50 pound surcharge on packages.
While the shipping cost per pound has gone up across the board, there is now a special surchage for packages of 50 pounds or more.
Remember: The surcharge applies to the package, not the entire shipment.
I just checked at Central Milling, and with a test order, to Indianapolis, it was $14 cheaper, _after shipping_, to order two bags of 25 pounds, than it was for one bag of 50 pounds.
I suspect, and I hope, that many millers who cater to retail customers will start offering 45 pound bags of flour/grain, in order to get a lower price per pound for the flour/grain than a 25-pounder, and which will also avoid the 50 pound package surcharge.
45 pounds allows for a few pounds of shipping material, plus possible moisture absorption by both the product and paper/cardboard packaging.
Which carrier charges the 50# or more surcharge? All of them? USPS,UPS,FedEx, Yellow Freight,etc?
UPS and FedEx for sure. I assume USPS either led the way, or followed suit.
Other _package_ shippers such as DHL, whose drivers walk the packages from the truck/van to the business' or residence's door would also have followed suit.
The "50 pound surcharge" would not apply to "Truck freight", where the recipient (usually a business) is responsible for getting the pallets off the truck, as pallets would be over 50 pounds anyway.
You can verify for any particular carrier by going to their web site and doing the cost calculation for two test shipments - one shipment of a 48 pound package, and one of a 50 pounder, and maybe try a test shipment of 2 packages of 25 pounds each.
Most carriers will let you calculate an estimated cost on line without logging in nor committing to a shipment.