Shipping Options

Configure how each product is measured, weighed, and packaged for shipping. These settings directly affect shipping rate calculations and package optimization.

Overview

TimberCloud Storefront — Product Catalog

Each product in your catalog can have its own shipping configuration that tells TimberCloud:

How it ships — Assembled or as separate parts
What dimensions to use — Line items, product options, or auto-detection
What it weighs — Direct values or density-based calculations
How to package it — Box, pallet, or automatic selection

Shipping Mode

The most important shipping decision: does your product ship as a single assembled unit or as separate unassembled parts?

Ships Assembled (Default)

When enabled, the product ships as a complete unit:

Overall product dimensions are used for packaging
Dimension fields map directly to shipping dimensions
Best for finished goods and assembled furniture

Example: A cabinet door ships fully assembled in a single box.

Ships Unassembled

When enabled, the product ships as separate components:

Each part is extracted and packaged individually
Parts can be consolidated or packaged separately
Best for large furniture, kits, or flat-pack products

Example: A dining table ships with the tabletop on a pallet and legs in a separate box.

Mode	Use Case	Dimension Source
Assembled	Finished products, small items	Line items or product options
Unassembled	Large furniture, kits	Individual part dimensions

When Ships Unassembled is selected, you'll see a summary of configured parts. If no parts are defined, you'll be prompted to add them in the Parts section.

Package Type

Control how the packaging algorithm handles this product:

Type	Behavior	Best For
Auto Generate	Algorithm determines optimal packaging	Most products (recommended)
Box	Always package in boxes	Parcel-shippable items
Pallet	Always ship on pallets	Heavy or oversized items

Auto Generate (Recommended)

The algorithm checks product dimensions against carrier limits:

Max single dimension: 108" → Pallet
Length + girth: > 165" → Pallet
Max weight: > 150 lbs → Pallet
Otherwise → Box

See Smart Packaging for detailed algorithm behavior.

Freight Class

For LTL (freight) shipments, freight class determines shipping cost based on density and handling characteristics.

Class	Density (lbs/ft³)	Typical Products
50	50+	Heavy steel, cement
55-70	22.5-50	Dense hardwood, stone
77.5-100	9-15	Furniture, cabinets
110-150	6-9	Assembled furniture
175-250	3-6	Particle board, thin panels
300-500	< 3	Lightweight materials

Lower class = lower cost. Dense, stackable products get better freight rates.

When to Set Freight Class

Products that often ship freight — Set for accurate LTL rates
Mixed shipping methods — Auto mode uses this when products go to pallets
Consistent product density — Set once, applies to all orders

If left empty, the system uses a default density when calculating weights for parts in Auto weight mode.

Dimension Mapping

When shipping assembled, you must tell TimberCloud which fields represent the shipping dimensions. The system can auto-detect common field names or you can map explicitly.

Mappable Fields

For each dimension (width, length, height, weight), you can map to:

Source	Description	Example
Auto-detect	Matches common field names	`width`, `height`, `depth`, `length`
Line Items	Fields from your line item groups	`thickness`, `board_width`, `panel_height`
Product Options	Values from selected attributes	`Wood Type → thickness`, `Size → width`

Line Item Mapping

Map shipping dimensions to fields customers enter during ordering:

Width → width (line item)
Length → height (line item)  
Height → thickness (line item)
Weight → weight (line item)

Product Option Mapping

Map dimensions to attribute selections that carry dimension values:

Width → Size.width
Length → Size.length
Height → Material.thickness

This is useful when product options like "Material" or "Size" include dimension-affecting values.

Auto-Detection

When set to "Auto-detect", the system looks for these field names:

Dimension	Recognized Names
Width	`width`, `w`, `panel_width`
Length	`length`, `l`, `height`, `h`
Height	`depth`, `d`, `thickness`, `t`
Weight	`weight`, `wt`, `lbs`

Unit Configuration

Specify what units your dimension and weight fields use.

Dimension Units

Unit	Abbreviation	Conversion
Inches	in	Base unit
Feet	ft	× 12 to inches
Centimeters	cm	× 0.3937 to inches
Meters	m	× 39.37 to inches
Millimeters	mm	× 0.03937 to inches

Weight Units

Actual Weight:

Unit	Abbreviation
Pounds	lbs
Ounces	oz
Kilograms	kg
Grams	g

Density-Based Weight:

Unit	Description
lb/ft³	Pounds per cubic foot
lb/in³	Pounds per cubic inch
kg/m³	Kilograms per cubic meter
lb/ft²	Pounds per square foot (sheet goods)
lb/in²	Pounds per square inch
kg/m²	Kilograms per square meter
lb/bf	Pounds per board foot (lumber)

Density-Based Weight Calculation

When using density units, the system calculates actual weight from dimensions:

Volume × Density = Weight

Example (lb/ft³):
24" × 36" × 0.75" = 648 cubic inches
648 ÷ 1728 = 0.375 cubic feet
0.375 ft³ × 35 lb/ft³ = 13.125 lbs

This is ideal when your weight varies predictably with size, like lumber or sheet goods.

Complete Example

Cabinet Door (Ships Assembled)

Shipping Mode: Ships Assembled ✓
Package Type: Auto Generate
Freight Class: 100 (furniture density)

Dimension Mapping:
  Width → width (line item)
  Length → height (line item)
  Height → thickness (line item)
  Weight → Auto-detect

Units:
  Dimensions: Inches
  Weight: lb/ft³ (density-based)

Result: When a customer orders a 24" × 36" × 0.75" door, shipping calculations use those exact dimensions and calculate weight from density.

Dining Table (Ships Unassembled)

Shipping Mode: Ships Unassembled ✓
Package Type: Auto Generate
Freight Class: 85

Parts: (configured in Parts section)
  - Tabletop: 72" × 42" × 2", package separately
  - Legs (4): 4" × 4" × 29", stackable
  - Apron (2): 3" × 60" × 4", stackable

Result: The tabletop ships on its own pallet, while legs and aprons consolidate into boxes. See Parts for configuration details.

Saving Configuration

All shipping options are saved together with a single Save Configuration button. Changes include:

Shipping mode (assembled/unassembled)
Package type
Freight class
Dimension field mappings
Unit settings

A Reset button restores the last saved configuration.

Integration with Other Features

Parts & Components

When using Ships Unassembled, the system pulls part definitions from the Parts section:

Each part becomes a separate item for packaging
Parts can have their own dimension formulas
Parts marked "Package Separately" get individual packages

Shipping Rates

These settings directly affect Rate Shopping:

Dimensions determine package sizes
Weight affects carrier rates
Freight class affects LTL pricing
Package type influences carrier selection

Smart Packaging

The Packaging Algorithm uses these settings to:

Extract dimensions from orders
Calculate weights
Determine box vs pallet
Group items efficiently

Best Practices

Set units first — Ensure your dimension fields match the configured units
Use density for variable products — More accurate than fixed weights
Test with sample orders — Verify dimensions calculate correctly
Set freight class for heavy items — Improves LTL rate accuracy
Use Parts for complex products — Better packaging optimization

Troubleshooting

Shipping Rates Seem Wrong

Verify dimension mappings are correct
Check that units match your field values
Ensure freight class is set for heavy items
Test with manual package editing

Dimensions Not Calculating

Confirm field names match exactly (case-sensitive)
Verify the mapped fields exist on the product
Check that line items have the expected fields

Weight Issues

For density mode: verify dimensions are valid
Check density value is reasonable (wood is 30-50 lb/ft³)
Ensure weight unit matches your data

Unassembled Products Shipping as One Package

Verify Ships Unassembled is selected (not assembled)
Check that parts are defined in the Parts section
Ensure parts have valid dimensions

Next Steps

Parts & Components — Define individual product components
Smart Packaging — How the packaging algorithm works
Rate Shopping — Compare carrier rates
Configuration — Company-wide shipping settings

Parts Exports