How does SS handle shipping for products using DIM shipping?

[MgmtSpec]

Hello,

I'm wondering how SS handles orders of multiple products that use dimensional shipping? My client will be using UPS SurePost and sells small, lightweight items. I believe we are supposed to enter shipping package dimensions. They will likely use 3 size boxes. Just wondering if ordering 2 small items will lead to SS adding them together and generating a higher shipping rate? The 2 small items may both fit in a single box. Maybe the question is do I enter the PRODUCT dimensions rather than Shipping box dimensions?

[ShopSite Lauren]

The way ShopSite typically works (there are a few variations to this, but in general) ShopSite will add all product weights together, then send that weight to the real-time shipping provider that has been selected. You can set the max box weight (commerce > Shipping > Configure UPS/USPS/FedEx/Canadian Post), so that if the order weight total is more than the max box weight, the weight will be divided and sent to the selected shipping as if it were 2 separate boxes (or however many it qualifies for).

If you do not want ShopSite to combine the weight of a product (meaning that a product ALWAYS ships by itself), then enter the dimensions for that product. If a product has weight and dimensions, then ShopSite will send the weight and dimensions as a single box to the selected shipper for real-time rates.

[MgmtSpec]

Thanks that's helpful but still not clear how SS will handle dimensions. Client wants to use UPS SurePost which rates are based on shipping box dimensions not weight. So how does SS handle dimensions? Does it add them together? I would simply do some test orders but so far working with UPS has been a SLOW process. The API to include SurePost rates is going to take another week to set up.

[ShopSite Lauren]

ShopSite doesn't do anything with the dimensions except pass them onto the shipping provider.

[Jim]

ShopSite has not integrated with the UPS SurePost APIs. There is more to that implementation than just dimensional weight.
For the next release of ShopSite (Jan 2015) many improvements to dimensional weight will be added for UPS and FedEx shipping.

Note that Smart Post which is FedEx's equivalent of UPS SurePost is available in ShopSite 12 if you enable FedEx shipping.

[lneibauer]

Does anyone have any kind of update on the UPS Surepost? We also would like to start to implement this type of shipping. January has come and gone

UPDATE: I just updated my Shopsite back-end to Version 12 SP1. Hopefully there will be an update for DIM Shipping soon