3 Ways to Save on Shipping in 2018

By Rob Zaleski
Dec 14, 2017

The USPS 2018 shipping costs are going up across the board, along with FedEx and UPS rates. That means you’re going to need to find ways to cut costs wherever you can so these increases don’t affect your bottom line. To help you know what to expect, download our free eCommerce Seller’s Guide to 2018 Shipping Rates. It covers all the rate increases for USPS, UPS, and FedEx with easy-to-use charts and breakdowns.

1. Ship heavier packages short distances? Use Regional Rate boxes.

Regional Rate boxes come in two sizes, Box A (10” x 7” x 4 ¾”) and Box B (12″ x 10 ¼ ” x 5″), and can be ordered from USPS for FREE (you can order other packing supplies there, too). Regional Rate shipping costs are determined by the distance they are traveling, rather than by weight, as indicated by Zones 1 – 9. Basically, if you can fit it in one of those two boxes, it ships at Regional Rate, and you pay based on where your package is going.

Let’s say you have an item weighing 8 lbs going to Zone 2 (Chicago to Indianapolis, for example). If you’re shipping with regular Priority Mail, the 2018 shipping rates would come to $8.24. Using a Regional Rate Box A, your shipping costs would be $7.10. That’s a savings of $1.14 on a single shipment. Imagine how quickly this would add up for you.

2. Ship lighter (less than 1 lb) items? Use First Class Package service.

Even with the 2018 shipping costs increase, First Class package service is still the most cost-effective way to ship lighter items (1 – 15.999 oz). It’s not a guaranteed service, but should arrive in 1-5 days. Get a deep dive into First Class Package service here.

The shipping cost is the same for 1 oz – 4 oz in the First Class breakdown, so here it would benefit you to bundle multiple lighter items if possible (or include some coupons, marketing materials, or customer appreciation notes). You can try packaging non-fragile products in packing materials other than boxes, polymailers for example, to cut down on the weight and make this achievable.

3. Ship small, heavier (up to 20 lbs) items? Look to cubic shipping.

ShippingEasy offers a proprietary cubic discount called Flat Rate Green which offers massive discounts on qualifying packages up to 20 lbs. Some of our customers see savings near 50% on their shipping costs. With the 2018 shipping costs increase looming, taking advantage of Flat Rate Green could be a lifesaver to your bottom line.

Navigating the new 2018 shipping rates is no small task, but ShippingEasy is here to help you figure it out and still manage to save money on your shipping.

Don’t forget to download your guide by clicking below!