Fedex Rate Web Service

For more information visit Fedex Web Services for Shipping.

This version uses the Non-SOAP Web Services so there is no need to download the Fedex WSDL files, note however that you will need to apply for development/production credentials.

Note: Please make sure to test your results.

Installation:

Rails 3.x using Bundler's Gemfile:

gem 'fedex'

Rails 2.x or without Rails or Bundler:

gem install fedex

Usage example:

Define the shipper:

shipper = { :name => "Sender",
            :company => "Company",
            :phone_number => "555-555-5555",
            :address => "Main Street",
            :city => "Harrison",
            :state => "AR",
            :postal_code => "72601",
            :country_code => "US" }

Define the recipient:

recipient = { :name => "Recipient",
              :company => "Company",
              :phone_number => "555-555-5555",
              :address => "Main Street",
              :city => "Franklin Park",
              :state => "IL",
              :postal_code => "60131",
              :country_code => "US",
              :residential => "false" }

Define the packages; multiple packages in a single shipment are allowed: Note that all the dimensions must be integers.

packages = []
packages << {
  :weight => {:units => "LB", :value => 2},
  :dimensions => {:length => 10, :width => 5, :height => 4, :units => "IN" }
}
packages << {
  :weight => {:units => "LB", :value => 6},
  :dimensions => {:length => 5, :width => 5, :height => 4, :units => "IN" }
}

By default packaging type is "YOUR PACKAGING" and the drop off type is "REGULAR PICKUP". If you need something different you can pass an extra hash for shipping options

shipping_options = {
  :packaging_type => "YOUR_PACKAGING",
  :drop_off_type => "REGULAR_PICKUP"
}

Create a Fedex::Shipment object using your FedEx credentials; mode should be either production or development depending on what Fedex environment you want to use.

require 'fedex'
fedex = Fedex::Shipment.new(:key => 'xxx',
                            :password => 'xxxx',
                            :account_number => 'xxxx',
                            :meter => 'xxx',
                            :mode => 'production')

** Getting Shipping Rates **

To find a shipping rate:

rate = fedex.rate(:shipper=>shipper,
                  :recipient => recipient,
                  :packages => packages,
                  :service_type => "FEDEX_GROUND",
                  :shipping_options => shipping_options)

Fedex provides multiple total values; total_net_charge is the final amount you are looking for.

    $ rate.total_net_charge => "34.03"
    # Complete response
    $ <Fedex::Rate:0x1019ba5f8
          @total_net_charge="34.03",
          @total_surcharges="1.93",
          @total_billing_weight="8.0 LB",
          @total_taxes="0.0",
          @rate_type="PAYOR_ACCOUNT_PACKAGE",
          @total_base_charge="32.1",
          @total_freight_discounts=nil,
          @total_net_freight="32.1",
          @rate_zone="51">

** Get a Transit time **

ship = fedex.ship(:shipper=>shipper,
                  :recipient => recipient,
                  :packages => packages,
                  :service_type => "FEDEX_GROUND",
                  :shipping_options => shipping_options)
puts ship[:completed_shipment_detail][:operational_detail] [:transit_time]

Above code will give you the transit time.

** Generate a shipping label (PDF) **

To create a label for a shipment:

label = fedex.label(:filename => "my_dir/example.pdf",
                    :shipper=>shipper,
                    :recipient => recipient,
                    :packages => packages,
                    :service_type => "FEDEX_GROUND",
                    :shipping_options => shipping_options)

** Generate a shipping label in any available format **

Change the filename extension and pass a label_specification hash. For example:

example_spec = {
  :image_type => "EPL2",
  :label_stock_type => "STOCK_4X6"
}

label = fedex.label(:filename => "my_dir/example_epl2.pcx",
                    :shipper=>shipper,
                    :recipient => recipient,
                    :packages => packages,
                    :service_type => "FEDEX_GROUND",
                    :shipping_options => shipping_options,
                    :label_specification => example_spec)

** Storing a label on Amazon S3 with Paperclip **

This is useful when you need to store the labels for later use, and are hosting your application on Heroku as they do not allow writing to the filesystem, save the tmp directory. With Paperclip setup up on a shipment model:

label = fedex.label(:filename => "tmp/example_label.pdf",
                    :shipper=>shipper,
                    :recipient => recipient,
                    :packages => packages,
                    :service_type => "FEDEX_GROUND",
                    :shipping_options => shipping_options,
                    :label_specification => example_spec)

Then attach the label to your Paperclip model:

shipment.fedex_label = label.file_name
shipment.save!

Documentation for setting up Paperclip with Amazon S3 can be found in the Paperclip README.

** Tracking a shipment **

To track a shipment:

results = fedex.track(:tracking_number => "1234567890123")
# => [#<Fedex::TrackingInformation>]

# Pull the first result from the returned array
#
tracking_info = results.first

tracking_info.tracking_number
# => "1234567890123"

tracking_info.status
# => "Delivered"

tracking_info.events.first.description
# => "On FedEx vehicle for delivery"

** Verifying an address **

To verify an address is valid and deliverable:

address = {
  :street      => "5 Elm Street",
  :city        => "Norwalk",
  :state       => "CT",
  :postal_code => "06850",
  :country     => "USA"
}

address_result = fedex.validate_address(:address => address)

address_result.residential
# => true

address_result.score
# => 100

address_result.postal_code
# => "06850-3901"

Services/Options Available

Fedex::Shipment::SERVICE_TYPES
Fedex::Shipment::PACKAGING_TYPES
Fedex::Shipment::DROP_OFF_TYPES

Development

Testing

To test, run rspec.

Previously, this gem, while it did record requests, it did not record them. However, this makes it difficult to test minor changes as credentials are needed to run the tests but may not actually be required. Requests are now included, but it is up to the developer to periodically check that this gem actually still works against the Fedex web service.

When testing against real Fedex endpoints, copy spec/config/fedex_credentials.example.yml to spec/config/fedex_credentials.yml and fill it with correct values for both development and production. VCRed requests will be recorded to spec/vcr-real-requests. If there are any changes with the real API, you can adapt the real requests into the fake requests (mostly, just change the username, password, account number, and meter numbers to xxx) found under spec/vcr.

Contributors:

• jazminschroeder (Jazmin Schroeder)
• parndt (Philip Arndt)
• mmell (Michael Mell)
• jordanbyron (Jordan Byron)
• geermc4 (German Garcia)
• janders223 (Jim Anders)
• jlambert121 (Justin Lambert)
• sborsje (Stefan Borsje)
• bradediger (Brad Ediger)
• linux2647 (Stephen Howell)

Copyright/License:

Copyright 2011 Jazmin Schroeder

This gem is made available under the MIT license.