Accessorial spend can rise even when your shipping does not change. It helps to separate the causes:
- The published fee increased. UPS Additional Handling Weight, zone 2, went from $43.50 to $46.50 for 2026.
- More packages qualify. The 2026 cube rules (10,368 and 17,280 in³) and the 110 lb Large Package/Oversize trigger made more cartons qualify at the same price.
- Billable weight increased. Minimum billable weights (40 lb, rising to 50 lb at UPS on Dec. 21, 2026, as UPS has announced) raise transportation charges on qualifying packages.
- Fuel rose. Fuel is a percentage of fuel-assessable charges, so every fuel-assessable accessorial grows with it.
- Demand surcharges were added. These are temporary but now span roughly four months.
- Geography changed. DAS ZIP lists change during the year.
The historical rates page shows the first cause directly. Its index is a simple, unweighted average of published changes. It is not a measure of what any shipper actually paid.
Sources
- UPS source: UPS Revised Rates for Value-Added Services and Other Charges (effective Dec. 22, 2025)
- FedEx source: 2026 changes to FedEx surcharges & fees
- FedEx source: 2027 changes to FedEx surcharges & fees (effective Jan. 4, 2027)
- UPS source: UPS Demand Surcharges (Aug. 26, 2026 update)
- FedEx source: FedEx Demand Surcharges
- FedEx source: FedEx Shipping Rate Changes, FedEx international rate-changes page (cubic volume and 110 lb criteria, effective Jan. 12, 2026)
- UPS source: UPS: How to Avoid Shipping Charge Corrections (package size and weight criteria)
- UPS source: UPS 2027 preview of value-added services and other charges (effective Dec. 21, 2026), as reported by D’Arrigo Consulting and PARCEL Industry