how to ship? (shipping methods)

How to Ship? (Shipping Methods)

http://kb.nextbridge.org 1

By: Syed Imran Ali Rizvi

Agenda• What is Shipping• History• Famous Online Shipping Companies• Online Shipping Methods• Online Shipping Process• Web Service• USPS as an Example• Advantages

2http://kb.nextbridge.org

What is Shipping?

It is a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea.


History

In 1990 Tim Berners-Lee created the first World Wide Web server and browser. It opened for commercial use in 1991 . In 1994 other advances took place, such as online banking and the opening of an online pizza shop by Pizza Hut. During that same year, Netscape introduced SSL encryption of data transferred online, which has become essential for secure online shopping. Also in 1994 the German company Internshop introduced its first online shopping system. In 1995 Amazon launched its online shopping site, and in 1996 eBay appeared.


Famous Online Shipping Companies

The United States Postal Service (also known as USPS, the Post Office or U.S. Mail) is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the US.Founded in 1775 by Ben Franklin, the first post master general.

United Parcel Service, Inc., typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. August 28, 1907: founded the American Messenger Company in Seattle, Washington

FedEx Corporation, originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee. Started by Frederick Smith in 1971.

DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post. Originally founded in 1969 to deliver documents between San Francisco and Honolulu, the company expanded its service throughout the world by the late 1970s.

Parcel Weight / Dimension Restrictions

Although most standard parcel shipping companies (USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.) can ship larger, heavy items, they usually charge a high premium for oversized items. They may also add surcharges for irregularly sized or unusual items. Also, all of these shipping providers have strict weight and size restrictions:

USPS • Maximum weight: 70 pounds • Maximum length + girth: 130 inches • Costs almost triple for Parcel Post shipments that

are "oversized" (Length + girth is greater that 108 but less than 130 inches)

UPS • Maximum weight: 150 pounds • Maximum length: 108 inches • Length + girth: 165 inches • Oversize surcharge of $40 once length + girth

exceeds 130 inches • Fee if maximum limits are exceeded: $50 for over

maximum weight; $50 for over maximum length; $50 for over maximum length + girth

FedEx • Maximum weight: 150 pounds • Maximum length: 119 inches • Maximum length + girth: 165 inches • Oversize surcharge of $40 once length exceeds

108 inches or length + girth exceeds 130 inches

DHL• Maximum weight: 150 pounds • Maximum length: 108 inches • Maximum length + girth: 165 inches

Girth = ( 2 * width ) + (2 * height)


Online Shipping Methods

Direct Method

The customer can get the shipping directly from the specified shipping company via API call.

Advantage: • No other charges• Fast response

Disadvantages:• Use as many shipping APIs for every shipping

company.

Third Party Method

The Third Company is liable to fetch the shipping rate form specified shipping company.Eg: Intershipper, iShip

Advantage: • Use only one API for every shipping company.

Disadvantages:• Service fee (monthly / yearly)• Late response than direct call.


Online Shipping Process


Web Services

• A Web service supports interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network”.

• For accessing every web service we need an API(Application Program Interface). • Web service is a platform independent.


USPS as an Example (Direct Method)

include_once("usps-class.php");$usps = new USPS;usps->setServer("http:// Production.ShippingAPIs.com/ShippingAPI.dll");$usps->setUsername(‘abc123’);$usps->setPassword(‘xyz456’);$usps->setOriginationCountry(US);$usps->setDestZip(92030);$usps->setDestinationCountry(US);$usps->setOrigZip(92082);$usps->setWeight(50);$usps->setLength(12);$usps ->setWidth(6);$usps ->setHeight(4);$usps ->setTotalPackages(1);$usps->setService(‘USPSFCM’);$response = $myobj->GetShipping();if (preg_match("/^[0-9\.]+$/", $ret)){

$shipping_to_charge = round($response) + $otherChareges; }else{

return $response;

}


USPS as an Example (Direct Method)

function GetShipping(){ $str = $this->server. "?API=Rate&XML=<RateRequest%20USERID=\""; $str .= urlencode($this->user) . "\"%20PASSWORD=\"" . urlencode($this->pass) . "\"><Package%20ID=\"0\"><Service>"; $str .= urlencode($this->service) . "</Service><ZipOrigination>" . urlencode($this->orig_zip) . "</ZipOrigination>"; $str .= "<ZipDestination>" . urlencode($this->dest_zip) . "</ZipDestination>"; $str .= "<Pounds>" . urlencode($this->pounds) . "</Pounds><Ounces>" . urlencode($this->ounces) . "</Ounces>"; $str .= "<Container>" . urlencode($this->container) . "</Container><Size>" . urlencode($this->size) . "</Size>"; $str .=“</Package></RateRequest>"; $ch = curl_init(); curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL,’$server’); curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER,1); curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1); curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS,$str); $response = curl_exec($ch); curl_close($ch); if (curl_errno($ch)){ die("CURL send a error during perform operation: ".curl_errno($ch)); } else {

return $response; }}


Intershipper as Example (Third Party Method)

include_once(“intershipper-class.php");$usps = new USPS;usps->setServer(‘www.intershipper.com/Interface/Intershipper/XML/v2.0/HTTP.jsp?’);$usps->setUserName(‘abc123’);$usps->setPass(‘xyz456’);$usps->setOriginationCountry(US);$usps->setDestZip(92030);$usps->setDestinationCountry(US);$usps->setOrigZip(92082);$usps->setWeight(50);$usps->setLength(12);$usps ->setWidth(6);$usps ->setHeight(4);$usps ->setTotalPackages(1);$usps ->Set_CarrierCode("USPS");$response = $myobj->GetShipping();if (preg_match("/^[0-9\.]+$/", $ret)){

$shipping_to_charge = round($response) + otherChareges; }else{

return $response;

}


Online Shipping Advantages

• Real time shipping rate processing.• Sell variety of products online.• Helps the business to go online & be available to users worldwide 24 hours

a day 7 days a week.

Queries?


Credits

• Training Head– Wajhe Muhammad

• Training Managers– Fahad Shakeel– Nazar Hussain

• Coordinator– Tehseen

• Presenter & Content by– Syed Imran Ali Rizvi


This Training is available at

http://kb.vteamslabs.com

Thank You

how to ship? (shipping methods)

Documents

inches maximum length

inches length girth

inches girth

pounds maximum length

inches ups maximum weight

oversized length girth

usps maximum weight

maximum limits