Understanding Gross Volume for Partial Shipments to Israel

When reviewing an international shipping proposal, you may notice the term “gross volume.” This is a normal part of international shipping and helps explain why the final shipment volume is sometimes higher than the original surveyed or estimated volume.

For partial household goods shipments to Israel, the process usually works like this: your belongings are professionally packed in your home, loaded into the truck, and then brought back to the warehouse. At the warehouse, the shipment is carefully stacked onto pallets and shrink-wrapped for protection and handling.

The gross volume is based on the outside dimensions of the completed pallet after it has been shrink-wrapped — not just the size of the individual items themselves.

Because of this, the final gross volume is often about 20% higher than the original surveyed volume. This increase is completely normal and is mentioned in our proposals so customers understand how shipping space is calculated.

The additional volume usually comes from:

• the shape of stacked items
• pallet space

For example, a standard pallet alone may add about 5 cubic feet or more to the shipment.

Some items also do not fit neatly onto pallets. Long-shaped items such as:

• surfboards
• rugs
• ladders

…are commonly shipped loose inside the container instead, while still being properly labeled and secured.

Understanding gross volume ahead of time can help avoid confusion when reviewing shipment estimates or final shipping paperwork for an aliyah shipment to Israel.