Shipping for multiple products

[Briljander]

I noticed a problem with my shipping. Strange I haven't noticed this before but do think it's a faulty behavior by default. 

If I do have a shipping method with maximum package size of 30cm x 20 cm x 10cm.

I then have a product which has a size of 10 x 10 x 5. 

When buying 1 product the shipping method can be used and the product fits into the parcel. 

But when buying 4 of the same product the totalt size of the products would be (10 x 10 x 5) x 4 = 40 x 40 x 20.

The 4 products doesn't fit into the maximum size of the package. As I have understood the only validation here is if 1 products fits into 1 package and assumes I will send 4 different packages (which would cost me 4 shipping costs).

I don't know if it's supposed to work like this but I think it's a faulty behavior. 

How do you handle this? Are there any modules that can handel this?

Edited December 7, 2019 by Briljander

[Kashir2000]

TL;DR

The rule here is different. It does not check how many would fit into a package, but if carrier can take that package.

If you have Carrier A and it's max dimmensions are 30cm x 30cm x 30cm then this carrier would not take product that is 40cm x 30cm x 30cm But, same carrier can take 3 30cm x 30cm x 30cm packages It only checks if all could be taken by carrier, not if all will fit for one package.

Many times i put one order and recieved 2-3 boxes with shipping number xxxx/1/3, xxxx/2/3 and xxxx/3/3. So it's rather common used solution.

Longer version

The thing you mean is "Box Selection Algorithm". TB (nor PS) does not support this.

Many people solve this using weight system as "volume system". You could calculate weight for those. But it will not work in 100% cases. Still if your package is 30x30x30 (Volume 27000) then it would fit 2x 15x30x30 (2x 13500 = 27000 = it fits!) boxes.

But if you had at last one 5x30x40 product, it would volume to 6000. So theoretically, you could use 30x30x30 box... but would it fit?

For this case you would need 20x30x40 packaging box. So unless all your products come in exactly samame dimmensions its pointless.

[Traumflug]

10 hours ago, Briljander said:

I then have a product which has a size of 10 x 10 x 5. 

When buying 1 product the shipping method can be used and the product fits into the parcel. 

But when buying 4 of the same product the totalt size of the products would be (10 x 10 x 5) x 4 = 40 x 40 x 20.

Four of these products would be 10 x 10 x 20 or 20 x 20 x 5 or 20 x 10 x 10 or ...

Having so many possible combination explains why it's quite tricky to calculate "do they all fit?" Here we look at multiple items of the product only, often there are products of distinct size, which makes calculations even harder.

[Briljander]

5 hours ago, Kashir2000 said:

It only checks if all could be taken by carrier, not if all will fit for one package.

Ok, then I understand how it works. Most of the time our shipping works correctly probably cause we have weight on most of our products and also use a table rate shipping module. Probably also why I haven't noticed this until now.

Do you know of any box selection modules?

1 hour ago, Traumflug said:

Four of these products would be 10 x 10 x 20 or 20 x 20 x 5 or 20 x 10 x 10 or ...

Yeah, I understand that there will be many combinations that grow the more products you have but It can't be too hard to count if it would fit or not.

Surprised I couldn't find someone else with the same problem when googling.

[Kashir2000]

@Briljander I'm sorry, but I don't know such module. Working with prestashop since 2011 and I don't recall anyone asking for such module ever.

Most of companies do not care about that and put additional shipping costs into margin of products.

[Briljander]

Ok, well my problem isn't only the shipping cost it's also that the cheaper shipping method has a maximum size which only 1 product fits in. If they buy 4 it shouldn't be possible to choose that option at all cause we get punished with extra costs of up to 20 EUR per package that is out of range. 

If this happens we have to change shipping method and print a new label. But that's me, who knows that we will get this extra costs. If one of my employees will get the same order they will try and pack these 4 products in a bigger box and add the label that has been printed.

[Kashir2000]

How many products you've in your shop? Is it mass offer or individual? I would try to use weight ranges if possible. I understand your problem, but don't know ready to deploy solution for it.

[Briljander]

We have 4k products today but we are moving to a bigger warehouse in January and will get lots more in stock.

Unfortunately the transporters do count the biggest of volumetric weight or actual weight. We can have a product that's very lightweight but has a big size. 

I have had a module developer to customize his module to take care of that but it doesn't help when it doesn't take the max size into count. Maybe I can reach out to him again and see if he has a solution for it.

 

 

 

[Kashir2000]

@Briljander In that case you would need module to do so. Without it it's gonna be hard.
But, on the other hand, maybe check, how your competition work with this problem?