Fedex and UPS are both moving to DIM (Dimensional Weight) sooner than you may think. Fedex is scheduled to require DIM January 1, 2015, and UPS on December 29, 2014 for ALL ground services.
This imposes a very large problem for many ecommerce platforms, Zen Cart not withstanding, as DIM is calculated by the box size and this data is not collected, nor compiled by Zen Cart.
The move to correctly and accurately get shipping quotes for these services will require some core changes in your Zen Cart to allow for an items dimensions (packaged) to be entered.
Right now FedEx & UPS only apply DIM requirements to Ground service packages measuring three cubic feet (5184 cubic inches) or more. With the new changes, FedEx & UPS are eliminating this rule, requiring the data to apply dimensional weight pricing to all Ground service packages.
An example is a 6″ by 6″ by 6″ has a MINIMUM billable weight of 2LBS. Here is a more detailed calculation explanation.
Businesses with a negotiated custom DIM factor greater than 166 will be affected also. In fact, “unless your contract specifies an exception to the 3 cubic foot DIM threshold, this will affect you”. The new DIM requirements will change alongside the annual price increase.
Contact us for more detailed information and solution planning.
