements set down by the shipping company and if the container is overloaded by mistake. You will even end up saving costs by not having to pay for excess baggage.
How to Calculate Gross Weight?
Do you have the net weight of the product and curb weight of your container already figured out? Well, then calculating the gross weight will be a piece of cake. The factors that will be considered while calculating and meaning for gross weight will also change based on the mode of transportation you choose.
After this point, you only need to consider the gross weight definition and apply the standard formula. The formula you can use to calculate the gross weight is as follows:
Gross Weight = Net Weight + Packaging Weight + Container/Vessel Weight (If Applicable)
The weight of the container or vessel will factor into the calculation of gross weight only if your product requires an entire container or vessel to be shipped.
Decoding Gross Weight: Frequently Asked Questions
Now that we have gotten the basics of gross weight out of the way, let us look at some of the most popular and frequently asked questions about gross weight.
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What is Gross Weight?
Gross weight or Gross wt is one of the most crucial measurements for determining cost of shipping your products by international courier services and refers to the total weight of your product, its immediate packaging, and any additional container weight that might add up towards it.
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What is Gross Weight vs Net Weight?
Once you understand the definition of a gross weight, it is good to understand how this particular type of weight is different from other types. Gross Weight and Net Weight are often confused with each other so it is important to distinguish them. While gross weight refers to the sum of the weights of everything associated with your product, net weight refers specifically to the weight of just your product without any packaging or additional factors.
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What’s Gross Vehicle Weight?
The meaning of Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of your vehicle is the maximum weight it is allowed to weigh when it is fully filled with goods, passengers and fuel. When you define gross vehicle weight in shipping terms, it can be calculated as the sum of the base curb weight, actual cargo weight and the weight of your passengers.
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How to Find The Gross Vehicle Weight?
To calculate your gross vehicle weight accurately, you need to add the weight of your vehicle with a full fuel tank and all the necessary parts and fluids along with the weight of the driver, luggage and the passengers.
Here’s how you can represent it in the form of a formula:
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) = Base Curb Weight + Actual Cargo Weight + Weight of the Passengers
Alternatively, a much simpler formula for gross weight used in shipping is:
Gross Weight = Net Weight + Tare Weight
You will especially need to know the gross vehicle weight of your vehicle when you are getting it shipped as a part of an international relocation.
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What is Gross Vehicle Weight Rating?
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) refers to the sum of the payload and weight of an empty vehicle. This measure is associated with the safe weight of your vehicle. You can calculate the GVWR by determining the tare weight and payload of your vehicle. Say, your tare weight has been calculated as 500 kg, and carry a payload of 200 kg safely. You will use the following formula:
GVWR = Tare Weight + Rated Payload
So, in this case, the GVWR is 500+200 = 700 kgs.
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How to Calculate Gross Weight from Net Weight?
Calculating gross weight is fairly simple if you have already determined the net weight of your shipment. You will also need to determine your tare weight or curb weight before you go ahead with the gross weight calculation. Once you have determined both the metric, you need to only add them to calculate the gross weight of the shipment.
So, if the net weight has been calculated as 25 kg, and the tare weight has been calculated as 100 kg, the gross weight can be calculated as 125 kg.
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How to Look Up Gross Vehicle Weight With VIN Number?
You can easily look up your gross vehicle weight using your VIN in a matter of a few steps. While the GVW is not included in the VIN, you will be able to utilise a variety of online resources to determine GVW using it. You can input your VIN in manufacturer websites or vehicle history report services and fetch detailed information about the vehicle, as well as its GVW. For most vehicles, you will be able to get the GVW from the ownership manual as well.
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What is Curb Weight vs Gross Weight?
You already know that gross weight is calculated as the weight of your vehicle when it is filled with passengers and goods. On the other hand, curb weight refers to the weight of your vehicle when there are no occupants or goods in it. Both types of weight are crucial to the success of your shipping process.
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What Does Gross Trailer Weight Mean?
The gross trailer weight refers to the total weight of your trailer calculated by adding up its tare weight, as well as the weight of any passengers or cargo that is loaded on it.
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Where to Find Gross Weight of Vehicle?
The gross weight of the vehicle can be easily calculated by adding the weight of any passengers or cargo weight to the base curb weight. GVW refers to the actual weight that you can obtain by driving a fully loaded vehicle onto a scale, and should not be considered a limit or specification. Thus, the gross weight of your vehicle also includes the weight of any trailers that are attached to your vehicle as it finally goes into transit.
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What is Tare Weight and Gross Weight?
The tare weight as you know is the weight of your vehicle when it is completely empty and devoid of any passenger or goods. The gross weight of your vehicle on the other hand will refer to the sum of your tare weight, passenger weight and cargo weight. So, while tare weight is required for you to assess the amount of goods you should be loading on the vehicle, gross weight is required when you are sending it out.
Concluding Remarks
Gross weight is an important measure for calculating not just your vehicle weight but also the costs associated with transporting any shipment locally or internationally. The gross weight includes the tare weight as well as the net weight of your shipment and lets you know the exact weight that is being shipped out by you.
Since gross weight can often influence your shipping costs, you should be careful about not overloading your vehicles. If you are looking for the right logistics partner like PACK & SEND who can help you with shipments, get a quote or contact us to discuss your requirements in detail.