UPS shipping rates are increasing in 2015. Here are the new rates for those with accounts, will likely be higher for those who do not:
2015 Rates Information
• UPS® Ground, Air and International rates will increase an average net 4.9%
• UPS air freight rates within and between the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico will increase an average net 4.9%
• UPS Freight® rates will increase an average net 4.9%

In June of this year, we announced that dimensional weight pricing will apply to all UPS® Ground services and UPS® Standard to Canada packages effective December 29, 2014. Dimensional weight pricing encourages reductions in excess packaging materials and overall package sizes, leading to reduced fuel use, vehicle emissions and transportation costs.

For additional information, and to review these new rates, visit ups.com/rates. The 2015 UPS Rate and Service Guide will be available to download on December 29, 2014.
Ron the Coilman

"Dimensional weight" seems like another term for size or volume.

USPS is looking pretty good.

Steve
I agree USPS, especially Flat Rate, is lookin good.
Ron the Coilman

For heavy things like car parts, USPS flat rate boxes are a good deal, I use them a lot.

Just be aware that the seams and corners of the boxes tend to tear out and the boxes sometimes get handled roughly.

I wrap my boxes a full 360 degrees around in several places and directions to the point that very little raw cardboard is left exposed.

When the price of gas goes up, UPS rates go up. When the price of gas goes down UPS rates go up. Win-Win for UPS!

In case you care...Picture a truck full of baseballs, in boxes 6 inches square
Now imagine that same truck full of baseballs in boxes 12 inches square. You have now shipped those baseballs in packages disproportionate to their size - wasting carrier capacity.
Carriers want to recapture that waste via something called Dimensional Weight, where the rated weight is artificially increased relative to scale weight.
In 2015, packages formerly too small to be subject to dimensional rating will now be rated in the same artificial manner.
In addition to the annual rate increase by all carriers, this will effectively be a very substantial increase for smaller packages, which will hit eBay shipping right where they live. In a test I did here using the new rules, an example rated on 1# scale weight will be 7# dim weight. This will, as stated above, drive even more shipping to USPS Flat, and possibly FDX flat

Just packed an order going to Washington, usps 30.56 ups 15.90 mail is good for small light weight or in their flat rate boxes but they do not fit a gasket set with other parts, Bob

United States Post office has many different sizes and shapes of boxes that they provide for free to those who ship with them. The postage price varies depending on what service you are requesting. The other carriers do not provide free packaging so you need to add that to the cost. My wife ships about two to three dozen packages every day and she orders boxes from the post office that are mailed directly to her. She folds them adds a label and tapes them all around just like Mark. Ask your postal employee or go on line and contact a parcel specialist with the post office they have been a very big help and have provided assistance when local postal employees wouldn't help. They contacted and sometimes even went to the post office and corrected any issues my wife had. In fact the postal employees bend over backwards to help because they don't want her contacting the parcel specialist again. Don't believe the postal costs on the USPS web site you get better rates at the post office.

I don't work for the post office

My problem is, when I order from a supplier, they ship in their own way and I pay the shipping. They generally don't care how it is shipped in how many boxes so I pay a premium. I have asked for it to be compacted but it never is. Problem is the sales person tells the order filler and it gets lost by the time the picker packages it. I don't like it but I have to deal with it and the price is passed on to the customer. Such is life.