Getting the right label on every order reduces shipping costs, meets delivery promises, and frees your team from rate-shopping by hand. This article walks you through the three tools in ShipHero that make fully automated, cost-optimized carrier selection possible:
- Shipping Method Mapping — translates your checkout options into carrier and service selections inside ShipHero
- Automation Rules — adds conditional IF/THEN logic to override or refine mappings for special cases
- RateShop+ — builds custom cheapest profiles so ShipHero selects the lowest-cost service from a curated carrier list
Table of Contents
- Getting Started with Carrier Optimization in ShipHero
- Shipping Method Mapping in ShipHero
- Automation Rules for Carrier Selection in ShipHero
- RateShop+ in ShipHero
- Putting It All Together
- Troubleshooting: Carrier Optimization Issues in ShipHero
Getting Started with Carrier Optimization in ShipHero
Before using the tools below, confirm the following requirements and recommendations are in place:
| Type | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Required | All carriers are connected and shown as active under Shipping > Carriers. |
| Required | You have admin access to Shipping > Methods, Orders > Automation Rules, and Settings > RateShop+. |
| Recommended | Product weights and dimensions are accurate. |
| Recommended | Carrier cut-off times are set for each carrier connection and pickup schedules are confirmed. |
Shipping Method Mapping in ShipHero
Mapping your store's shipping methods (e.g., Shopify's "Free Shipping") to carrier and service selections inside ShipHero automates carrier selection during packout and prevents generic unpaid labels from being accidentally printed on orders.
ShipHero Shipping Method Mapping Options
| Option | When to Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Specific Method | Always use the same carrier and service for this method. | "UPS Ground" → UPS / UPS Ground |
| Cheapest / Ever | Cost is the only priority — any carrier is acceptable. | "Economy" → Cheapest / Ever |
| Cheapest / Within X Days | Delivery SLA matters — find the cheapest option that meets a deadline. | "Expedited" → Cheapest / 2 Days |
| RateShop+ Profile | Use a curated list of carriers to find the cheapest within defined parameters. | "Free Shipping" → Cheapest / My Ground Profile |
Shipping Method Mapping Pro Tips
- Use wildcard matching (e.g.,
*Free Shipping - ***) to map method name variations from your store. - Create a test order after adding a new method to your store platform so it appears on the Shipping > Methods mapping screen.
- Mapping updates are not retroactive — use the bulk edit tool on the Manage Orders page to update older orders as needed.
For full step-by-step mapping instructions, see How to Map Shipping Methods in ShipHero.
Automation Rules for Carrier Selection in ShipHero
Automation Rules add business logic beyond simple mappings — automating decisions like packaging, holds, VIP handling, and shipping method overrides using IF/THEN trigger and action logic.
- Triggers (IF): Order attributes such as weight, tags, or destination.
- Actions (THEN): What ShipHero should do, such as setting a shipping method.
- Rule order matters: ShipHero evaluates rules top to bottom — the last matching rule wins.
For full setup instructions and all available triggers and actions, see How to Use Automation Rules in ShipHero.
Automation Rules Best Practices for Carrier Selection
- Sketch your logic before building rules.
- Place the most specific rules at the bottom so they override broader rules.
- Test with new orders — rules only apply to orders that import after the rule is created.
Automation Rule Examples for Carrier Selection
| Goal | Triggers | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Keep hazmat on ground | Product Tag contains HAZMAT | Set Shipping Method → UPS Ground |
| VIPs get free 2-day shipping | Order Tag is VIP | Set Shipping Method → Cheapest / 2 Days |
| USPS for light, close-zone orders | Total Weight ≤ 16 oz AND Zone ≤ 3 | Set Shipping Method → USPS Ground Advantage |
Weight and Zone-Based Carrier Selection Examples
Use this pattern when you want ShipHero to automatically assign a carrier based on both weight and region.
| Goal | Triggers | Action |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage ≤1 lb, Zones 1–4 | Total Weight ≤ 16 oz AND Zip Code in list (Zones 1–4) | Set Shipping Method → USPS / Ground Advantage |
| UPS SurePost 1–5 lb, Western states | Total Weight 17–80 oz AND State in list (CA, OR, WA, NV, AZ) | Set Shipping Method → UPS / SurePost |
| Cheapest Ground over 5 lb | Total Weight ≥ 81 oz | Set Shipping Method → Cheapest / My Ground Profile (RateShop+) |
Pro-Tip
Maintain long ZIP code or state lists in a Google Sheet for easy updates. For international orders, use the Country trigger instead of ZIP or state.
RateShop+ in ShipHero
RateShop+ lets you define a custom cheapest profile using only the carriers and services you want ShipHero to consider — giving you control over cost-optimization without sacrificing service quality. Once created, assign your profile to orders via Shipping > Methods or via automation rules.
For full setup instructions, see How to Use RateShop+ in ShipHero.
Putting It All Together
Follow this sequence to build a fully automated carrier strategy in ShipHero:
- Analyze weight and zone data across your carriers to identify cost patterns.
- Define your shipping tiers — default, economy, expedited, and international.
- Map simple, consistent cases in Shipping > Methods.
- Add Automation Rules for exceptions and special handling.
- Create RateShop+ profiles for curated cheapest-carrier logic.
- Test with representative orders before going live.
- Monitor monthly and adjust as carrier rates or services change.
Troubleshooting: Carrier Optimization Issues in ShipHero
| Issue | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Generic unpaid label printed | Shipping method is not mapped. | Map the method under Shipping > Methods and reprocess the order. |
| Automation rule did not run | Order was created before the rule existed, or rule order conflict. | Create a new test order and review rule order. See Troubleshooting: Why Is My Automation Rule Not Working? |
| RateShop+ not selecting USPS | USPS service is missing from the RateShop+ profile. | Edit the profile under Settings > RateShop+ and add the correct USPS service. |
| Quoted rate does not match invoice | DIM weight, fuel surcharges, or pickup charges are not included in the carrier rate returned at quote time. | Audit carton dimensions and update carrier rating factors in RateShop+. |