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Shipping Carriers

  • Aug 17, 2021 5:03 PM UTC
  • 3 replies
  • 1 view

Is there a way (when buying shipping in bulk) for Shipstation to automatically pull the cheapest shipping rate (carrier) for the order? Is there a rule to set up that can follow this??

3 replies

HorseGuard
  • HorseGuard
  • Employee
  • Aug 17, 2021 9:28 PM UTC

Unfortunately no. We've used Ship Station for going on 2.5 years now, and what I've found is getting in touch with your local FedEx or UPS Sales reps to get you competitive shipping rates. This has been a massive game-changer for us. We started with UPS who was very competitive for a long time, but in February I got in touch with FedEx and they've saved us close to 16% since we've switched. Plus both carriers offer free boxes and thermal labels which helps reduce costs as well!

 

Hope this helps!

  • SportTime
  • Aug 18, 2021 5:12 PM UTC

Unfortunately, I have not found a way to fully automate shipping rates to default to the cheapest option. In the past, we've created location tags and preset groups to help us find the cheapest rate for an order. 

 

Depending on where in the US you're located, shipping rates with USPS may differ. There are rate maps available for reference online with a different ship from location options to help visually. I keep one by my monitors to refer to when processing orders. I also use quick command keys to switch quickly between USPS Priority and UPS Ground to find the cheapest rate for orders over 15 ounces. 

 

Here are my set rules when processing orders and batches:

If the order weight including packaging is under 15 ounces, USPS First Class is the cheapest option. 

If the order is over 1 lb and is located in our state of CA, or surrounding states, then USPS Priority Mail would be our cheapest quickest option (We try not to use OnTrac) 

If the order is over 1 lb and is located beyond the Mississippi River line, or is East Coast, I would then use UPS.

If the order is over 1 lb but the address is remote, UPS rates will likely be higher than USPS Priority and I would then compare rates using quick keys. 

 

I know it sounds time-consuming but saves us in the long term. For an average of 800 orders, it takes me roughly 4 hours to manually compare rates, process, and print batches. 

Hi, I created a tool that automatically selects the cheapest carrier and service for you in ShipStation. You can see a demo video here:
https://www.loom.com/share/9fd77c821ace4074b1bb411984fdbe01

If you would like to try it for yourself, you can check it out here:
https://v2.shippingplus.co/

Let me know your thoughts!

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