4. Right before shipping. Perhaps the most common
application of cubing and weighing systems is to collect
data on parcels immediately prior to shipping. After all, that
information is essential to determining the correct shipping
costs.
To get the most accurate reading
for this purpose, it’s best to measure
the dimensional weight of the box
after it’s been sealed and labeled.
This is particularly important when
shipping via parcel carriers that
charge based on dimensional
weight. By gathering precise
dimensional data on their packages,
shippers can ensure they’re rating
their parcels correctly and avoid
chargebacks or overcharges by carriers. It is also important for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments
because carriers often “ballpark”
weights to determine shipping
costs, says Derek Jones, senior marketing product manager
for Lantech, which recently began offering a scale option for
its stretch wrappers.
Even companies with private fleets that don’t have to calculate parcel shipping rates can benefit from cubing and weighing at the time outbound shipments are prepared, Stoll says.
Accurate weight and dimensional information can help them
make optimal use of the available truck space.
SUBSTANTIAL PAYBACK
To be sure, it’s possible to get dimensional weight information without using a cubing and weighing system. For
example, companies can get the data straight from the supplier, or they can manually measure and weigh the products. They also have the option of
using cube calculation or “
cartoniza-tion” logic based on the dimensional
data in a WMS. But those results are
not guaranteed to be accurate.
According to Hanrahan, 5 to 10 percent of the time, packers use a smaller
or larger box than expected.
In the end, what matters is not so
much how or where you collect cubing
and weight data, but that you do it,
says Skeen of Quantronix. The information you collect will have great
value, he says. And the more you use it,
the more that value grows. Accurate,
up-to-date cubing and weighing data
offers a substantial payback for a relatively small investment,
he says. “The information it provides is absolutely essential
if you want to be a world-class distribution center.” ●
Editor’s note: For more on this topic, see “ 10 ways to boost DC
performance with cubing and weighing systems” at
www.dcvelocity.com/articles/20101124boost_dc_
performance_with_cubing_weighing/.
WHO MAKES CUBING AND WEIGHING SYSTEMS?
Looking for a cubing or weighing solution? Here are just a
few of the many companies that provide these systems
and the types of products they offer:
• Bizerba USA Inc.: Checkweighers, industrial scales, and
software ( www.bizerba.ca)
• Cascade Corp.: Lift truck forks that incorporate a scale
( www.cascadeiforks.com)
• Cornerstone Automation Systems (CASI): In-motion
and inline scales, inline checkweighers and conveyor
scales, and in-motion cubing systems for cartons and pallets ( www.cornerstoneautosys.com)
• Cubiscan by Quantronix: Static and in-motion dimensioning systems, plus accessories and software
( www.cubiscan.com/)
• Loadsense Technologies: Portable weigh scales for pal-
lets and a portable weighing kit that places sensors under
tables, pallets, and boards to create an industrial-capacity
scale ( http://loadsense.com)
