More on HIGH SHIPPING FEES

[brien]

Fuel surcharges for HH carriers are now running about .55 cents per mile on every mile travelled. Meaning if a truck hauls 40,000 lbs over 1000 miles, the fuel surcharge is $550.00 This is added ON TOP of the linehaul charges of let's say $2 per mile. SO a $2000 shipment on 40,000 lbs would total $2550.00

For common carriers loading a 40,000 lb truck for many customers, simply stated, the fuel surcharge is divided up by weight. A 2000 lbs shipment would be 5% of the total surcharge meaning $27.50 on top of the linehaul of $100. Total would be $127.50 This only takes into account the most common lanes travelled so if you live in Montanna, and buy from Los Angeles, you pay more of a premium because you live out in the boonies. It cost a truck more to go to Montanna, since there is less freight going to you and also coming back from your area, and the truck must then go back to the nearest hub of activity for that carrier after delivery.

Conversely, if you live in NJ and order parts from Chicago, then that lane is fairly well travelled, so you won't pay as much as the guy who orders from Chicago and takes delivery in Butte, MT.


I can't speak to the USPS, or UPS and Fed Ex, but this is the way we do it in truckload and less than truckload shipments.

With UPS and Fed Ex, you always have the option of opening your own account, and you can send Fed Ex or UPS in to pick up the freight and you pay them direct. You may have to pay for a handling charge for the shipper to prepare your freight for suitable shipping, but you may be able to negotiate that out with the shipper.

Shipping costs, more than anything else, are the first to rise in a inflating market since before you can receive, it must be shipped to you. In the case of buying off the shelf, you have already paid the higher price since the trucker has already charged for the higher fuel price. Notice your food bill lately? I'll bet is is proprtional to the rise in fuel prices percentage wise.

Furthermore, shippers always feel the pinch of higher fuel costs before you do at the pump, since they use diesel fuel, which now runs abot 50 to 75 cents per gallon higher than regular unleaded fuel.

Truckers must always pass the higher cost of trucking on to the buyers. So, if you have a complaint, you really need to take it to the politicians who say who doles out the fuel, how much, and in what manner. Tell them to quit stealing the road and fuel taxes for their favorite pet projects, and put it back into the roads, and eliminate the tolls that jack up the prices of shipping across the board. Deregulated fuel would go a long way to reduce shipping costs.