Shipping Based On USPS and Flat Rate Boxes

OK. So I have a conundrum. Up until this point, our Zen Cart installation was based on table rate as the only option. The table rates were all skewed way too low, and required a loss on our part for shipping costs. I have remedied that by enabling the USPS shipping module and charging exact rates for packages based on weight and zones from the USPS webtools connection. Seems to work fine.

Now throw the Flat Rate Box in the mix. How would one manage to determine whether it's best to ship out flat rate or not using zen cart?

Here's an example. We ship out cloth diapers. A 12 pack of them basically fills a flat rate box (with very little room left), which saves the customer, since assuming we're shipping to Delaware from Florida, it would cost the customer 9.80 using the USPS rates, or 8.10 using the flat rate box. However, there are some items that may not fit in the flat rate box at all (seeing as how diapers can be light but full of "stuffing").

Any one have any suggestions as to how to handle this, without soaking the customer (in other words, we want to charge shipping without a handling fee, and to go the best way)

I have looked into UPS, but we don't have a strict rate quote from them yet based on our business volume. The standard rates may end up more expensive from them.

Thanks for any replies and help is appreciated.
Thinkdreams.

Honestly- keep it simple, just use the published rates.

Is there any way, in general, to say allow the flat rate box shipping option if the item is under a certain weight, to get rid of some of the disparate published vs flat rate box rates?

You can use the Flat Rate shipping option in admin. IF you want to give instrustiond about when a customer may use flat rate then modify the page checkout_shipping with the instructions. You can also modify the color of the shipping instructions in your .css file. I use Flate rate & tell the customers on the checkout shipping page that they can not use flat rate for stringer kilns etc.. So far everyone has used flat rate correctly.In my product description I indicate that this item may not be shipped flat rate.

How about charging them the published rate and if you can send it in the flat rate box, offer them a shipping refund?! Your customers will appreciate your integrity and the refund.

Kokonutmama:

Is there any way, in general, to say allow the flat rate box shipping option if the item is under a certain weight, to get rid of some of the disparate published vs flat rate box rates?

To allow for Flat Rate boxes I am using the USPS and the table module.
In the table module I have the following setting:

Enable Table Method
True

Shipping Table
2:4.6, 10:8.95

Table Method
weight

Since I have my store is for books, I have the flat rate envelope and the flat rate box listed. When the client checks out they are able to chose either the USPS or the table rate (it normally bolds the best rate).

zhylosa:

To allow for Flat Rate boxes I am using the USPS and the table module.
In the table module I have the following setting:

Enable Table Method
True

Shipping Table
2:4.6, 10:8.95

Table Method
weight

Since I have my store is for books, I have the flat rate envelope and the flat rate box listed. When the client checks out they are able to chose either the USPS or the table rate (it normally bolds the best rate).

What is the table module you are speaking about here?