Girth
The girth is a measure used by transport companies. With the girth, the admissibility and the price for the dispatch of parcels can be determined. It calculates to
- Girth = 1 × longest side + 2 × width + 2 × height
An equivalent formula is:
- Girth = circumference (over the two smaller sides) + longest side
In addition to the girth, the maximum length and weight are often limited. The values differ depending on the transport company.
Specification of the girth and maximum length
For example, the maximum length can be 200 cm and the girth 300 cm. A package with the maximum length may then have a circumference of 100 cm:
A very flat package could go up to
- Package 1:
- Length = 200 cm
- Width = 49 cm
- Height = 1 cm
be great. A square section package is up to
- Package 2:
- Length = 200 cm
- Width = 25 cm
- Height = 25 cm
large and a cube-shaped package up to
- Package 3:
- Length = width = height = 60 cm
(one fifth of the girth). The volume of the three packages is different: Package 1 is only 9,800 cm 3 , Package 2 is 125,000 cm 3 and Package 3 is even 216,000 cm 3 .
The largest volume of 250,000 cm 3 can be achieved with a package with
- Package 4:
- Length = 100 cm
- Width = height = 50 cm
Formulas
Flat package:
- Maximum width = (girth - length) / 2
Square section package:
- Maximum width = maximum height = (girth - length) / 4
Package with Same Pages:
- Maximum side length = girth / 5
Package with maximum volume:
- Length = girth / 3
- Width = height = girth / 6 = length / 2
Direct indication of length, width and height
The German Post AG used since 2004 for normal packages and parcels no longer the girth, but instead writes the maximum length, width and height explicitly before the broadcast:
- Parcel: 60 cm × 30 cm × 15 cm
- Package: 120cm × 60cm × 60cm
Per the fine print is the consequent packages for combined dimensions of max. 360 cm, however, restricted to 300 cm for DHL parcels up to 10 kg.
If the length of the shipment and the volume of the shipment do not play a decisive role, it can sometimes be worthwhile to pack items that just exceed the length specified in the respective tariff diagonally in a correspondingly shorter, deeper and / or wider package.
For example, a long-playing record with a diameter of 30.0 cm in its cover would be 31 cm × 31 cm × 0.5 cm too big because it is too wide for a DHL parcel, so it would have to be sent as a package. Packed diagonally in a larger-volume box measuring 32 cm × 30 cm × 10 cm, however, it would still fall under the parcel tariff.