Shipping Rate Calculator

Four things set a parcel rate: how far it travels (the zone), how much it weighs, how much space it takes up, and which extra services it needs. Weight is the obvious one, but space often matters more. Carriers charge on whichever is greater between actual weight and dimensional weight, so a light bulky box can cost the same as a heavy small one. Nothing about it is arbitrary, but it is not simple either, which is why a calculator beats a rate chart.

Both work. Most brands ship on our negotiated rates because our combined volume beats what a single brand can negotiate alone. If you already have strong rates, you can keep them: UPS and FedEx both support third-party billing, so we ship on your account number and the charges land on your invoice rather than ours. Worth knowing that USPS and DHL do not support third-party billing the same way, so those would ship on our accounts. If you are unsure which side you fall on, the rates above are a fair comparison against what you pay today.

Almost always because the carrier re-measured the package. Carriers weigh and scan every parcel in their own facilities, and if it comes out bigger or heavier than what was declared, they re-rate it and bill the difference weeks later, usually with an adjustment fee on top. The other common cause is a surcharge nobody expected, like residential delivery or an address correction. We weigh and measure every parcel in our warehouse before it ships, so the numbers on the label match what the carrier finds when it scans.

Dimensional weight prices the space a parcel occupies rather than its mass. Multiply length by width by height in inches, divide by the carrier divisor (commonly 139 for domestic ground), and if that number is higher than the actual weight, you get billed on it. Light bulky products are where it bites: pillows, packaging, anything with air in the box. Our dimensional weight calculator works this out for a specific box, and it is often the cheapest problem to fix, because a smaller carton pays for itself immediately.

Distance is priced in zones, roughly bands radiating out from where a parcel ships. Zone 2 is close by, Zone 8 is across the country, and the same parcel can cost 80 to 90 percent more to Zone 8 than to Zone 2. This is why warehouse location matters as much as carrier rates. Try the same box to a nearby ZIP and a far one above and the gap is immediate.

It depends entirely on where your customers are. We hold inventory in New Jersey and California, which puts most of the US within a few zones of one or the other. If your orders are concentrated on one coast, a second location adds handling cost without saving much freight. If your demand is roughly national, splitting inventory usually pays for itself in zone reduction alone. Switch the ship-from above between New Jersey and California to see the difference on your own lane.

Residential deliveries are less efficient for carriers: fewer parcels per stop, no loading dock, and more failed first attempts. The surcharge typically runs a few dollars per package and applies to most ecommerce orders, since most go to homes. It is worth knowing whether a rate you are comparing includes it. Toggle residential delivery above to see the difference.

Yes. The prices here include fuel and the carrier surcharges we can see at quote time, so they are comparable to what you would actually be billed rather than a base rate that grows later. Fuel moves weekly with diesel prices, so a quote from today may differ slightly from one next month.