{"id":26384,"date":"2025-06-23T15:10:29","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T15:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corporate.nvisionglobal.com\/?p=26384"},"modified":"2025-06-24T12:36:22","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T12:36:22","slug":"additional-handling-surcharge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corporate.nvisionglobal.com\/additional-handling-surcharge\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Additional Handling Surcharge: What Triggers It and How to Avoid It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/corporate.nvisionglobal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/additional-surcharge.jpg\" alt=\"small parcel additional surcharges\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Are you shipping large, heavy, or irregularly shaped packages? If so, you may be racking up extra fees without realizing it \u2013 thanks to the Additional Handling Surcharge (AHS).<\/p>\n<p>This fee is applied by both FedEx and UPS when a package requires special processing due to its size, weight, packaging, or handling requirements. And it\u2019s not cheap \u2013 fees can reach up to $55 per package or more, especially during peak shipping seasons when secondary surcharges kick in.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s break down what qualifies a package for Additional Handling.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What Triggers Additional Handling?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Weight<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Domestic (Ground &amp; Express):<\/strong>\u00a0Surcharge applies to packages\u00a0<strong>over 50 lbs.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>International Shipments:<\/strong>\u00a0Threshold increases to\u00a0<strong>over 70 lbs.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong> Dimensions<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Applies if any of the following are true:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Longest side\u00a0<strong>exceeds 48 inches.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>The second-longest side\u00a0<strong>exceeds 30 inches.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Combined\u00a0<strong>Length + 2\u00d7Width + 2\u00d7Height &gt; 105 inches.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong> Packaging<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Your shipment may be flagged if it:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It isn\u2019t fully encased in corrugated cardboard.<\/li>\n<li>Is wrapped in shrink wrap, soft plastic, or other non-standard materials.<\/li>\n<li>Has an irregular shape (e.g., mailing tubes, barrels, or cylinders).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong> Non-Stackable Freight<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Items like drums, buckets, or pails that can\u2019t be safely stacked may also be hit with this charge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Peak Season Surcharges<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During high-volume periods (typically Q4), carriers add Secondary or Peak AHS fees, compounding the cost of each qualifying package.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Surcharge Type<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Applies When<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Primary AHS<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Year-round, based on package characteristics<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Secondary\/Peak AHS<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>During peak demand seasons (e.g., holidays)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>What Shippers Can Do?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These fees can dramatically increase total parcel spend if not managed carefully. To reduce risk:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Review weight and dimensions before shipping.<\/li>\n<li>Use standard-sized corrugated packaging.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid irregular shapes or soft materials.<\/li>\n<li>Consider repackaging when possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>How nVision Global Can Help?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We analyze your shipment characteristics to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Identify repeat offenders triggering AHS.<\/li>\n<li>Recommend packaging adjustments.<\/li>\n<li>Minimize AHS fees through smarter logistics strategies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Stop letting hidden surcharges drain your budget. Let us help you uncover and eliminate avoidable parcel costs.<br \/>\nTalk to a <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate.nvisionglobal.com\/supply-chain-contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Parcel Cost Expert.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you shipping large, heavy, or irregularly shaped packages? If [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":26422,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-freight-costs"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Understanding the Additional Handling Surcharge: What Triggers It and How to Avoid It - nVision Global | Worldwide Supply Chain Solutions, Specializing in Global Freight Audit &amp; Payment, Loss &amp; Damage Claims, Supply Chain Services &amp; Technology<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What triggers the Additional Handling Surcharge (AHS) and how do you avoid extra shipping costs with smart packaging strategies?&quot;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/corporate.nvisionglobal.com\/additional-handling-surcharge\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Understanding the Additional Handling Surcharge: What Triggers It and How to Avoid It - nVision Global | Worldwide Supply Chain Solutions, Specializing in Global Freight Audit &amp; 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