Will Fedex charge Additional Handling Surcharge for a 2-lb triangular tube 37" long, 7"x7"x7" ?

[nice.old.man]

Fedex shipping - my own package - a triangular tube. 

Will Fedex charge me an Additional Handling Surcharge for a 2-lb triangular tube 37" long, 7"x7"x7" ?

My understanding of the confusing Fedex manuals is that the surcharge is triggered when the length of the tube is more than 50".  Mine is only 37"

My tube is triangular in its cross section, 7"x7"x7". 

[luckythewinner]

My understanding of the confusing Fedex manuals is that the surcharge is triggered when the length of the tube is more than 50"

This page seems to say that dimensional weight always matters:

"We calculate prices using either the dimensional weight (dim weight) or actual weight of the package—whichever is greater."

https://www.fedex.com/en-us/shipping/how-to-estimate-shipping-cost.html#

I have no idea how triangles are measured. Using length of 37" height of 7" and width of 7", their calculator says the dim weight is 14 pounds.

https://page.message.fedex.com/weight_calculator

[nice.old.man]

Confusing.

Except the rule which may or may not exist - they start surcharging after the length is above 50" 

[toysaver]

If in doubt ship USPS.  

[luckythewinner]

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@nice.old.man wrote:

Confusing.

Except the rule which may or may not exist - they start surcharging after the length is above 50" 

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You would probably need to provide us with a link to the manual with that rule.

[candd205]

You could take it in to Fedex before you list it to ask them what the charge will be.

[nice.old.man]

copilot:

FedEx's surcharge policies for tubes exceeding 50 inches in length are outlined in their Additional Shipping Fees guide. This document specifies that tubes longer than 50 inches are subject to an Additional Handling Surcharge. Since your tube is 37 inches, it should not incur this specific surcharge, assuming no other criteria apply

[luckythewinner]

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@nice.old.man wrote:

copilot:

FedEx's surcharge policies for tubes exceeding 50 inches in length are outlined in their Additional Shipping Fees guide. This document specifies that tubes longer than 50 inches are subject to an Additional Handling Surcharge. Since your tube is 37 inches, it should not incur this specific surcharge, assuming no other criteria apply

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Copilot is just an AI generated summary based on some data that someone gleaned from somewhere. 

You said this in your original post:

"My understanding of the confusing Fedex manuals is that the surcharge is triggered when the length of the tube is more than 50"

Can you give us the link to the confusing Fedex manuals that mention the 50" limit?

[12345jamesstamps]

You can always expect a surcharge at some point if you use a shipping label.

I agree with candd205......

Go to a FedEx Store to see how it's measured and weighed.

It would be a good future reference and no surprise surcharge later. 

[nice.old.man]

not useful

[tobaccocardyahoo]

A tube longer than 50" may be subject to the surcharge AND dimensional weight. The rules do not exclude each other.

What they actually enforce may differ from what they can charge you.

USPS also has dimensional weight and surcharges for weight. I believe their threshold is lower than that used by FEDEX.

I have some fairly valuable posters in my inventory which are not listed on Ebay and will probably be consigned to a bricks and mortar auctioneer because of the efforts of shipping carriers to discourage mailing tubes.

[slippinjimmy]

"a triangular tube" is an oxymoron, it's either a triangle or a tube, the tube surcharges don't usually apply to a triangle. The entire reason for the Triangle package is that it is NOT a "tube".

The problem with tubes is that they have to be manually processed as they will roll around on a conveyor belt becoming difficult or impossible to scan by automated systems.

In the past there has been some controversy related to triangles and the way they should be measured. USPS and probably most other carriers measure them as a cube as shown in the post by @toysaver .

[nice.old.man]

I appreciate the idea of asking a FedEx shipping person how he is charging for the triangle tubes. 

So, I went to a local FedEx office. The shipping man there told me that he does not charge anything additional based on the package shape.

In other words, as he explained, it does not matter if the tube has rectangular or triangular cross section.  

Ignore other replies as uneducated guesses. 

Amen. 

[wastingtime101]

Hi @nice.old.man . Disclaimer: I have not read any of the replies yet.

eBay's shipping calculator factors in all dimensional weight, and all length/size surcharges. As long as your dims are correct, no need to worry about that, unless your package gets skewed/squashed in transit, bulging out some dimensions.

What eBay's shipping calculator does not factor in is package type. Round tubes are subject to cost adjustments after the fact.

Triangular tubes? It's not called out specifically in the FedEx Service Guide, however I do know that through PirateShip they say to mark triangular tubes as "irregular package" for UPS - and FedEx / UPS surcharges are pretty much the same.

So I think you'd probably see a cost adjustment after the fact for additional handling based on nonstandard package type, but not for dimensions unless your package shape/size gets altered in transit.

Page 126 of the FedEx Service Guide discusses nonstandard package surcharges (link).

[simba6]

If you can find a square box, it would remove the risk of being charged extra.  Fedex is by far the worst and you have to take every step you can to avoid those fees.  I would not risk it.  Make a square box out of loose cardboard and put the triangle inside it.