Shipping a lot via UPS

Does the weight on the shipping label really matter?

[Hubie]

I'm way back up on shipments here. To weigh each and every one will be a huge pain and take forever. If I "estimate" their weight and I'm wrong on a few will they return these to me? I'm in a bind and think i'll be pretty accurate with my weights, but I just wanted to know if this happened to anyone.

Hubes

[Car_Guy]

No worries. Declared weights are often just estimates. They'll weigh them.

[Hubie]

I know they will weigh them. I just dont want them sent back to my door becuase I underestimated on a few packages. Just wondering if they do this. I know the post office does if your postage is not enough (back before I had a scale I learned this the hard way!)

[ecommerceprofit]

They will not send back - they will just bill your account for the difference. Just watch the weights they come up with - they could overcharge you because two packages go on the same scale at the same time - does not happen often but it can.

[Car_Guy]

They will just bill your account for the difference

It's called an "adjustment".

[ispy]

Its not the same as US Postal. UPS will even guess at weights by holding up the box! I had this done when shipping from a residence without a UPS account and paying cash.

[Rugles]

Not only do they weigh them, they measure them too. Don't forget about dimensional weight.

It all done with lasers.

[BananaFish]

It takes a second to put a box on a scale. If you ship lots of similar things, guess what ... you already know their weight.

As far as lasers, I'm not sure about all that star wars stuff, the shipping station here still uses tape measures.

[wingslevel]

we rarely get charged dimensional adjustments....

[Rugles]

>>>As far as lasers, I'm not sure about all that star wars stuff, the shipping station here still uses tape measures.

I was referring to the UPS facilities, they measure every single box for dimensional weight. Which every weight is greater, dim or actual, that is the weight they charge you for.

If you are shipping similar boxes, you can put them into to UPS system and there is a drop down menu to select that item to ship. It makes it real easy.

[hoosierdraft]

>>>Which every weight is greater, dim or actual, that is the weight they charge you for

Only true on non-Ground shipping methods. Ground shipping still uses package weight for determining rate. One exception for Ground would be on oversize packages.

[Car_Guy]

It takes a second to put a box on a scale.

I've seen it take 20 minutes at the Post Office.

[stajer]

Just for clarity sake:

1. At both ups and fedex, almost all packages are weighed and measured at either the local hub or destination hub.

2. Weighing is done with a scale.

3. The package dimensions are measured using lasers.

4. Your package will be "DIMMED" (dimensionally weighted) if and only if it takes up more volume that the weight indicates. For example, you are shipping a gross of shipping popcorn. All packages are scanned for weight and dimensions, only a few are actually "DIMMED".

5. To be "DIMMED" means the carrier will charge you based on the size not the weight of the package. Each carrier has its own formula to determine when "DIMMING" applies. Typically, you have to ship something very light for the box size.

[luckychucky]

I dunno.
My local UPS driver told me that if a package weighs, say, 1Lb 2oz, just round it down and declare as 1Lb. Technically once it weighs anything over the first pound it's supposed to go as 2Lb, but he said it will go through as 1Lb all the same. fwiw

[sun818]

You can save a lot of money by underweighing the package. I know one supplier who boasts about saving $5,000 per month this way. They switched to FedEx recently and quickly switched back to UPS since FedEx apparently has a better auditing processes in place to deter abuse like this.