Carrier by weight — the chart
| Shipment weight | Carrier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 20 lb and under | USPS (post office / Ground Advantage) | 100% of the time. No exceptions. |
| Over 20 lb, up to 70 lb | ASK FIRST | No standing default — the carrier is confirmed case by case before buying. |
| Over 70 lb | FedEx | Heavy items go FedEx. |
| Any weight | NEVER UPS | Not for anything, ever. |
- Ship from the closest warehouse to the customer (Las Vegas 89109 vs Alton 62002). The listing's ship-from ZIP does not decide the origin.
- When someone says “the UPS label” or “the FedEx label,” they usually just mean “the shipping label.” Apply the weight chart — and if a different carrier really seems intended, confirm before buying.
- Buying a label with open questions (carrier, service level)? Confirm before buying — “buy the label” approves the purchase, not the choices inside it.
- 48-states rule: we never buy labels to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, or other territories. Those orders use a vendor/third-party label or the customer ships it themselves — escalate if you see one.
- Etsy exception: Etsy labels are always USPS, 320 oz, 3×5×10, ship-from Las Vegas.
- Bambu ship-backs (repaired units going back to customers) are always FedEx — see Returns & Repairs.
The 20 lb box rule — HARD RULE
A 20 lb USPS parcel is ALWAYS the 6×5×10 inch box (entered on the label as 10×6×5 in). 100% of the time. Zero questions, zero changes. We have never shipped a 20 lb post-office parcel in any other size.
Always enter the dimensions — never buy a 20 lb label on weight alone. The dimensions change the price completely: a 20 lb parcel priced by weight alone cost $25.10; the same parcel with the 6×5×10 size cost $8.17. Weight-only labels had to be voided and rebought. Don't make that mistake.
Label rules — every label, every carrier
- 4×6 only. Every shipping label is a true 4×6 label. FedEx labels come as 4×6 PNG files. If a label doesn't measure about 4×6, don't use it — flag it.
- Business phone only: sender and recipient phone fields use 702-550-1753. Never put a personal cell number on a label.
- Ship-to comes from the order. For a replacement label, pull the address from the marketplace order — never from another contact, message, or memory without the buyer's confirmation. A wrong-source address is our error and kills any carrier claim.
- Las Vegas = Unit #135. Alton = no unit number. Check it on every label (see Home page).
- Weights and sizes come from the Pricing sheet (“3D printers” tab) — never guessed.
- USPS Ground Advantage includes $100 of insurance on every label. Claim window: after 15 days, within 60 days of mailing.
- Proof of shipping = carrier scans. If a customer says “it never moved,” check scans before saying anything (see Customers).
Canceled / refunded orders — label cleanup
Never ship on a label for a canceled or refunded order. Always check the order status first if anything looks off.
- Unused label (never scanned) → postage refund gets submitted.
- Rename the label file with the
[cancel and refund]flag at the start (renames are reviewed first — see Order Prep). - Move the label file to the Archived folder.
- Note it as “canceled and avoided” in the case notes.
Freight & pallets (big printers, returns)
- Standard pallet: 48×40, under 8 ft tall, under 800–1,000 lb. Time is never the issue — cheapest all-in price wins.
- All-in price matters: we do not book quotes that can add reclass/reweigh/liftgate charges after pickup. Surprise broker adjustments are the thing we hate most — flag any quote that can change later.
- Freight is quoted and compared first (several carriers/aggregators, chart format) and booked only after a go-ahead. Quotes are quotes — never a booking.
- For the Elegoo Giga return pallet standard (48×40×65, unit upright), see Returns & Repairs.
USPS pickups (Alton)
- Pickups at Alton are scheduled as one-offs with a fixed template: 1520 Washington Ave, Alton, IL 62002, Address Line 2 “Code 5711”, 10 packages, 100 lbs, free window during regular mail delivery, packages at the Front Door.
- End of each month, weekday pickups (Mon–Fri, skipping USPS holidays) get booked for the coming month.
- You don't need to re-ask the package-count/weight questions — the template is the template.
Quick quiz
1. A 65 lb printer needs a label. Which carrier?
Neither by default — 20–70 lb has no standing carrier. Confirm the carrier case by case before buying. Over 70 lb would be FedEx; 20 lb and under would be USPS.
2. A customer in Puerto Rico bought a printer. Buy the label?
No — never buy labels outside the 48 contiguous states. Escalate: vendor/third-party label or customer ships.
3. The 20 lb label printed without dimensions and cost $25. What went wrong?
Dimensions were missing. A 20 lb USPS parcel is always the 6×5×10 box (entered 10×6×5) — with dims, the same shipment prices at about $8.17 instead of $25.10.
4. A listing says “ships from Alton” but the buyer is in California. Where does it ship from?
Las Vegas — we always ship from the warehouse closest to the customer, regardless of the listing.