Parcel Accessorial Cost Index
How much a fixed basket of everyday accessorial situations costs at each carrier’s published list amounts, month by month.
Parcel Accessorial Cost Index (Dec. 2025 = 100)
Basket of nine package scenarios at published list amounts, zones 5–6, excluding fuel and demand. Hollow points and dashed segments: includes amounts pending verification. Methodology →
The basket
| Scenario | UPS base | UPS today | UPS Feb. 2027 | FedEx base | FedEx today | FedEx Feb. 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Ground parcel, 12×10×6 in, 5 lb | $6.10 | $6.50 | $7.10 Pending verification | $5.95 | $6.45 | $6.90 |
| Residential parcel to a Delivery Area ZIP | $12.25 | $13.05 | $14.25 Pending verification | $12.15 | $13.05 | $13.90 |
| Residential parcel to an Extended Delivery Area ZIP | $14.40 | $15.35 | $16.75 Pending verification | $14.25 | $15.25 | $16.50 |
| Commercial parcel to a Delivery Area ZIP | $4.20 | $4.50 | $4.90 Pending verification | $4.20 | $4.45 | $4.70 |
| Long carton, 50×20×10 in, 30 lb (Additional Handling, dimensions) | $36.00 | $38.50 | $42.00 Pending verification | $36.00 | $38.50 | $41.25 |
| Heavy carton, 18×14×10 in, 55 lb (Additional Handling, weight) | $52.75 | $56.25 | $61.25 Pending verification | $52.75 | $56.25 | $60.25 |
| Large package, 97×16×12 in, 60 lb, commercial | $250.00 | $273.00 | $305.00 Pending verification | $297.50 | $320.00 | $345.00 |
| Large package, 97×16×12 in, 60 lb, residential | $303.60 | $327.00 | $354.85 Pending verification | $303.45 | $326.45 | $351.90 |
| Parcel to an Alaska remote ZIP | $43.25 | $46.25 | $49.75 Pending verification | $43.00 | $46.00 | $48.75 |
| Basket total | $722.55 | $780.40 | $855.85 | $769.25 | $826.40 | $889.15 |
Method
- Each scenario is priced with the site’s rule engine on the 15th of each month, at zones 5–6 for zoned charges.
- Only accessorials are counted: residential, delivery area and remote tiers, Additional Handling, Large Package / Oversize. Transportation, fuel and demand surcharges are excluded so the index measures list accessorial prices, not fuel or seasonality.
- Every scenario has a weight of one. Index = basket cost ÷ basket cost on Dec. 15, 2025 × 100, rounded to one decimal.
- If any component is pending verification, the index value is marked pending. Components that are unavailable are not substituted with estimates.
Why a fixed basket
Carriers announce average increases for base rates; accessorials move on their own schedules and through rule changes (such as the 2026 cube thresholds). A fixed basket shows the combined effect of amount changes and rule changes on the same packages.
Limitations
- The basket is illustrative, not weighted by industry volume, and not a measure of any shipper’s costs.
- List amounts before discounts.
- Rule changes in the basket packages (for example the UPS 50 lb minimum) affect billable weight but not the accessorial amounts counted here.
Caveats
The index is a list-price measure. It is not a forecast, not a benchmark of any shipper’s costs and not a measure of savings.
Reproduce it
Download cost-index.csv or call /api/v1/cost-index, which returns the basket definition and every monthly value.
Related
2027 accessorial increases: UPS vs. FedEx
Category-by-category comparison of the 2027 changes, and the two-week window when only UPS’s new amounts apply.
The 2026 cube rule: which cartons it caught
Every whole-inch carton tested against the new 10,368 in³ and 17,280 in³ thresholds. The Large Package rule is the one that bites.
Peak 2026: demand surcharges week by week
How UPS and FedEx demand amounts line up across the 2026–27 peak, week by week.