Shipping boxes

mrtexas

mrtexas

Well-known member
I've been shipping out lots of boxes of Model A parts and am shipping mostly USPS flat rate boxes. The Regional A ships for $8-9 but is slightly smaller than the $14 for the medium flat rate box. The only reason I know about it that I got package for something I bought. They don't stock these at your local PO but you can get packs of 10 for free from USPS.com Even better is that you can print out your labels at home and avoid the lines waiting for an indolent PO employee.

Does everyone know about the USPS Regional A and B flat rate boxes?
 
You can go online and figure/compare shipping costs. The big advantage with the flat rate boxes is with heavy items, so I use my own boxes to save on lighter items.
 
Regional Rate Pricing - priced at a fixed weight, variable by distance

Price varies by distance - closer is cheaper
However, always priced as if a fixed weight even if the actual weight is more (or less!)
There are two different Regional box rates: A & B

Regional A boxes allow you to ship a 1 - 15 lb package at the price of a 2 lb package.
Remember: For USPS Priority, weights are rounded up to the next pound.
14.9lbs = 15 lbs, 15.0 lbs = 15 lbs, but 15.1 lbs is 16 lbs.
This means using a Regular rate box or your own “brown” box at the Regular rate to ship a 1 lb package would be cheaper than using a Regional A box, a 2 lb package would be the same cost, and a 3 - 15lb package would ship cheaper Regional A rate. If your package is over 15 lbs, you can’t use a Regional A box.

Regional B boxes allow you to ship a 1-20 lb package at the price of a 5 lb one
Again, this means Regular rate is cheaper for 1-4 lb packages, the same price for 5 lb packages, and more expensive for 6-20 lb packages. Packages over 20 lbs can’t be shipped in a Regional B box.
Package weight

You have to order Regional boxes directly from USPS.com. The boxes, including shipping, are free.
 
Joe's Antique Auto in MA uses the regional boxes to ship parts to me in CA but when I tried to reuse the box to ship some parts to a fellow Barner, the clerk at the post office told me the regional boxes where only for internet shipping? I had to re-box the parts in order to ship. I guess you have to know the system.
 
If you have been getting the and of the Non flat rate boxes from the PO for free, good deal. I checked and there is a cost involved, the boxes are free but there is a shipping cost.
 
51504bat said:
Joe's Antique Auto in MA uses the regional boxes to ship parts to me in CA but when I tried to reuse the box to ship some parts to a fellow Barner, the clerk at the post office told me the regional boxes where only for internet shipping? I had to re-box the parts in order to ship. I guess you have to know the system.
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I always print out my labels at home. The PO here always has lines of people waiting.
 
Nice thing(s) about printing own labels, you get an on line discount on some classes and you don't have to stand in line, just drop off. :)
 
redmodelt said:
If you have been getting the and of the Non flat rate boxes from the PO for free, good deal. I checked and there is a cost involved, the boxes are free but there is a shipping cost.
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No cost if your mail carrier delivers them, unless something changed?

I needed a Medium FR box, so I ordered "1" to be delivered. It was a long, flat style that the PO doesn't stock. My carrier delivered TEN of them, he said the order was for a pack of 10.

For as much as people complain about the USPS, I think they've become a great service.
 
I did not know about the regional boxes, so I should check them out. I use the flat rate boxes often and even used two yesterday. I typically print at home. The PO used to give a discount when you did that, but not anymore, at least in the classes I use. It is much nicer to just drop them off. I think they will even pick them up, but there may be a charge for that.
 
I use the USPS exclusively for my eBay sales, boxes are free in packs of ten but be aware that you might have to wait a week or so sometimes as the boxes are not stocked at your local PO, I guess they come from a regional depot. Regarding the Regional boxes I told my DIL about them as she sends things to family in California. I checked but in her case and for the distance and weight (14 lbs) a Regional box was more costly than a Flat Rate box. You can check things like that on the website but it is a bit difficult to ferret out information on their 'site.
Obviously the special handling that you get with Priority Mail is a plus and there are never any upcharges. They will pick up your boxes to be shipped but I believe that is by appointment, you can't just leave it out to be picked up.
I live in a community of about 60,000 surrounded by other fairly populated towns and it is not uncommon for our local PO to deliver Priority packages on Sunday. Am I a cheer leader for the USPS? Hell yeah, you can't beat the pricing and service.
 
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