Dimensional weight - USPS

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theonlypat
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Mon Apr 04, 2022 4:32 pm

Long-time listener, first-time caller.

I'm trying to send a 31" tube (4" diameter) to TX from NV via Priority Mail USPS.
For what it's worth, all the shops I normally purchase from charge ~$16 shipping for the same thing.

If I create a shipping label without dimensions but just weight (2lbs), it costs roughly $12 give or take. But if I enter the volume dimensions (length, width, height), it doubles the price. I spoke with the local postal employee and they confirmed as much. They said if I created the label with just the 2lbs weight and sent it, they have been told to accept it but USPS would eventually charge the additional ~$12 "to my account" (which I don't have, but that's beside the point).

So basically, USPS wants to charge the dimensional weight price since it is greater than the non-dimensional weight price. But how then are shops shipping these tubes for $16 via USPS Priority? What am I missing? Any help/guidance is appreciated.
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Kramerica
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Mon Apr 04, 2022 4:45 pm

The prices went up as of today, or sometime very recently. An additional charge depending on length. Gotta make sure the tube is less than 30" to avoid the higher fee.
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sidewaysscott
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Mon Apr 04, 2022 4:52 pm

wonder how they're going to keep track / measure this.
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mlinderer
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Mon Apr 04, 2022 6:26 pm

Kramerica wrote:
Mon Apr 04, 2022 4:45 pm
The prices went up as of today, or sometime very recently. An additional charge depending on length. Gotta make sure the tube is less than 30" to avoid the higher fee.
When i price things up through the USPS site, I can still get away with 30.0" only incurring a $4 surcharge, but if its a fraction higher the charge jumps up to $15. I'm assuming the $4 charge is 22" - 30" including 30" and anything higher than than 30" is the $15. Are you of the impression that if it's right at 30" we are are only hit with $4 and not the $15?
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mlinderer
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Mon Apr 04, 2022 6:28 pm

sidewaysscott wrote:
Mon Apr 04, 2022 4:52 pm
wonder how they're going to keep track / measure this.
In my head, I'm picturing something like this

Image
theonlypat
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Tue Apr 05, 2022 2:48 pm

It appears dimensional weight has been a policy since mid 2019 for the USPS (for almost all services). Keeping the tube under 30" doesn't matter either since dimensional weight limits come in at like 21" or something. I confirmed UPS will also (theoretically) charge dimensional weight but the employee at the local UPS store said that basically nobody cares enough to measure a tube and calculate the dimensional weight cost so you can just pay the traditional weight price of a label and you'll be good to go.

So it sounds like most places are just exploiting a loophole in the system(s), not paying the dimensional weight price, and crossing their fingers... I guess.
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cotis
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Tue Apr 05, 2022 3:34 pm

people receiving your tube may get a "postage due" notice in order to receive package.

just get the 36x4x4 or 36x5x5 cardboard boxes, throw your tube in that, and ship UPS. it'll be a fraction of the cost of USPS.

also use PirateShip.
theonlypat
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Tue Apr 12, 2022 4:33 pm

Update: sent out a few posters using USPS and UPS without calculating the label prices based on the dimensional weight. Everything was under 2 lbs but some labels were paid for at the 4 lbs rate just in case and partly as a test. UPS was cheaper but that was largely due to the shipping label provider discount offered. All the labels were cheaper than the dimensional weight they are supposed to charge according to their own policies.

Every tube arrived at it's destination and nobody received a "postage due" request. The only issue is that UPS completely destroyed one of the tubes, so that sucks.

Moral of the story? I'm not sure.
Both carriers have dimensional weight requirements, but neither seems to enforce them at all (and they aren't new policies). I'm sure some employees are sticklers, but nobody stopped the posters or attempted to charge the dimensional weight even when asked specifically.

And for clarification, the issue isn't that the posters are shipped in tubes – it's that one side of the package is abnormally long but the package is very light. Shipping the poster in a long box wouldn't solve the issue since it would be the same or greater dimensional weight cost.
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