Live example on this page: 12 × 10 × 4 in, 5 lb, USPS Ground Advantage at $11.70 on the lane below.
A real quote: College hardcover textbook, 900 pages
On 2026-07-24 we typed “College hardcover textbook, 900 pages” into the SMKlog calculator and asked for Baltimore, MD 21201 to Oklahoma City, OK 73102. What's printed below matches the response exactly; no scale came out, no tape, no touch-ups.
What we typed
College hardcover textbook, 900 pages
Even without a title, format and page count narrow things well. A bare textbook would average out; adding hardcover and 900 pages sizes the parcel properly.
Packed box it returned
12 × 9 × 3 in
31 × 24 × 7 cm
Packed weight 4 lb (1.8 kg).
Route
Baltimore, MD 21201
to Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Baltimore and Oklahoma City are real ZIPs rated in real time, and the mileage between them is the strongest lever in these totals.
Paper is dense, so the scale carries this quote: 4 lb actual versus roughly 2.3 lb dimensional (12 × 9 × 3 ÷ 139). Only an oversized carton could push billing back onto the box.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Estimated transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS | Ground Saver | $11.70 | about 4 business days |
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $12.05 | about 8 business days |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $14.31 | about 4 business days |
| UPS | Next Day Air Saver | $61.24 | about 1 business day |
| USPS | Priority Mail Express | $93.34 | about 2 business days |
Rates shown are the checkout totals, with SMKlog's charge already inside, and no later line items. USPS Ground Advantage anchored the low end at $11.70. Numbers this small still wobble as carrier tables update, so get a same-day quote for your own route before mailing anything.
Other versions, same route
All three rows were quoted on 2026-07-25 across one fixed lane, Baltimore, MD to Oklahoma City, OK, so book count is the only input changing. A click on any row opens the calculator preloaded with that description and route.
| What we typed | Packed box | Packed weight | Cheapest quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single hardcover college textbook, 1200 pages | 12 × 9 × 2 in | 5.5 lb | $12.34 USPS Ground Advantage |
| Box of four hardcover college textbooks | 12 × 9 × 6 in | 18 lb | $15.12 USPS Ground Advantage |
| Box of eight hardcover college textbooks | 12 × 10 × 10 in | 26 lb | $35.44 UPS Ground Saver |
One 1200-page book versus a box of eight spans $23.10 on the same route; weight did that, nothing else. Quote your own stack before taping, since carrier tables shift under you.
Typical packed size
About 12 × 10 × 4 in once boxed. Use a box close to the book's footprint with crumpled paper on all sides. For two or more textbooks, tape them into a paper-wrapped brick first so they cannot shift and tear the box.
Packed weight
2–6 lb packed. The greater of real and dimensional weight is what gets billed, though books are dense enough that the scale usually wins as long as the box stays snug.
What moves the price
Zone, speed, and the sealed carton are the price. Baltimore, MD to Oklahoma City, OK reaches halfway across the map; a next-door state costs less for this box, and air service costs more. The identical parcel returned $11.70 to $14.31 across these services, so one printed price would just be a guess; the calculator quotes the lane you type.
Shipping a textbook: common questions
What box size do I need to ship a textbook?
Plan around 12 × 10 × 4 in packed. Use a box close to the book's footprint with crumpled paper on all sides. For two or more textbooks, tape them into a paper-wrapped brick first so they cannot shift and tear the box.
How much does a textbook weigh packed for shipping?
Typically 2–6 lb packed. The carrier compares actual weight with length × width × height over its divisor and bills the larger, so weigh and measure once the box is sealed. Guessing under means an adjustment afterward.
What is the cheapest way to ship textbooks back after the semester?
USPS Media Mail is usually the floor price for textbooks and is legal for them. If the buyer or buyback program needs the book fast, a ground service costs a few dollars more and arrives in 2–5 days instead of up to 8.
Does an access code or CD inside change anything?
No for shipping, though for the sale itself note that opened digital codes are often worthless to buyers. The disc adds no meaningful weight; keep it inside the cover sleeve.
How much does it cost to ship a textbook?
Weight, zone, and service class. A packed textbook runs about 4 lb, and at 12x10x4 inches the box is well under one cubic foot, so dimensional weight never enters the picture; you pay on actual weight. Distance is the other lever; a cross-country book costs more than a next-state one. The calculator takes your route and box and returns USPS, UPS, and FedEx rates live.
Can I ship a textbook with USPS Media Mail?
Usually yes. Bound books of eight or more pages qualify for Media Mail, USPS's lowest-priced class for printed material. The trade-offs: it is slower, packages can be opened for inspection, and the box cannot include unrelated non-media items. If timing matters, say a buyback deadline or a semester start, Ground Advantage is the safer pick for only a modest step up.