7 Ways To Cut Parcel Shipping Expenses Right Now

By Jeff Kline

Parcel shipping costs are on the rise, with UPS, FedEx and the USPS all recently increasing general rates. While costs are going up, successful catalog/multichannel companies are finding ways to reduce expenses and improve their bottom lines. What about you? Here are seven keys to getting started.

1. Understand your shipment profile and costs. Know your breakdown by weight, carrier zone and service. The recent FedEx Ground increase was announced as an average of 5.9 percent, but low weights (1 pound to 9 pounds) have increased to 8.9 percent for zones 2 and 3, while heavier weights for zone 8 are as low as 5.3 percent.