Should the packing list weight be in kg or lb for a customer in the US?
Use the unit your shipping booking uses, or the one your customer asked for, and pick kg or lb to match. The key point: that choice only prints the unit name next to the number you typed. It does not convert. If you weighed 18.5 kg and switch to lb, the list will say 18.5 lb, which is less than half the real weight.
The mistake that is easy to make
A customer in Texas wants documents in pounds. You open the Packing-list generator, type 18.5 into Gross weight as read off the scale, then change Weight unit to lb. The PDF now says '18.5 lb'. Nothing was converted, and the figure describes a shipment of roughly 8.4 kg instead of 18.5.
That is by design rather than a bug: gross weight is a reading you copy from the scale, and the tool does not assume which unit the scale used. Converting the number is your job before you type it.
Converting the figure correctly
The easiest way without a calculator: open the Volumetric shipping-weight calculator and enter any carton's dimensions with the actual weight in kg. It shows the actual weight in both kilograms and pounds. We entered 18.5 kg and it showed 40.79 lb. That is the number to type on the packing list after choosing lb.
- Weigh the cartons packed and sealed, and note the weight in kg as the scale shows it.
- Convert it as above: 18.5 kg comes to 40.79 lb.
- Under Package details, type 40.79 in Gross weight and choose lb as the Weight unit.
- Check the package details table in the preview: it should read '40.79 lb'.
Which unit should I pick in the first place?
No single rule covers every shipment. The safest habit is to follow your other shipping documents: if you booked with the carrier in kilograms and the waybill is in kilograms, keep the packing list in kilograms too, so customs or warehouse staff never see two different figures for the same shipment. If the customer explicitly asks for pounds, type the converted figure, and add the kilogram weight in the notes if you like, such as '18.5 kg', so both are in front of the reader.
What about the dimensions?
The dimensions field is free text, so write it in whichever unit you want, centimetres or inches, and state the unit. The tool does not convert or read the dimensions either; it prints them as typed.
Common questions
Does the tool convert the weight when I change the unit?
No. The option only changes the printed unit name; the number stays as you typed it.
Is gross weight required?
No, the field is optional. Left empty, a dash appears where the weight would be in the file.