Shipping (UPS) by weight according to zones?

[Rand]

Hi,

I have a client who wants to ship items using UPS zones.  There are 7 zones, but each zone has naturally many different zip code ranges.  I have the wonderful UPSv2 module, because the items for sale are 40lb each, so multiple items would not work in the standard shipping module.  However, I have another problem. I am not sure that I am not going about this all the hard way. Or the wrong way.

I have spent 4 hours looking about for an easier method than what I think I need to do.  Can someone tell me if I am on the correct path - or if there is a better/faster way. I hope there is a better/easier way than this.

So, there are 7 zones. But the zip codes for each zone are broken. For example, not ALL of any US state zip codes are in zone 2. If they were, this would be fairly simple, but they are not.

That means for each zone, we have multiple zip code ranges - just as UPS have it indicated on that list of theirs. 

Link to image:  (Upload folder is full)
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/10ca0JLaJxYmTfMyxoAUVA?feat=directlink

Therefore, we actually have to do each zip code range individually for
it to work.  This means we have a total of 134 zip code ranges spanning the 7 zones.

We have 9 weight ranges, they differ for each zone / zip range.  Therefore 2 items to zone 2 is not the same shipping cost as 2 items shipped to zone 4.

EXAMPLE ZONE 2

Weight Ranges:  Zone 2

1 - 39 lbs = $3
40 - 79 lbs =  $7
80 - 119 lbs = $14
120 - 159 lbs = $21
160 - 199 lbs = $28
200 - 239 lbs = $35
240 - 279 lbs = $42
280 - 319 lbs = $49
320 - 359 lbs = $56
360 - 399 lbs = $63

There are 7 different zones, with different price/weight costs.



I will have to generate the correct data for the following:

ZIP CODE range start:
ZIP CODE range end:
Lowest Weight:
Highest Weight:
Shipping Rate:

Lnik to image: (Upload folder is full)
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_HIVVE0bH8akHcMhvwfWng?feat=directlink

This needs to be done for EVERY zip code range in EVERY zone. ?

This is 134 data groups multiplied by 9 weight groups. 

Each one hand entered.   Gathering the data in the correct format will take
ages hours. But then hand entering the total of 1206 data entries will take
even longer.


My concern is twofold.   Initially the amount of hours that would be needed to enter all this.  And secondly, what about when the prices change - they ALL have to be manually changed.


This seems ridiculously cumbersome and time consuming to me an I feel there MUST be a better way to do this.  Can anyone give me any advise?

Thank you sincerely for any input.

Rand