The cost of shipping a one pound box from L.A. to New York can range anywhere from $1.73 to $69.73, depending on shipping options. A Forrester Research study for Shop.org says online sales of items shipped are expected to increase 20 percent this year, to approach $132 billion.

The U.S. Postal Service reported that it handled nearly three billion packages in 2005, and its revenues from packages rose 2.8 percent to $8.6 billion. In light of these growing and disparate costs, wholesalers and online merchants are challenged to find the most cost effective shipping alternative.

RedRoller.com, based in Norwalk, CT, offers a free, instant web based solution. The website, www.redroller.com, offers comparison shopping of shipping services for small businesses, online retailers and consumers. By entering the destination and weight of a package at the website, users can save time and money by comparing shipping services from carriers such as the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx Corp. and DHL Worldwide Express, as well as regional carriers. It presents choices based on delivery time and price, and enables an "apples to apples" comparison of shipping carriers by providing price and service visibility for small business customers. Users can sort the results by price, carrier, delivery or pick-up time.

In addition, shipping labels can be printed on any printer, and a pickup time can be scheduled or the package can be left at the nearest drop off location. It also tracks packages and lets users build online address books. It can be integrated with other applications, such as Outlook, eBay and QuickBooks, and can automatically import expenses into a company ledger.

"We level the playing field for small businesses that depend on shipping," said William VanWyck, founder and chief executive officer. "We make shipping easier than ever by letting small businesses compare, ship and save both time and money."

RedRoller.com estimates that it can save small businesses up to 50 percent annually on shipping. The service is free, because the company earns its revenue through affiliated marketing with other companies, click throughs and advertising. The service has no upfront costs or monthly fees and includes reporting and tracking, maps to the nearest drop off locations, hours of operation, address verification and email notifications.

For more information, visit www.redroller.com.