Shipping: Dimensional Weight Errors Can Cost Big Bucks
There are mistakes that can cost you when calculating shipping and handling fees. A big one is missing a UPS, FedEx or U.S. Postal Service DIM (dimensional) or oversize rule for large or lightweight packages. The term “DIM” refers to package shipping density, meaning the weight of the package in pounds per cubic foot. If your package is big enough, or if the weight is small enough, the DIM rules can make your shipping costs dramatically increase. For example, to ship a carton as small as 18” x 18” x 18”, UPS and FedEx DIM rules substitute 31 pounds as the minimum billing weight, even if the actual weight is much less. Or, for a carton as small as 27” x 27” x 27”, UPS and FedEx will add a $45 oversize surcharge on top of the DIM wei...