Automatic box recommendations for every order.
Your packers shouldn't guess the box. CartonPilot's API picks the cheapest viable carton mix - using the same box sizes you already have as ShipStation package types - before the order reaches your ShipStation workflow.
Package selection is the one step ShipStation leaves to you.
ShipStation handles rates, labels, and order sync. But choosing which of your package types fits each order - or how to split a multi-item order across boxes - is a judgment call made at the bench, order by order.
Multi-item orders spill over
When a packer eyeballs a five-line order, items that could fit one carton often end up in two - and every extra parcel is another label, another base rate.
Oversized cartons trigger DIM billing
Carriers bill max(actual, dimensional) weight. Default to a carton one size too big and you pay for the air inside it on every shipment.
Every wrong guess is margin
In our published, reproducible benchmark, smarter packing meant 44% fewer parcels and 37% lower carrier spend at Ground list rates - about $11.31 per order.
How it fits your ShipStation flow
1. Order arrives from your store
Your storefront or OMS receives the order as usual - nothing about your ShipStation order sync changes.
2. Your integration calls CartonPilot
One POST to /api/v1/shipping-optimize with the order's items and your box lineup - the same box sizes you have configured as ShipStation package types.
3. The right box flows into ShipStation
The returned box choice and weights go into your ShipStation shipment, so packers see the right carton and rates are quoted against the right dimensions.
See what better box choices would save you.
Paste an order (or a CSV) and the production engine shows parcels saved, box spend, and estimated FedEx/UPS Ground cost - right here, before you write a line of integration code.
Your order
| Item | L | W | H | lb | Qty | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audited against a standard 7-box corrugated line-up using a first-fit baseline vs. cartonpilot-ultra.
Add your items and run the audit to see how many parcels and how much box spend CartonPilot can cut.
ShipStation box recommendations FAQ
Does ShipStation recommend boxes automatically?
In ShipStation you configure your package types (your box sizes) and choose one per shipment - the box decision itself is up to you or your packers. CartonPilot automates exactly that choice: your integration calls the API with the order's items and your box lineup, and gets back the cheapest viable carton mix before the shipment is rated.
Do I need to leave ShipStation?
No. CartonPilot sits upstream of ShipStation and only handles the box decision. You keep ShipStation for labels, rate shopping, and order management - CartonPilot just makes sure the shipment is quoted against the right box and dimensions.
What about multi-item orders that need more than one box?
The API returns multi-box splits with exact 3D placements per box - which items go in which carton, how they're oriented, and each box's dimensions and weights. Your integration can create one ShipStation shipment per box, each with the correct package dimensions.
How do packers actually see the recommendation?
CartonPilot returns the chosen box id, dimensions, weights, and 3D placements as JSON. Your integration writes that into the shipment or order notes, so packers see the right carton for each order at the bench instead of guessing.
What does it cost?
The Free plan covers 1,000 items/month with no credit card. Paid plans are Starter at $49/month (10k items), Growth at $149 (50k), and Scale at $399 (250k), with Enterprise available on request. The free packing audit on this page needs no signup at all.
1,000 items/month free - no credit card. Or run the free audit first.
ShipStation is a trademark of Auctane, Inc. CartonPilot is not affiliated with or endorsed by ShipStation.