Know Your DIM Weight with Fuel Surcharges on the Rise
November 03, 2015
Perhaps coincidentally, FedEx, UPS and USPS have all raised their fuel surcharges, oversized package pricing and third-party shipping.
FedEx’s new fuel charges, the second rate increase this year and done in spite of falling fuel prices, could hit companies with online shipping hard. As The Wall Street Journal points out in its recent article, a business shipping 100 shoe boxes overnight from New York to Atlanta would see a fuel surcharge increase from $67 to $170.
UPS has now jumped in in hiking rates for oversized packages as well as 2.5% levy on all shipments that are billed “third party” begins January 4, 2016. Aaaaand the U.S. Postal Service too has recently announced raising their prices for commercial shipping.
Facing increased charges like this, distributors have one of two options: go into denial or reduce weight. Denial sounds fun, but it probably won’t look good at your next quarterly review.
As we have previously Buzzed about, dimensional (DIM) shipping prices take into account size of packaging instead of just the weight. And now is as good a time as ever to download the
DIM Weight app from the iTunes Store.
How the DIM Weight app by Ernest works:
- Enter your package dimensions rounded up to the nearest inch.
- Watch as the Ernest Dim Weight calculator estimates the volumetric weight you’re paying to ship.
- Look like a genius and make smarter shipping, packaging and logistic decisions.
These insights will help you avoid overpaying for your packaging just because of its size and help you stop wasting money on the wrong sized box.
Download the app, know your dimensions, re-engineer the size, save money and be a hero this holiday shopping season. We can likely expect more, not fewer, fuel surcharges in years to come. Get ahead of the trend by rethinking your packaging now and maximize efficiency.
