Factors That Affect Shipping Cost

Shipping your t-shirts, towels or totes will add to the overall cost of your order.
There are a variety of factors that affect shipping cost.
To get the most cost effective rate, consider these cost contributing factors:

1.) Weight of Shipment- The more a box weighs, the more your shipment will cost. Pretty self explanatory.

2.) Dimensional Weight- The dimensional weight refers to the size of the box your good are shipping in. What does this have to do with your shipping cost? Well the size of your box being shipped takes up space on the truck, train or plane it’s being transported in. The more space or dimensional weight that is taken up in comparison to the actual weight is what determines the shipping cost of your order. Basically, which ever is higher, the dimensional or actual weight is what your cost will be based on.
The dimensional weight is calculated by finding the cubic size of your package. How do you find the cubic size? Find the cubic size by multiplying height x length x width in either inches or centimeters. According to UPS, you then divide the cubic size of your package by 166 to get the dimensional weight in pounds. For instance our standard box is 20 x 15 x 8.5. The dimensional weight is 15.36 lbs. We pack our boxes full with 72 units of compressed t-shirts that have an actual weight of 42 lbs. Therefore, the billable rate would be based on the actual weight. But, if we pack a box only 1/3 full it would have an actual weight of 14 lbs but the same dimensional weight of 15.36 lbs. In this case, the billable rate would be based on the dimensional weight.

3.) Shipping Method- This is how we fulfill the delivery of your order. There are different options depending on how quickly you need the order to get to your destination. The options span from Ground-2 Day Air- 3 Day Air- Overnight. The cheapest rate is going to come with ground shipping. We strive to find the most economical shipping option with the allowable time frame. Most shipments take between 5-7 days ground maximum to ship depending on carrier and distance.

4.) Distance of Transit- The further the shipment is going the more it will cost. Our factory is in San Diego, CA.

5.) Carrier- UPS/Fed Ex vs. Freight Company- For orders 1200 units and below we commonly ship UPS. We also have daily pick up for Fed Ex. If you supply a shipper number to ship via Fed Ex we will use them. For all order larger than 1200 units we use a freight company. Trucking companies may take a little longer to get across the states. We can quote a ground rate or guaranteed delivery date with a fixed rate.

6.) Commercial vs. Residential- A little known fact is that commercial locations are less expensive to deliver than residential. This includes businesses run out of homes. The reason behind the cost difference, it’s less expensive to deliver to densely clustered commercial addresses than to residences often scattered throughout sprawling suburban neighborhoods. Whenever you can, have your shipment delivered to a commercial address.

7.) International Shipments- Taxes and duties are applied to shipments going over the border and overseas. For orders going to Canada, we offer NAFTA friendly t-shirts. NAFTA friendly shirts are slightly more expensive but you do not pay the taxes and duties and they move through customs easier which means you will get your order quicker.

8.) Drop Shipments- Drop shipments are necessary and beneficial for some orders. For instance, you may want part of your order directly dropped to the trade show floor and the rest shipped to your office. Multiple destinations drive the shipping cost up slightly. We waive extra charges for the first 5 drop shipments. After that there is a charge per unit and by location.

The top 4 factors are the most essential in configuring your overall shipping rate.
But don’t let the cost of shipping scare you. We work closely with the carriers and therefore receive outstanding rates.
*A key to remember is ordering ahead. Give us enough time to produce your order (10-15 business days) with ground shipping.