DHL, UPS, USPS and FedEx have all instituted a general 4.9% rate increase in the New Year 2021.

DHL

Effective January 1, 2021

  • 4.9% general average shipment price increase for U.S. account holders
  • Some optional services and surcharges will increase as well.
  • A guide to the new 2021 rates will be published by DHL when available.

DHL specifics here

UPS

Effective Jan 4, 2021

  • 4.9% average increase for Ground, Air and International
  • Minimum charge for a zone 2, 1lb ground package is increasing from $8.23 to $8.76 (increase of 6.05%)
  • Additional Handling charge will be applied to any package with a combined length plus girth that exceeds 105 inches
  • Over Maximum (known as “Unauthorized” with FedEx) is increasing from $875 to $920
  • Across-the-board surcharge increases
  • Effective April 11, 2021, Additional Handling and Large Package Surcharges for non-hundredweight service packages will differ by zone
  • Effective July 11, 2021, Additional Handling and Large Package Surcharges for hundredweight service packages will differ by zone

UPS specifics here

FedEx

Effective Jan 4, 2021

  • FedEx initiated the increase on September 14th, 2020 as they announced a General Rate Increase for FedEx Express, FedEx Ground including Home Delivery, FedEx Freight Services and FedEx SmartPost that will go into effect on January 4th, 2020.
  • FedEx Express package and freight standard list rates will increase an average of 4.9% for U.S., U.S. export and U.S. import services. FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery standard list rates will increase an average of 4.9%.
  • FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Home Delivery®, FedEx SmartPost® and FedEx Freight rates will increase.
  • FedEx will charge a 6% late fee to U.S. FedEx Express and FedEx Ground customers who do not pay their invoice within their agreed upon payment terms

Effective Jan 18, 2021

  • There will be changes to how Additional Handling Surcharge is assessed for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground packages.
  • FedEx Freight will introduce a High Cost Service Area Surcharge that applies to certain shipments.
  • Certain U.S. locations will be assessed an International Out-of-Delivery-Area Surcharge or an International Out-of-Pickup-Area Surcharge for FedEx International Express Freight® services.

Effective Feb. 1, 2021

  • There will be changes to how fuel is assessed for U.S FedEx Express Freight shipments.

FedEx specifics here

USPS

Effective Jan 24, 2021

  • Shipping Services product prices approximately 3.5% for Priority Mail service, and 1.2% for Priority Mail Express service.
  • If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the new prices will include an increase in the price of a Small Flat-Rate Box to $8.45. The Medium Flat-Rate Box would increase to $15.50, the Large Flat-Rate Box would increase to $21.90 and the price of the APO/FPO Large Flat-Rate Box would increase to $20.40. Regular Flat-Rate Envelopes, Legal Flat-Rate Envelopes, and Padded Flat-Rate Envelopes would increase to $7.95, $8.25, and $8.55 respectively.  
  • The proposed domestic Priority Mail Flat Rate Retail price changes are (The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to take effect):
  • Small Flat-Rate Box Current - $8.30 Proposed - $8.45
  • Medium Flat-Rate Box Current - $15.05 Proposed - $15.50
  • Large Flat-Rate Box Current - $21.10 Proposed - $21.90
  • APO/FPO Large Flat-Rate Box Current - $19.60 Proposed - $20.40
  • Regular Flat-Rate Envelope Current - $7.75 Proposed - $7.95
  • Legal Flat-Rate Envelope Current - $8.05 Proposed - $8.25
  • Padded Flat-Rate Envelope Current - $8.40 Proposed - $8.55

USPS specifics here

So what can a shipper do?

Rate increases are common and given the added cost of handling COVID-19 precautions, increased demand in shipments, and the numerous challenges in the shipping industry, it is understandable that these companies need to make adjustments to their pricing.

There are various ways in which you can offset these increases:

  • First take a look at your current rate agreement, incentives and discounts to see exactly how this will affect your shipping costs.
  • Next look at how your business changed over 2020 to see if you can negotiate better rates.
  • Examine your shipping lanes to see if there are different shipping options that may be less expensive.
  • Work with a trusted reseller like InXpress where you can leverage our discounted shipping rates and expertise to examine your shipping needs.

At InXpress, we will provide a no-cost review your current shipping solutions and rates to create a tailored plan that aims to lower your cost and improve your shipping experience to meet your short and long-term goals.

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