There is no magic here.  FedEx and UPS are pros at getting the highest possible rates for the utilizing their robust infrastructures.  Here are several ways to get the best rates from UPS or FedEx:Negotiate. Sometimes people think that the listed prices are set in stone and don’t realize their ability to negotiate with the carrier. Consolidate volume to one carrier.  Many online retailers use multiple carriers to fulfill their shipments. You may be able to negotiate volume discounts if that carrier manages all of your shipments.Understand the size, weight, and dimensional range that you ship most often. Knowing what items you ship most often may allow you to negotiate better shipping pricing for that specific group of items. For instance, you could talk to your account rep about getting better rates for anything weighing less than 50 lbs.Relationship management with FedEx / UPS account reps. By having a strong relationship with your account rep, you may be able to lower your shipping rates. 

The reps are aware of association pricing and other programs that are not necessarily advertised.  Using regional carriers like OnTrac, Golden State Overnight, and Lone Star Overnight as a bargaining chip will allow you to better position yourself with the national carriers, since you’ll be taking your business outside of their network. However, when using this to negotiate you are lowering your volume with the carriers you’re trying to get better rates from.You can also use ShipHawk. ShipHawk will do a savings analysis of where your discounts sit relative to other companies within your industry that ship similar volumes. Using a software like ShipHawk will ensure that you’re using the best carrier, and getting the best rates for every order.  It's true that rate shopping for non-parcel carriers produces the best results, but there are numerous ways to use technology to save money on your parcel spend.  A great example is for FedEx and UPS dimensional pricing.  Only ShipHawk can suggest the ideal carton size for any order - even multi item orders - ensuring the lowest possible cost.

Depending on what you're shipping, the best shipping rates are often with USPS.USPS is worth a serious look, particularly with the commercial rate reduction implemented by USPS this last September. See this article - U.S. Postal Service Rate Changes - Sept. 2014Not only are the USPS base rates usually lower, there isn't the litany of surcharges to contend with and their dimensional weighting is less stringent. Pay special attention to their flat rate boxes. They can represent really significant savings.Very good suggestions by Jeremy. However you can only negotiate from a position of strength. Carriers will give you discounts based on your volume. ) negotiate our rates with the carriers and pass it on to our clients WITHOUT any markup. All our clients benefit from this coop effort.You can use online quote generators to compare rates from multiple companies. account and enter some basic info regarding the size, weight, and destination of your shipment into the online quote form. You will get a list of quotes from different carriers including UPS.

Learn about the shipping calculator: Freight Shipping, Freight Companies, Freight Quotes, Freight Shipping RatesThis promotion is for Rewards members only. To take advantage of exclusive offers like these, join Office Depot® OfficeMax® Rewards now!Used Hotel Furniture Sale Charlotte NcShop Across Borders Today Want to shop in the U.S., European Union (EU), or South America? Buy what you love from online retailers and have it delivered to your door. Estimate international shipping rates and duties and taxes in your local currency to get a landed cost estimate. Use our global tracking software to check on the status of your package, any time. Consider our personal shopper services, and let us help you get the items you want. Take advantage of value-added services from FedEx® CrossBorder. In addition to our services listed above, we provide:

Consolidate multiple orders from separate vendors into one international shipment. This can significantly reduce cost, simplify tracking, streamline the customs process, and expedite shipment delivery to your destination country.FedEx CrossBorder will hold any item up to 21 days to allow you to consolidate your shipments. Simply log in to your FedEx CrossBorder account, select the various items in your account you would like to send together as one shipment, and choose Ship. You will then be prompted to complete your order. Photos of Your Items Want to see if the red sweater you ordered is truly red? Want to know if all six wine glasses are intact? FedEx CrossBorder takes digital pictures of each item before it's shipped internationally. These images are posted, at no cost to you, to your FedEx CrossBorder account for your review. This helps you to verify you'll receive what you ordered — prior to incurring international shipping fees, duties, and taxes. If the sweater is blue or one wine glass is broken, we can help initiate the return process to the retailer.

Loss and Damage Protection for Your Shipments You expect your packages to arrive on time and intact. FedEx CrossBorder team members are consistently trained and evaluated on proper packaging methods. While we do our best to prevent damage, international shipping can be a rough business and items are, at times, damaged. When you submit your items for shipment, our Loss and Damage Protection option is the default selection, and we encourage our members to utilize it. The cost of this protection is only 2% of the order value. If damage should occur on a shipment with Loss and Damage Protection, you must submit a claim within 7 days of the receipt of the package. Claims for missing shipments must be filed within 7 days of the expected delivery date. You can submit a claim through the member portal. Once a claim is approved, we will replace the cost of the damaged or lost items and the international transportation costs. Claims will be paid by check or refunded to the account you used to purchase the items.