where to find documentation on shipping modules

i haven't found any kind of very detailed source of documentation when it comes to, in my case, understanding how the stock zencart UPS modules works. I installed it but am now wondering if these are real time estimates from the website, or stored, or how its working, and i can't find any documentation on it. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks.

The UPS module connects to the UPS servers and gives a real time quote.

They are real-time estimates coming from UPS based on your store's zip code (Admin->Configuration->Shipping/Packaging) and your customer's zip code, as well as package weight (along with tare calculations, configurable in Shipping/Packaging as well).

DrByte:

They are real-time estimates coming from UPS based on your store's zip code (Admin->Configuration->Shipping/Packaging) and your customer's zip code, as well as package weight (along with tare calculations, configurable in Shipping/Packaging as well).

Thank you.

Kim:

The UPS module connects to the UPS servers and gives a real time quote.

Thank You.

Is there a way to find out how zen cart interfaces with UPS , specifically, the URL of the UPS that is being called by zen cart?

Also, for larger items, doesn't UPS need to know the dimensions of the package as well, especially for air-shipped items?

Also it's a little weird, if I have an item of zero weight, it's still able to calculate the rates.

pongky:

Is there a way to find out how zen cart interfaces with UPS , specifically, the URL of the UPS that is being called by zen cart?sure ... https://www.ups.com/using/services/rave/qcostcgi.cgi

What exactly are you having problems with ?
What situation are you looking for a solution to?

^ thanks for the URL, I had a hard time finding it in the zen cart files. Anyway, so we have a client who has a store that sells potentially heavy / large items. Doesn't the UPS estimator NEED to take into account the girth of a package as well as its weight? I mean, how can it give an accurate quote if there is no way in zen cart to insert the product's dimensions (h x w x d) ?

There is another UPS shipping module mentioned here:
http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/3rd_party_contributions_-_Shipping_Modules_-_UPS_XML
You'll need to get yourself a UPS developers key and user key, and get your site certified by UPS before you go live with using it.

DrByte:

There is another UPS shipping module mentioned here:
http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/3rd_party_contributions_-_Shipping_Modules_-_UPS_XML
You'll need to get yourself a UPS developers key and user key, and get your site certified by UPS before you go live with using it.

Thanks I might give that a try - thing is, it says it doesn't have dmensional support - that sounds like it doesn't have the ability to calculate / store dimensions either. I am just curious as to other zen cart sites, I'm sure if someone sells large items, they need to find a way to get proper quotes with the dimensions of the package calculated, why isn't this a standard part of zen cart?

I am having sort of the same problem with large package for USPS too.

I am also looking for documentation on the different shipping modules because I'm not sure which one will best serve my situation.

The majority of the items in the store ship based on the table rate (1 item - $5.00; 2 items - $6.50; etc.) Then there is a section of large items that require separate shipping (with different shipping rates based on size). What I would like to do is include the cost of shipping in the price of these items and then mark them "Free Shipping", so that the customer is paying the shipping as part of the price and there is no extra per-item charge entered. When I enable Free Shipping on these items and they're the only thing in the cart, it works fine. But when I add other items that should be based on the table, I get a flat rate of $3.00 "Best rate" (which is nowhere in my table).

I'm thinking that one solution might be to set all of the regular items as 0 weight and the larger items as a range of weights that would correspond to shipping charges...but would I be able to associate the 0 weight items with the table rate shipping still?

Any insight will be GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks,
Leah