How to Calculate Shipping Sourcing Costs?

The world of business has seen a ton of innovation over the years, enabling enterprises to significantly cut operational costs using various techniques. One way is by reducing a business’s physical presence in order to lower housing expenditures; this enables businesses to maintain sales while cutting costs. Still, for business owners to flourish in the ecommerce market, the most important element they need to master is shipping. Knowing the cost of shipping products to consumers is vital when companies are budgeting and calculating profitability. Although this may seem like a daunting task, it’s actually quite simple to learn how to estimate shipping costs.

Moreover, there are several tools that companies can utilize to calculate how much shipping their products will cost. In fact, some companies even allow you to request a free quote as an incentive for using their services. Even so, business owners should know the ins and outs of this instrumental process in order to ensure that they maximize profitability. To help you learn how to calculate shipping costs, here are some of the main things you need to know. 

What You Need to Know to Calculate Shipping Costs

Finding out how much it’ll cost to deliver products to consumers can become very confusing; this can be attributed to the many factors that can potentially affect the final shipping price. However, there are a few pieces of information that are required to calculate shipping costs. 

Weight of The Package

One of the main things that’ll determine how much it will cost you to ship your goods is how heavy the package weighs. It’s advisable the goods intended for shipping should be fully packaged before weighing, this will go a long way in enhancing accuracy when calculating the price. Typically, the heavier a package is, the more it will cost to ship it; however, in certain circumstances, the weight of a package may not necessarily determine the final cost of shipping.  

Package Size

Another important piece of information that’s required in order to accurately calculate the cost of shipping products is the dimensions of the package. Many carriers charge delivery fees based on the volumetric weight of the package, thus all business owners need to know how this can affect the final cost of shipping. Basically, this means how much space a package occupies in the delivery vessel. Knowing how to optimize the size of a package to reduce shipping costs will go a long way in benefiting the bottom line of your business. 

Value of The Package

Another thing you should consider when calculating shipping costs is the value of the shipment. If you’re shipping goods that are of high value, you may have to consider getting additional shipping insurance to safeguard the safety of your commodities. Plus, there are certain couriers that include insurance coverage which may cost differently depending on the commodities being shipped. 

The Distance and Destination

The distance between where a package is and where it needs to be shipped is a key factor when calculating shipping costs. The further the destination of a package is, the higher the cost of shipping will be. There are also couriers who use shipping zones to determine the distance and cost of delivering goods; thus, it would be wise to familiarize yourself with such information to ensure that you get accurate results. Moreover, the final destination of the shipment can also have an impact on the shipping costs. You may incur certain charges depending on the delivery destination such as appointment delivery fees, re-delivery fees, and liftgate fees. 

Delivery Timeframe

The time taken for a package to arrive at its destination is another extremely important element to consider when calculating overall shipping costs. You can choose to have your package delivered within hours, days, or weeks depending on the urgency of the commodities. The shorter it takes to deliver the goods; the higher the overall shipping costs will be. For instance, shipping a product overnight will definitely cost a lot more than delivering it within the standard 3-7 business days. Therefore, it’s important to take into account how fast a customer wants their goods to be delivered when calculating the cost of shipping. Even so, there are other factors that come into play when it comes to delivery times such as the shipping distance. 

Factors Affecting the Cost of Shipping

International shipping can become very complicated due to lots of additional charges that may not have been previously anticipated. It’s important to do extensive research on what you’re required to pay for when shipping goods to avoid being caught off-guard with unexpected fees. Here are some of the most common shipping services that are likely to affect the overall cost of shipping. 

Taxes and Duties

There are certain additional taxes and duties that are imposed on goods being shipped overseas. These fees mainly depend on the value of the commodities you wish to deliver and range from one country to another. The main duties you need to understand when making international deliveries are Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU) and Delivery Duty Paid (DDP). The latter is paid by the sender while the former is paid by the recipient to release the package from customs. 

Parcel Handling Charges

There are some costs that come with handling certain types of packages depending on their weight, packaging, dimensions, and contents. For instance, if a parcel exceeds certain dimensions or weight standards, there are additional fees that’ll be imposed on the package. Similarly, couriers will charge extra fees when delivering items that they deem dangerous such as chemicals, firearms, and explosives. 

Shipping Insurance

When looking to deliver items that are of high value, you might have to consider purchasing shipping insurance for your cargo. This will ensure that your commodities are protected in case of theft, loss, or damage during shipping. 

Additional Logistics Charges

Since there are lots of variables involved in shipping, couriers may impose various additional charges depending on the delivery being made. For example, if a shipment is being delivered to an area that is not frequented by a certain courier, the sender may incur an “extended area surcharge” for the service. 

Final Thoughts

Inasmuch as calculating the cost of shipping can be an intricate affair, having some important information concerning the matter can go a long way in simplifying the entire process.