--- title: Doudlah Farms B2B Shipping Strategy type: article created: '2026-04-05' updated: '2026-04-05' source_docs: - raw/2025-11-07-doudlah-farms-marketing-amazon-ecommerce-inventory-call-100083609.md tags: - doudlah-farms - ecommerce - b2b - shipping - woocommerce - shipstation - ups - fedex - speedy - fulfillment layer: 2 client_source: null industry_context: null transferable: true --- # Doudlah Farms B2B Shipping Strategy ## Overview Doudlah Farms operates a B2B wholesale site (WooCommerce) serving grocery co-ops, restaurants, and specialty retailers. Because their customer base spans local Madison-area accounts (delivered by farm truck) to distant buyers requiring freight carriers, a single shipping rule cannot cover all cases. The team settled on a **hybrid model** with three tiers, configured at the account level in WooCommerce. This strategy was defined during the [[wiki/clients/doudlah-farms/_index|Doudlah Farms]] November 2025 working session and is being implemented alongside the broader [[wiki/knowledge/ecommerce-strategy/doudlah-farms-b2b-site-setup|B2B site setup]]. --- ## The Three-Tier Model ### Tier 1 — Free Local Delivery (Established Accounts) Accounts that fall on existing delivery routes receive free delivery. No shipping is calculated at checkout; the option is simply set to $0 for those accounts. **Current free-delivery accounts include:** - Metcalfe's (multiple locations) - Willie Street Co-op - Epic (multiple contacts) - Outpost - Seasonal Harvest **How it works in WooCommerce:** Each account is provisioned manually when their wholesale application is approved. The free-delivery flag is set per account, so it cannot be gamed by new customers who happen to share a zip code. **Minimum order for free delivery:** ~$200–$300 (to be confirmed with Lucy). Orders below this threshold should be directed to the B2C site. --- ### Tier 2 — Calculated Shipping (New / Remote Customers) New wholesale customers who are outside existing delivery routes are assigned a carrier plugin at checkout. Shipping is calculated automatically by **weight and destination zip code**. **Carrier options under evaluation:** - **UPS** — has a native WooCommerce plugin; currently experiencing service quality issues (lost shipments, poor claims resolution) - **FedEx** — recommended by a UPS employee as a more reliable alternative; plugin availability to be confirmed - **Unishippers** — covers both UPS and FedEx under one account; reviews are mixed, but worth evaluating for plugin support - **Speedy (SPEEDEE)** — regional Midwest LTL carrier; significantly cheaper than UPS/FedEx for heavier shipments but limited geographic coverage **Action:** Karly to research WooCommerce plugins for UPS, FedEx, Speedy, and Unishippers to determine which support real-time rate calculation at checkout. **Special case — The Root Seller (Sun Prairie):** Assigned a **$50 flat-rate** delivery fee. They receive Tuesday delivery but are outside the free-delivery zone. --- ### Tier 3 — Manual LTL Quotes (Large Orders) Orders above roughly 300–800 lbs are too large and variable for automated rate calculation. These are handled manually: 1. Customer places an order (or contacts Doudlah Farms directly). 2. Mark or Jason calculates the best carrier option using ShipStation rate comparison. 3. For Midwest destinations, **Speedy** is the preferred LTL carrier — typically one-third the cost of UPS for pallet shipments. 4. Speedy pricing factors: number of boxes vs. pallet configuration, whether the destination has a loading dock or hand jack (adds ~$50 if Speedy must bring their own). **Real example:** A 335 lb order to Oak Crepes — UPS quote was $200–$300; Speedy quote was $120, using 12 boxes (2 bags each) on a pallet. **Speedy coverage:** Midwest only; does not serve all states. Mark to verify zip code coverage via the Speedy website (speedee.com → service map). --- ## Account Provisioning Workflow When a new wholesale application is received: 1. Review the applicant's location and order profile. 2. Assign one of the three shipping tiers. 3. Assign the appropriate **price list** (standard new pricing, or custom list for Mark Bernard / Piggly Wiggly / Al & Al). 4. Create the WooCommerce account with the correct shipping and pricing rules. 5. Add links to the relevant product catalog tab (e.g., L&L Foods / Woodman's links in column G of the pricing sheet). **Accounts selected for pre-launch user testing:** Seasonal Harvest, Outpost, Truvian. --- ## Key Decisions | Decision | Outcome | |---|---| | Free delivery threshold | ~$200 minimum order; below that, redirect to B2C site | | Shipping plugin carrier | UPS plugin as baseline; FedEx/Unishippers/Speedy to be evaluated | | LTL carrier preference | Speedy for Midwest; manual quote process | | FAIR marketplace accounts | Not migrated to B2B site proactively; added only when they request it | | PayPal auto-transfer | Set to daily to simplify accounting reconciliation | | Stripe payout cadence | To be confirmed with Mark Hope | --- ## Open Items - [ ] Research WooCommerce plugins: UPS, FedEx, Speedy, Unishippers — confirm real-time rate calculation support (@Karly Oykhman) - [ ] Set account-level shipping rules for all existing B2B accounts (@Karly Oykhman) - [ ] Add $50 flat-rate shipping rule for The Root Seller (@Karly Oykhman) - [ ] Confirm Stripe payout cadence and reporting with Mark Hope (@Karly Oykhman) - [ ] Call Marty (farm hub) to learn how he handles shipping/handling calculations for multi-farm delivery (@Mark Doudlah) - [ ] Send custom price lists for Mark Bernard, Piggly Wiggly, and Al & Al to Karly (@Mark Doudlah) --- ## Related - [[wiki/clients/doudlah-farms/_index|Doudlah Farms Client Overview]] - [[wiki/knowledge/ecommerce-strategy/doudlah-farms-b2b-site-setup|Doudlah Farms B2B Site Setup]] - [[wiki/knowledge/ecommerce-strategy/doudlah-farms-amazon-inventory|Doudlah Farms Amazon Inventory & FBA Strategy]]