Develop Better Shipping Plans

2. Understand carriers’ pricing and negotiating tactics. Try to do as much of an apples-to-apples comparison as possible. For example, undeliverable packages are returned free of charge by UPS, while FedEx charges a three-day rate for air returns. Does one carrier discount residential deliveries? Rural surcharges vary by carriers but are assessed even in high-population urban centers (i.e., high-crime areas). FedEx separates pickups by service level for residential, commercial and air/international.