UPS will begin rounding all fractional measurements for package dimensions up to the next whole inch starting Aug. 18, matching a move announced by rival FedEx last month.
The new calculations affect any package dimension, including length, width and height. "For example, if the length of a package is 11.1 inches, that package will be deemed to have a length of 12 inches," UPS said on its website.
A spokesperson for the carrier told Supply Chain Dive in an email that UPS didn’t have any further comment beyond what is on the website.
UPS currently rounds down dimensions of less than one-half an inch, according to its rate and service guide. With the upcoming change, UPS will mirror FedEx's calculation adjustments that are also slated to take effect Aug. 18. FedEx said in July that its dimensional weight tweaks align with the rounding logic it applies to weight measurements.
Parcel shippers have faced climbing ground shipping rates this year as UPS and FedEx install new fees and adjust existing surcharges. Always rounding packages' cubic volume up to the next inch could cause shippers' delivery charges to jump further, according to experts.
Imtiaz Kermali, VP of sales and marketing at eShipper, said the practice means customers will see higher dimension-based pricing apply even if they're shipping the exact same-sized package as they were before Aug. 18.
"We ran a model for a customer shipping 2,500 packages a month, and they will pay an extra $32,678 annually," Kermali said on LinkedIn. "Not from shipping more. Not from inflation. From rounding."
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