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The Latest UPS
Shipping Costs
In 2005, UPS started a new version of
DIMENSIONAL WEIGHT. It has continued on into 2006
What this means is simple enough in concept,
but a challenge to people who are unaccustomed to how things work.
Some of the boxes companies need to use to ship
their products are large but not heavy. UPS sets their rates based on WEIGHT.
Weight is OK to use in many packages. However, a big box with a small product
inside, that may fill the box, does not weigh a lot but takes up a lot of space
in the assorted vehicles that transport the item.
Picture a wire rack to hold some sort of snack
foods or other commercial / retail type items. The wire rack may take up a large
space and need a large box, but only weigh a few pounds.
The large boxes that only weigh a few pounds
cost UPS money to transport because it takes up a lot of space in the vehicles
that move the boxes.
To address this issue years ago, UPS had a
chain with marking spots on it. It was a simply way to measure the outside of
the box.
Today, when we enter a shipment into the
computer with the UPS Software, one of the questions it asks us is for the SIZE
of the box as measured in inches. The UPS Software then calculates the size of
the box based on the information keyed into the software and the software
determines if the box is or is not OVERSIZE.
At one point, UPS only had one classification
for OVERSIZE boxes. To get into the oversize classification, it had to be a
pretty big or unusually shaped box and it was charged at the 70 pound Freight
Rate.
Now, UPS has 2 different OVERSIZE
classifications, based one the dimensional weight, which is also known as DIM
weight.
OS/1 is a standard UPS code for all smaller
oversize boxes that the UPS software calculates as oversize and charges at the
30 pound rate, even if the box only weight 5 pounds.
OS/2 is a standard UPS code for all larger
oversize boxes that the UPS software calculates as oversize and charges at the
70 pound rate, even if the box only weight 15 pounds.
So, it can be the weight of the box being sent
to you and or the size of the box necessary to send the items to you, that makes
up the UPS cost.
I do know that it is possible to add a service
charge to each package. It is right in the UPS Software.
Years ago, long before UPS came out with the
UPS Shipping software, we used a different software for shipping. We paid a lot
of money to get the software and one of the ways the supplier used to have us
pay off the cost of the software was the ability to add a service fee to each
order by the software. Basically inflating the shipping cost to our customers.
We used the software because it made things
better for our customers but we did not, and do not, charge any added handling
fees for shipments.
You can expect that there are added charges at
the typical SHIP IT HERE locations.
If you use a UPS office to ship through, you
will not get hit with an additional cost.
If you have any questions on the costs of
shipping our products to you, please let us know.
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