Shipping glossary

A shipping glossary is a plain-language index of the terms that decide what a parcel costs: surcharges, girth, dimensional weight, incoterms, HS codes and the rest. Each term below links to its own page, where the definition comes first and is then shown moving a real price — a live quote from this site's checkout, captured on a stated date. No term here is explained from memory.

Rates, fees and surcharges

Fuel Surcharge on Shipping: This Week's Numbers UPS Additional Handling: Triggers and Amounts Residential Surcharge: UPS, FedEx and USPS Rules USPS Cubic Pricing: Rules, Tiers, Reality Postage Due on a Parcel: Who Pays What Is a Lumper Fee? Who Pays It at the Dock

Weights and sizes

How to Measure Girth of a Package Dimensional Weight vs Actual Weight Net Weight vs Gross Weight: Which One Ships USPS Maximum Package Size and Weight Limits Cubic Feet Calculator for Shipping

Services and speed

What Is Ground Shipping? Three Carriers Compared What Is Economy Shipping? Days, Cost, Trade-Offs What Is Expedited Shipping? Days and Real Cost What Is Express Shipping? Overnight, Defined Priority Mail vs Priority Mail Express What Does UPS Shipping Mean? What Is Freight Shipping? A Plain Definition What Does LTL Freight Mean? A Plain Definition What Is Freight Class? A Plain Definition What Is Freight Class 50? The Density Test What Is Pallet Shipping? A Plain Explanation What Is a Skid in Shipping?

Labels, tracking and delivery

Shipping Label Meaning: Every Block Explained Out for Delivery: What the Scan Means USPS SCAN Form: One Barcode for the Day USPS Signature Confirmation Cost and When It Pays Delivery Point Barcode and IMb, Decoded What Is a Parcel? Limits and Prices Mailer Box: The Self-Locking Corrugated Standard What Is an RA Number for Shipping? A Return, Explained What Is a Shipping Account? The Small-Seller View

International shipping

What Incoterms Mean: EXW, FCA, DAP and DDP HS Code and Harmonized Code: What They Mean How to Ship DDP: What Delivered Duty Paid Means What Does DDU Mean in Shipping? Auto Parts HS Codes: The 8708 Headings What Is an EORI Number?

Batteries and restricted items

What Is UN3480? The Lithium Codes Decoded

Dmitrii Timin — founder of SMKlog

Runs SMKlog and its live rate comparisons across USPS, UPS, and FedEx. The guides here are built from the same carrier data the calculator quotes from, with prices captured on the date shown on each page. Based in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.