As United Parcel Service has now joined FedEx by announcing its own dimensional weight pricing for all domestic ground shipping effective Dec. 29, 2014, shippers have a lot to consider in terms of mapping out their delivery and fulfillment plans – especially approaching the all-important holiday shopping season.
In this blog post from F. Curtis Barry & Company, Multichannel Merchant contributor Curt Barry offers a boatload of practical information for shippers. This includes how to calculate dimensional pricing; how to figure your pounds per cubic foot (PCF) to see if dimensional weight will affect you or not; factors to consider in choosing smaller boxes; using less (or more effective) dunnage; and why you should consider options like the United States Postal Service or regional carriers.
On that note, we feel that shippers shouldn’t make decisions on carrier choice based solely on the recent pricing actions by UPS and FedEx. Both offer valuable services that may not be provided by the USPS or regional providers. Sometimes, paying for those services is worth the investment, as certain packages and customers require different service levels.
You can read the entire blog post here.