Order boxing

Overview

Order boxing lets you define the boxes you ship in, and Transdirect works out how to pack a customer’s order into them. Instead of quoting each product as a separate parcel, the app groups items into your defined boxes and calculates shipping based on the packed result.

This produces more accurate quotes, especially for orders with multiple small items that would otherwise be quoted individually.

How it works

Boxing only runs when Group items into your boxes when quoting is on (under Boxing rules) and the cart has more than one item. Choosing Pack into my standard boxes or A mix of both during onboarding turns it on. When a cart is quoted, Transdirect:

Takes each item’s weight and dimensions from the cart.
Tries every box size, uses the one that packs the remaining items best, and repeats until everything is packed or no box can be used.
Quotes the packed boxes, plus any items that did not fit, in their own packaging. A packed box weighs the total of the items in it.

The result is a quote based on the boxes you will ship, rather than the individual product dimensions.

Defining boxes

You can define up to five box sizes in the Box library. Each box has:

Field	Unit	Description
Length	cm	Internal length of the box
Width	cm	Internal width of the box
Height	cm	Internal height of the box
Max weight	kg	Maximum weight the box can hold. Leave it at 0 for no limit.

Open boxing settings

In Shopify admin, go to Apps > Transdirect Shipping and click the Order boxing card on the Dashboard (or complete the Boxes step during onboarding).
Turn on boxing

Under Boxing rules, turn on Group items into your boxes when quoting.
Add or edit boxes

Enter each box’s internal dimensions (cm) and maximum weight. Click + Add box for another size, or Remove to delete one.
Cover your range

Define a range of sizes that covers your typical orders, from small single-item packs to larger multi-item cartons.
Save

Click Save changes. New checkout quotes use your box library while order boxing is on.

Volumetric weight calculation

Most couriers charge on the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. Dimensions are entered in centimetres, and the standard cubic conversion applies:

Volumetric weight (kg) = Length (cm) × Width (cm) × Height (cm) ÷ 4,000

For example, a box measuring 40cm × 30cm × 20cm:

Volumetric weight = 40 × 30 × 20 ÷ 4,000 = 6kg
If the packed items weigh 3kg, the courier charges based on 6kg (volumetric)

See items and packaging for more detail.

Minimum fill

Tick Only group items when they fill the box by at least …% to stop Transdirect using a box that the items would fill to less than that percentage of its volume. The suggested value is 25%. A small order is then not quoted in an oversized carton.

For example, with a minimum fill of 20%, a Large box that the items would fill to only 10% is not used. Transdirect tries the other sizes, and items that fit no box well enough are quoted in their own packaging.

Best practices

Define boxes that match your real packaging

Use the actual box sizes you stock. If you use three standard box sizes in your warehouse, define those three sizes in the app. Adding hypothetical sizes leads to inaccurate quotes.

Include a range of sizes

Define at least a small, medium, and large box to cover the range of order sizes your store typically handles. This gives the packing algorithm the best chance of finding an efficient fit.

Test with representative orders

After configuring your boxes, test the quoting process with a few typical orders to verify the packed results make sense. Check that the box selections and quoted prices align with your expectations.

Monitor for oversized items

If a product is larger than your biggest defined box, it will be quoted as an individual item outside of the boxing system. Make sure your largest box can accommodate your largest commonly ordered product.

Next steps

Configure multipickup and frequent rates for high-volume shipping discounts
Set up shipping rules to further control rates and courier availability