Large Item Not Showing up : USPS RateV4 Intl RateV2 - September 7, 2014 Version K5

Hi Ajeh,

I have individual store items that weigh more than 80 lbs. These will not show a USPS shipping option. However, these are kits that can be divided up into smaller shipments that CAN be shipped. I can ship orders weighing any amount if the weight of the item is lower. I get quotes for 250 lb order, but the individual items are less than 66 lbs (or whatever the max weight it).

In past versions of the module, I was able to get the weights for these large store items by uncommenting the following code:

// turn off SpecialServices
$specialservices = '';

I did that on the new module, but it still won't give me a weight for an 80 lb kit. Is there another work around for this?

The shipping cost difference between USPS and UPS is about $1,300 so this can really make or break sales of these heavy items.

Thanks,

Mike

What are your settings in the Shipping/Packaging on the Maximum Weight and Tare Rates?

It was set on the defaults of 70 lbs. My test order was 70 lbs, but tare would have put it over. Tare is set to 10%:2lbs. I changed the values to 100 lbs max. I don't have any systems that heavy. But USPS still won't show up. I tested for a U.S. Shipment and several foreign countries.

Also, "Packages 35lbs or more, or less than 6 ounces (.375), will be overridden and set to False" is set to false

The default is Maximum 50 ... if the total exceeds 70 (that is the Maximum PLUS the Tare Rates) then you cannot get a quote ...

What happens if you change it to Maximum 50?

How close are the quotes to what you are expecting?

I set the max weights to 50 lbs but that didn't work. In fact it was worse in that it wouldn't give me rates for multiples of 16 lb kits which did work before. I then set the max weight to 200 lbs. I was then able to get prices for 12 x 16lb kits (192 lbs with tare). However, the single kit that weighs 66 lbs still wouldn't work.

But dig this: I added a 66 lb kit to the order that had 12 x 16 lb kits and that worked. The total weight with tare was 254 lbs. The pricing, at a glance, appears to be correct when a price shows up.

It's just a single kit of 66 lbs that won't work.

There are two Tare Rates for Small/Medium and Large ...

What are your exact settings for each?

First, test setting the Maximum to 66 then the Tare Rates to 0:0 for each ... this makes the maximum weight in a box 66 with no additional weight set ... this is just to establish a base line ...

Now if only the 66lb items are in the order, the 66lb products should get the right settings ...

The problem now is to determine that if you are adding the Tare Rate of 10:2 for the 10% + 2lbs per box which will alter this weight per box ... this is where the fun comes in to try to find the best maximum weight to allow a quote to go, but stay below the 70lb total and not use too heavy of a Maximum Weight plus Tare to skew the weight to much for the quotes ...

I think you had an error from USPS when your shipping did not give results, but I am getting:

Maximum 70lbs or 66lbs Small/Medium and Large Tare Rates 10:2
12x16lb Product
Ship from 44026 to 33601
United States Postal Service (4 Boxes) (53 lbs, 5 oz) (Media Mail Parcel) $108.76
United States Postal Service (4 Boxes) (53 lbs, 5 oz) (Standard Post® (4 - 7 days)) $207.08
United States Postal Service (4 Boxes) (53 lbs, 5 oz) (Priority Mail™ (2-day)) $304.00
United States Postal Service (4 Boxes) (53 lbs, 5 oz) (Priority Mail Express™ (1-day)) $1,048.40
Maximum 70lbs or 66lbs Small/Medium and Large Tare Rates 10:2
1x66lb Product
Ship from 44026 to 33601
United States Postal Service (2 Boxes) (37 lbs, 5 oz) (Media Mail Parcel) $39.66
United States Postal Service (2 Boxes) (37 lbs, 5 oz) (Standard Post® (4 - 7 days)) $89.14
United States Postal Service (2 Boxes) (37 lbs, 5 oz) (Priority Mail™ (2-day)) $115.40
United States Postal Service (2 Boxes) (37 lbs, 5 oz) (Priority Mail Express™ (1-day)) $378.90
Maximum 70lbs or 66lbs Small/Medium and Large Tare Rates 10:2
4x66lb Product
Ship from 44026 to 33601
United States Postal Service (5 Boxes) (58 lbs, 8 oz) (Media Mail Parcel) $147.45
United States Postal Service (5 Boxes) (58 lbs, 8 oz) (Standard Post® (4 - 7 days)) $266.10
United States Postal Service (5 Boxes) (58 lbs, 8 oz) (Priority Mail™ (2-day)) $392.50
United States Postal Service (5 Boxes) (58 lbs, 8 oz) (Priority Mail Express™ (1-day)) $1,423.00

Quick question: In your second post, the examples you show have a number of boxes. How did that happen? Maybe a feature in a version of ZC later than mine? I have 1.3.9h. But I think if I can just state that my heavy products come in 2 boxes, that would solve the whole thing.

But realize that the previous version of the USPS module worked on this point. You gave me a mod to do which was in the first post on this thread, but after that everything worked. I've been using that mod for the last couple of USPS module versions successfully.

When I re-wrote the USPS September 7, 2014 K5, I did it in a way that should make it so you do not need to use that old modification.

If you go to Modules ... Shipping ... and Edit USPS, you should find:

USPS Options
Select from the following the USPS options.
note: this adds a considerable delay in obtaining quotes.

Display weight
Display transit time

If you check the boxes, they will show ...

No, I know about those, and I have those checked (but didn't know they added time). What I meant was, how does your system know to break the order up into 4 boxes? If I could break up my one big item into 2 boxes, I'd have it solved. But the system doesn't do that for me.

The boxes are the result of the Maximum Weight and Tare Rate settings ...

You can look in:
/includes/classes/shipping.php

around line 121 you will see:
// large box add padding

then see how the calculations are made to get the weight and number of boxes ...

Thanks very much.