The calculation, without hidden assumptions
Check the parcel geometry carriers commonly call length plus girth without guessing which entered side is length. MAXScanner sorts all three finished dimensions, uses the longest side as length, wraps girth around the other two, and can compare the result with a limit you enter from the service guide that actually applies.
How to use this calculator
Measure the finished package at its extreme outside dimensions after packing.
Enter the three sides in any order and select the measurement unit.
Read the automatically identified longest side, girth and combined length plus girth.
For a service-limit check, enter the current threshold from the applicable carrier guide or contract; leave it at zero for geometry only.
Where people use it
- •Screen a packed carton before requesting a parcel label.
- •Check whether changing one box dimension materially reduces length plus girth.
- •Convert an unfamiliar orientation into the carrier-style longest-side calculation automatically.
- •Compare a measured parcel with a current service threshold without hard-coding a carrier policy into the math.
30 × 20 × 10 inch parcel
The 30-inch side is the longest. Girth = 2 × (20 + 10) = 60 inches, so length + girth = 30 + 60 = 90 inches.
What the result does not assume
- •Carrier maximums, oversize fees, measurement rounding and irregular-package rules vary by carrier, service, contract, country and date.
- •The optional limit is deliberately user-entered so a stale universal carrier threshold is never presented as acceptance truth.
- •For tubes, cylinders, soft packs and irregular shapes, follow the applicable carrier measurement instructions; this rectangular-box calculator uses three extreme outside dimensions.
- •A result below an entered limit does not guarantee acceptance or absence of surcharges. Weight, longest-side and other service rules can apply separately.
Frequently asked questions
What is package girth?+
For a rectangular parcel, girth is the distance around the cross-section perpendicular to the longest side: twice the sum of the other two sides.
Which side counts as length?+
The longest finished outside dimension. You can enter the sides in any order; this calculator sorts them automatically.
What is length plus girth?+
It is the longest side plus twice the sum of the other two sides. Some parcel services use this geometry in maximum-size and oversize rules.
Why does MAXScanner not prefill a UPS, FedEx or USPS limit?+
Limits and surcharge thresholds differ by service, country, contract and effective date. Enter the current value from the guide that governs your shipment.
Should I measure the product or the box?+
Measure the finished packed parcel at its extreme outside dimensions, including bulges or protrusions when the applicable carrier requires them.
Is length + width + height the same thing?+
No. Length plus girth doubles both cross-section sides, so it is L + 2W + 2H after the longest side is identified.
Semantic next steps
Continue the calculation
These links move to a different input, formula or project stage rather than a keyword variation of this page.
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Keep the result connected to the real job
MAXScanner keeps the formula and assumptions beside the result so you can verify the number before using it in a drawing, estimate, specification, worksheet or document. Where a supplier, manufacturer, drawing or applicable standard owns a requirement, that source remains authoritative.