Fed Ex Acct Must Knows?

I typically use the same weight everytime. I drop it off at the same place, and I think only once has someone re-weighed it. It all depends. Other then that, just enter the info, print off the label, and tape to the box. Your account gets charged within a week of it being delivered.

 

I just put the package on my bathroom scale to get the weight.

 

There's no penalty for under-estimate the weight. If they reweigh, they will adjust the charge accordingly. Unless you are way off, adjustments are usually not dramatic.

Declare replacement value and keep it under $100. I think rate increases slightly for declared value that is higher. $100 is also the default reimbursement.

Anything else?

1. Sign up ASAP. You get a discounted shipping rates. No waiting in line, no answering questions of what's in the box, just drop off.
2. Afix the label well. Most of the time lost packages are due to labels falling off. I use glue and then tape well with packing tape.

 

Completely agree with this. Tape the hell out of the label. I had labels fall off before when I used their Airbill pouches. Those things are terrible. I've even had FedEx employees comment that they suck and fall off all the time.

 

Just had this happen to me. I've always used the pouches, and got a shipment exception: label unreadable, but they were just able to replace it which i guess means it was mostly readable? or at least the pertinent info was readable. Either way scary situation.

 

Good thing your box worked out!

I had a box where the pouch apparently completely ripped off. My saving grace was that I failed to remove a previous label underneath it where I was the destination recipient. Eventually it got back to me, but now I've stopped using the pouches.

 

the weight doesn't even matter anymore, didn't they switch over to charging by size of box now or has that not gone into effect yet?

 

They are tacking size on top of weight, making it "dimensional weight". Weight very much matters still. Same weight, smaller box is cheaper.

 

gotcha, thanks for the clarification (also, those bastards)

 

You pay either true weight or dimensional weight, whichever is more. But not both.

FWIW, I have the sense that most boxes are being measured & weighed automatically in the sorting facilities these days. The days of getting away with "5lb" boxes seem to be behind us.

 

I like to play with the variables when I create labels. Keeping the same weight and adding an inch or take away an inch from all measurements changed the cost. According to my understanding and what posted elsewhere (like here: http://www.efulfillmentservice.com/2014/09/new-fedex-ups-dimensional-weight-rules/), all packages are charged by dimensional weight starting this year (vs. dim weight 3cu.ft or more prior). There is a minimum charge such that you can make the package as small as possible, but the charge will not reduce. This could probably be considered "true weight", but more or less a minimum shipping charge more than anything else.

 

which kills my box in a box approach................for cost at least

 

I've done that a couple of times earlier on and I know @creepinjeeper does it for all his trades, but I've always felt that it's overkilled, personally. Ziploc, trash bag, sufficient paddings with bubble wrap and crumbled up newspapers worked great for me.

 

It's definitely overkill, I guess as I do most of that as well, but finding ziploc's for 750's with bubble wrap around them has been a challenge. I must not be looking in the right place.

Do you pad the bottoms and sides, and if so, what with? I am always looking for new options. Doing a box in a box I always had trouble finding padding for between the boxes, but I saw some $0.99 swimming pool foam noodles at the end of summer and I got a few. Slice them up and they worked great and now I wish I bot more of them.

Thanks for the comments!

 

I reuse the large ziploc when I get them from trades. Otherwise, I use a 13-gallon trash bag. My entire shipment is always placed inside a large contractor trash bag (so 2 layers of bags total). You can buy the contractor trash bags at Sam's Club for a good price. Aside from bubble wraps, which I always make sure to cover the bottom of the bottles/cans as well, I pad the bottom and top with large bubble wraps, foam, peanuts, and/or crumbled newspaper. The sides I rarely do and count on the bubble wraps to do the job. To me, the impacting forces are usually vertical. I'd pad the side well if the box is taller than it is wide (since they can potentially be laid on the side).

 

I normally put the bottles in the ziplock bag first then wrap with bubble wrap. When I do that a normal large freezer bag works, with a bit of finesse

 

Yup, likewise. But 750 even without bubble wraps can't fit inside the more readily available 1-gallon Ziplocs.

 

Hmm, I'm probably thinking of bombers then