Java - String index out of range error

Actually I found some problems in this code part.

 //Prompt user for Zone
        System.out.print("Enter the zone letter: ");
        input = keyboard.nextLine();
        zone = input.charAt();

First you are taking String input using .nextLine() method which may create problem. For more Information about this, Refer this.

Another problem is that you are not allocating any character to zone rather you should pass index of desiring character in .charAt() method.

So you can do this in two ways in case you want first character of entered String.For another character, change index value in .charAt() method.

1)

//Prompt user for Zone
    System.out.print("Enter the zone letter: ");
    keyboard.nextLine();  //Storing that Enter key Input (Garbage value)
    input = keyboard.nextLine();
    zone = input.charAt(0);

2)

//Prompt user for Zone
    System.out.print("Enter the zone letter: ");
    input = keyboard.next();  //In case your String input doesn't contain Space in between.
    zone = input.charAt(0);

If you want to take only one character as an input, You can take character input instead of String.

//Prompt user for Zone
    System.out.print("Enter the zone letter: ");
    zone = keyboard.next().charAt(0);

Corrected Code

//Arthur Fidas
import java.util.Scanner;   //Needed for Scanner class
import java.lang.String;
/**
    This program computes and displays the shipping charges for Fed Ex.
*/

public class FedEx
{
    public static void main (String[] args)
    {
        final double ZONE_A = .6, ZONE_B = 1.0, ZONE_C = 1.25, ZONE_D = 1.4;
        String input;
        char zone;
        String name;
        double weight;
        double total = 0.0;
        int serviceCode;
        int hazardCode;
        double hazardCodeCalculation;

        //Create a Scanner object for keyboard input
        Scanner keyboard = new Scanner (System.in);

        //Prompt user for package weight
        System.out.println("What is the weight of the package?: ");
        weight = keyboard.nextDouble();

        /*THIS FOLLOWING PORTION CAN BE CHANGED WITH PROVIDED SOLUTIONS, TRY ANY OF THEM*/

        //Prompt user for Zone                             
        System.out.print("Enter the zone letter: ");
        input = keyboard.next();
        zone = input.charAt(0);

        /*TILL THIS*/

        //Calculate zone price
        switch(zone)
        {
            case 'a':
            case 'A':
                total = weight*ZONE_A;
                break;
            case 'b':
            case 'B':
                total = weight*ZONE_B;
                break;
            case 'c':
            case 'C':
                total = weight*ZONE_C;
                break;
            case 'd':
            case 'D':
                total = weight*ZONE_D;
                break;
            default:
                System.out.println("Please enter A, B, C, or D.");
                break;
        }

        //Prompt user for service charge
        System.out.println("Enter the Special Service number: ");
        serviceCode = keyboard.nextInt();

        //Caculate Service Charge
        if (serviceCode == 1)
        {
            total += 0;
        }
        else if (serviceCode == 2)
        {
            total += 10;
        }
        else if (serviceCode == 3)
        {
            total += 25;
        }
        else
        {
            System.out.println("Please enter 1, 2, or 3.");
        }
        //Prompt user for Hazard Code
        System.out.println("Enter the Hazard Code number :");
        hazardCode = keyboard.nextInt();

        //Calculate Hazard Charge
        switch(hazardCode)
        {
            case 1:
                total += 0;
                break;
            case 2:
                hazardCodeCalculation = total * .1;
                total += hazardCodeCalculation;
                break;
            case 3:
                hazardCodeCalculation = total * .25;
                total += hazardCodeCalculation;
                break;
            default:
                System.out.println("Please enter either 1, 2, or 3.");
                break;
        }
    }
}