To calculate the cost of shipping the steel truss members, the structural engineer needs to know their combined weight, which is measured in mass. Mass is a fundamental property that represents the amount of matter in an object and is directly related to its weight. By knowing the mass of the truss members, the engineer can determine the total weight and, consequently, the cost of shipping them. Other measurements like center of gravity, principal axes, moments of inertia, volume, and surface area are not directly related to the calculation of shipping cost based on weight.