Package allocation is the process of assigning orders to specific packages for shipping. The Shippit package allocation engine takes into account the size and weight of the items in the order, as well as the dimensions of the available packing materials, and applies it to the smallest package that can accomodate the item. You can use Shippit to set up default package presets and configure how you want to allocate packages.

This article discusses how package allocation works, and provides some best practices for configuring your package allocation settings. For more information about configuring your package allocation settings, see the Package allocation settings article.

Shippit's package allocation engine can save you a lot of time and expense by automatically allocating your orders into the most appropriate package. When you have your packaging presets set up in your account, the package allocation engine chooses the smallest available packaging that can effectively accomodate and protect your items in transit.

By default, your Shippit account is populated with industry standard sizes. In most cases, these are the typical package sizes that you already have in your warehouse, but it is best to double check that the sizes are correct, and that you regularly have all of these available. If you choose not to stock a standard package size, turn the package off in your settings so that Shippit doesn't allocate to it.

If you use custom sized packages, add a preset packaging type for it. Make sure you add the dead weight of the package, and accurate dimensions, so that you are sending the correct information to your carriers. Remember that if you send incorrect weights or dimensions to carriers you might get charged misdeclaration fees. For more information about misdeclaration charges, and how to avoid them, see the Misdeclaration articles.

Set a realistic default package preset. The default package preset is used as a fallback if an automatically synchronised order has missing dimensions. This default package preset value should be your most common package type. For example, if you mostly ship clothing in satchels, choose the 500g satchel as your preset. If you usually ship larger items, you might need a much larger preset package to avoid misdeclaration charges. However, if you don't use package presets, you can still set a default package preset, by creating a package preset, turning it off, and then selecting it as a default. For more information about using the default package preset, see the Package allocation settings article.

Decide if you want to always allocate items to individual packages, or you would prefer to combine items in packaging wherever possible. This can depend on the type of orders you send. Nobody wants to receive four different pairs of earrings in four different boxes, but you probably don't want to send large or fragile items all together.

If you combine items into single shipments, the dead weight and volumetric weight of the total items are calculated, and the larger of the dead weight or the volumetric weight is passed on to the carrier. This consolidated weight then gets matched against your parcel presets. For example, if you have two items weighing 300g each, the total of 600g might get allocated to a 1kg satchel.

Make sure all dimensions and weight are used during package allocation. By default, the package allocation engine only considers the weight of your items, which can mean that your orders are allocated to packaging that is not suitable, especially if you are shipping large-and-light, or small-and-heavy items. For more information about charged weight, see the Understanding misdeclaration charges article.

This section contains information about some common issues you might encounter with package allocation. If you can't find an answer to your question here, get in touch with us using the chat in your Shippit account, or reach out to Shippit support.

Allocations are wrong

If you find that the Shippit allocation engine is consistently allocating to inappropriate packaging, double check the presets you have selected, and ensure that you have a good default package preset.

The wrong dimensions or weight are coming in to Shippit from my integration

Depending on which ecommerce or warehousing integration you are using, Shippit might receive different information from them, which can change how your packages are allocated. For more information about setting up package allocation for different integrations, see the article for your integration, or contact your provider directly.

Large-and-light or small-and-heavy items are incorrectly allocated

For large-and-light, or small-and-heavy items, make sure you have the Consider all dimensions and weight during package allocation setting turned on. This ensures that the dimensions of items are taken into account when doing package allocation, not just the weight.

Allocating for bulky freight

If you ship big and bulky items, make sure you have bulky freight enabled on your account. For more information about shipping bulky goods with Shippit, see the Shipping bulky freight and pallets article.