The terms gross weight and net weight are most commonly seen when measuring the weight of delivery or any packaged items.
Gross Weight vs Net Weight
The main difference between gross weight and net weight is that the former is the total weight of the shipped item, including the packaging covering it. At the same time, the latter is only the weight of the particular item present within the packaging.
When talking about gross weight, it is used to measure the “total” weight of the package; this includes – the items present inside the box, as well as the weight of the packaging surrounding those items.
Net weight of a package is only concerned with measuring the weight of the individual item present inside the packaging, and no other added weight is taken into consideration.
Comparison Table Between Gross Weight and Net Weight (in Tabular Form)
| Parameters of comparison | Gross weight | Net weight |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The word “gross” means the total amount without any form of deduction or without reducing any factors. | The word “net” means an amount from which no further reductions can be made. A “net” item is calculated alone. |
| Definition | Gross weight is the total weight of the item being shipped, along with the weight of a few added aspects. | Net weight is the weight of the individual item being transported, and nothing else. |
| Packaging weight | The gross weight of a shipped item includes the weight of the packaging within which it is present. | The net weight of a shipped item does not take into consideration the packaging surrounding the object. |
| Mode of transportation | Aeroplanes must consider the weight of crew, fuel and shipment on board. Ships consider the net and tare weight. | The net weight is the same on all modes of transportation, regardless of it being air, water or by road. |
| Relation | The gross weight is calculated by the formula: net weight + tare weight. | The net weight of a package is basically: Gross weight – tare weight. |
What is Gross Weight?
The word “gross” is used to define the total sum or amount, without deductions or any form of reduction involved. The same concept is implied with gross weight.
Gross weight refers to the total weight of the object, which includes any added weight that comes along with the shipment. The added weight can be the packaging or wrapping that encompasses the item.
Gross weight also is different when considering the different modes of transportation through which they can be delivered. Gross weight can include not only the net and tarp weight but also the vessel or anything on it, such as:
- For any vessel travelling by water, the gross weight is just the sum of the net and tare weight of the item.
- For any vehicles travelling via road or land, the gross weight is the weight of the packaged item and that of the vehicle combined.
- For aeroplanes, the gross weight includes the crew, any passengers on board, the packaged item as a whole, and the plane and its fuel.
In the above, the mentioned tare weight is the weight of the container or empty vehicle in which the items are transported. In lamen terms, tare weight is simply the weight of the box inside which the object is placed.
Here, we must always involve the tare weight of a packaged item, because as we have mentioned, the gross weight is the “total” surrounding weight of every aspect of the object.
Even when taking into consideration of how the gross weight can be calculated, the tare weight must be added along with the weight of the item, and the formula is –
Gross weight = Net weight + tare weight
What is Net Weight?
The word “net” is used to refer to an amount or final sum from which no further reductions can be made. A “net” item is always taken into consideration alone, and no additional added aspects are needed.
Taking into account the above definition, the net weight of an item is its respective individual weight, and nothing else.
It means that when we talk about a shipped item being delivered, the net weight label would not include the weight of the packing or wrapping that surround the object, i.e., it does not take into consideration the tare weight.
Unlike the total gross weight, the net weight of a vessel or vehicle does not include the added weight of the crew, passengers, or the tare weight of the vehicle itself.
As mentioned above, the net weight does not include the tare weight, so its calculation is based on the same concept, and the simple formula hence is –
Net weight = Gross weight – tare weight
Main Differences Between Gross Weight and Net Weight
- The term “gross” is used to refer to the total amount without any reductions, while the word “net” is used to refer to the same amount after all cuts have been made.
- Gross weight is the total weight of the item, including, while the net weight is the individual weight of the object itself.
- Gross weight is calculated using the sum of the net weight and the tare weight, while the net weight is subtracted from the total weight using the tare weight.
- Gross weight includes the tare weight of the package, while the net weight does not.
- Gross weight for different modes of transportation is different and might include the weight of the crew or the vehicle itself, while the net weight does not take any other factor into account.
Conclusion
The gross and net weights of an object are concerned with the weight of that object, or the various aspects that surround it as well. The gross weight takes into account the weight of the packaging or container that the item is transported in, and this added packaging weight is called the tare weight.
The net weight does not consider any other factors such as tare weight and is only concerned about the individual weight of the item itself. Both of these concepts are essential when it comes to delivery services.
References
- https://www.yourdictionary.com/gross-weight
- https://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/net-weight.html