07-06-2015, 01:43 PM
Last year FedEx made the move to Dimensional Weight shipping, and at the beginning of 2015 UPS joined them. Both companies now use a formula to arrive at what they are calling “Dimensional Weight”. You can kind of understand their line of reasoning. A pound of feathers would be sent in a much larger box than a pound of lead. Shipping by the pound alone does not accommodate the space that a package will take up in their trucks, planes, and shelves. So UPS and FedEx now charge Dim Weights. Where it really gets awkward for all of us is when lightweight bulky items are shipped.
The rates get all out of whack for items such as pads. By comparison to actual weight, dimensional weight can now fall somewhere in the range of 5 times more than the actual weight of a package. For example, a typical 2 pound box of 8" FiberPlus pads is now being charged 11 pounds under the new dimensional weight calculations. That's right, 11 pounds to ship a 2 pound package!
Take a look at this page that explains the new way that FedEx and UPS calculate for Dim Weight…
http://www.transportationinsight.com/blo...sure-cost/
The only work around, and this may not be practical for you, is to place a $350 order. At that level we cover the cost of shipping for our customers and provide free shipping. We actually absorb the shipping cost (and in today's world of Dim Weight shipping - I think that's kind of a nice perk).
There’s one more option that may possibly help you. We can now offer a special service from FedEx called SmartPost. With SmartPost, FedEx utilizes the US postal service to handle the final leg of delivery for lightweight packages. The service is considerably slower than typical ground shipping. But this service can skirt the Dim Weight debacle and provide lower rates for small lightweight packages. A box of pads could likely benefit from the SmartPost service (as long as you're not in a rush for the delivery). If you would like to have the pads sent via SmartPost, please call us so that we can obtain rates for you and proceed if you’d like us too.
I’m sorry there isn’t a better way to handle this. This is the e-commerce world we now live in. Trust me, we are even more unhappy about the new shipping policies than you are!
The rates get all out of whack for items such as pads. By comparison to actual weight, dimensional weight can now fall somewhere in the range of 5 times more than the actual weight of a package. For example, a typical 2 pound box of 8" FiberPlus pads is now being charged 11 pounds under the new dimensional weight calculations. That's right, 11 pounds to ship a 2 pound package!
Take a look at this page that explains the new way that FedEx and UPS calculate for Dim Weight…
http://www.transportationinsight.com/blo...sure-cost/
The only work around, and this may not be practical for you, is to place a $350 order. At that level we cover the cost of shipping for our customers and provide free shipping. We actually absorb the shipping cost (and in today's world of Dim Weight shipping - I think that's kind of a nice perk).
There’s one more option that may possibly help you. We can now offer a special service from FedEx called SmartPost. With SmartPost, FedEx utilizes the US postal service to handle the final leg of delivery for lightweight packages. The service is considerably slower than typical ground shipping. But this service can skirt the Dim Weight debacle and provide lower rates for small lightweight packages. A box of pads could likely benefit from the SmartPost service (as long as you're not in a rush for the delivery). If you would like to have the pads sent via SmartPost, please call us so that we can obtain rates for you and proceed if you’d like us too.
I’m sorry there isn’t a better way to handle this. This is the e-commerce world we now live in. Trust me, we are even more unhappy about the new shipping policies than you are!