ecommerce businesses have many different shipping options. fedex ground is one of the most popular and well-known e-commerce shipping options. however, there are many other ways to ship your orders. This includes other options from FedEx and UPS services and the United States Postal Service.
for the purposes of this article, we compared published rates for shipping a 12x12x12 box weighing 10 pounds from los angeles to new york city.
here’s what you need to know to choose fedex ground or another service for your ecommerce shipping.
land fedex
Before 2000, FedEx was primarily an express delivery service. With the introduction of FedEx Ground, the company entered a competition for package delivery that had previously been dominated by UPS and USPS. fedex ground quickly became a dominant force as a low-cost ground shipping option.
what is fedex ground?
fedex ground is a shipping service that accepts packages up to 150 pounds and up to 108″ in length and a limit of 165″ in length plus girth (l+2w+2h). you can use fedex ground to ship to addresses in all 50 states. The carrier network uses contractors who drive their own vehicles, as well as fedex delivery trucks and drivers.
if you ship a lot of packages via fedex, you can schedule a daily pickup at your office or warehouse.
how does fedex ground work?
Fedex home delivery uses the fedex ground network to deliver to residential addresses. FedEx Ground delivers packages to business addresses at the end of the day, Monday through Friday. This service does not ship to USPS PO Boxes. you can track your packages and your customers can use a tracking number to follow the progress of their order delivery.
you can make a single shipment with fedex ground. If you ship in high volume, you may be able to set up an account with FedEx and get discounted rates.
how long does fedex ground take?
delivery time for fedex ground depends on how far you ship your package. The range is one to five business days in the 48 contiguous states and three to seven business days for Alaska and Hawaii, according to the FedEx website.
our package going from los angeles to new york city would take four days and cost $34.96.
fedex smart post
fedex smartpost is a partnership between fedex and usps. the post office does the last mile delivery while fedex does the long haul. There are rumors that FedEx will handle the last mile of SmartPost deliveries through its FedEx ground delivery network. however, the fedex website still describes this service as using usps for home delivery.
what is fedex smart post?
Like FedEx Ground, SmartPost ships to all US states and territories. However, while SmartPost will deliver outside of the 48 contiguous states, the service will not pick up packages in Alaska, Hawaii, or the US Territories.
how does fedex smart post work?
if you want to use fedex smartpost, you must have a contract with fedex. you cannot send a single package. Because USPS makes final deliveries, SmartPost packages can go everywhere the postal service goes, which is every address in the United States. size limits for smartpost are 70lbs and 130″ length plus girth (l+2w+2h).
smartpost offers delivery six days a week, Monday through Saturday. you can use this service to send packages to post office boxes.
how long does fedex smartpost take?
Fedex SmartPost ships to most US addresses. uu. within two to seven days. outside the contiguous 48 states, shipping may take longer.
Shipping our package from Los Angeles to New York City could take up to seven days and cost $24.48.
home delivery by fedex
Fedex home delivery is part of the fedex ground network that delivers to residential addresses. Like FedEx Ground, this service relies on FedEx contractors and drivers. offers delivery to all 50 states.
what is fedex home delivery?
fedex home delivery accepts packages the same size as fedex ground: up to 150 pounds and up to 108″ in length and a limit of 165″ in length plus girth (l+2w+2h). This service does not ship to PO Boxes. also, you cannot transport most hazardous materials.
how does fedex home delivery work?
fedex home delivery offers several different delivery options. With a given home delivery date, you can get same-day delivery within a metropolitan area or across the country. this service also offers options with longer delivery windows, including ground service, with guaranteed arrival on a scheduled date. overnight home delivery delivers packages after business hours, when people may be home to receive them. and home delivery by appointment provides a delivery window for recipients. not all services are available in all areas.
fedex ground picks up outgoing packages for home delivery on weekdays.
how long does fedex home delivery take?
Fedex Home Delivery now offers Saturday and Sunday delivery as a standard service to residential addresses, which may shorten delivery time. weekend deliveries are not available to all addresses. if you use fedex ground, the delivery time is estimated between one and seven days.
Using ground delivery, our package from Los Angeles to New York City would take four days and cost $34.96. For the fastest option, same day delivery nationwide, you must open a fedex account to get a quote.
goes up to land
United Parcel Service (UPS) delivers packages with its distinctive brown trucks and drivers in brown uniforms. In addition to ground service, UPS offers overnight, two-day, and three-day shipping options.
what is ups ground?
ups ground has the same size limits as fedex ground: up to 150lbs and up to 108″ in length and a limit of 165″ in length plus girth (l+2w+2h). ups offers clear instructions on how to determine the dimensions of your package. If your items are large for their weight, your package may be subject to a dimensional weight price. fedex also adds charges for reduced weight.
how does ups ground work?
You do not need an account to ship ups ground. you can walk into a ups store and send a package. However, if you ship a lot of packages, you can schedule a daily UPS pickup at your location.
ups ground offers guaranteed delivery, so you can let your customers know in advance when to expect their orders. ups ground also offers cash on delivery or cod. this can be especially useful for companies with b2b sales.
how long does it take to get on land?
ups ground can deliver packages in one to five days, depending on the distance. the package from los angeles to new york city would take four days. new york is in zone 8 so the retail cost to ship our 10 pound box would be $28.52.
usps priority mail
us postal service. uu. has a requirement that no private carrier has. You must deliver mail and packages to all addresses in the United States, no matter how remote. Therefore, USPS Priority Mail delivers everywhere in the United States.
what is usps priority mail?
usps priority mail is the post office’s package delivery service. Any envelope or box weighing more than 13 ounces automatically becomes Priority Mail when you send it through the USPS. You also have the option of shipping lighter items via priority mail service.
the maximum weight you can ship via priority mail is 70 pounds. maximum combined length and girth is 108”.
how does usps priority mail work?
USPS Priority Mail rates based on weight, distance, and dimensions. you can print a shipping label online and schedule a pickup. With USPS Click-N-Ship, you can print Priority Mail labels and postage at home and drop your package off at a mailbox or post office.
priority mail offers a feature that neither fedex nor ups offer: flat rate shipping. When you use USPS Priority Mail envelopes and boxes, you can ship anything that fits and weighs less than 70 pounds for one flat price to any destination. flat rate boxes can be shipped for as little as $8.30.
how long does usps priority mail take?
usps priority mail packages are delivered in one to three days, depending on distance. a package going to new york from los angeles would take two days. the cost to ship our 12” x 12” x 12” box without priority mail packaging would be $44.55. if we can put the item in a large flat rate box, the price would be $21.10. however, the big box doesn’t have the same dimensions, so it probably won’t work.
usps first class mail
usps first class mail is the original letter and package delivery service. Before FedEx, before UPS, there was the United States Postal Service.
what is usps first class mail?
usps first class mail ships primarily letters and large envelopes. You can ship packages via USPS First Class Mail, but only if they weigh less than 13 ounces. everything goes through priority mail.
You can send first class mail to any us address or post office box. uu. first class is the fastest mail delivery service.
how does usps first class mail work?
price for usps first class mail is based on the weight and shape of an envelope or package. to ship by first class mail instead of priority mail, you must meet strict dimensional requirements. Also, if you’re shipping in an envelope, it should be flexible rather than rigid (like a priority mail envelope).
The USPS processes first-class mail by running it through a machine that seals the postmark. some items cannot go through the machine because they are too fragile or oddly shaped. these must be canceled by hand (in post office terms) and you will pay an additional charge for that service.
You can send a package through the mail just by weighing it and affixing enough stamps to cover the postage. there are many ways to get the correct postage. you can also get a postage meter that will print the postage.
For pickup, you can drop off outgoing mail for your carrier, deliver a package to a carrier you see on your route, or drop off first-class mail at a mailbox or post office.
how long does usps class mail take?
expect usps first class mail to arrive in one to three days, depending on distance. Our hypothetical package going to New York from Los Angeles is too heavy to ship via USPS first class mail, as it weighs 10 pounds. if it was just 10 ounces, it would take four days. The cost to ship a 10-ounce package via USPS first-class mail is $5.75, assuming you don’t need any special services.
fedex land vs. oops ground
Both services would take the same amount of time to deliver our international package. If you ship in high volume or use an order fulfillment company, you may be able to negotiate better rates with one or both carriers.
the retail cost to ship our hypothetical package was higher with fedex ground than with ups ground: $34.96 vs. $28.52.
The range of services each company offers is slightly different, so price is not the only factor to consider. for one, fedex has more express options than ups. on the other hand, ups guarantees the delivery time, so it could be more reliable.
fedex home delivery vs. oops ground
Fedex home delivery has the same delivery time and costs as fedex ground, so it is still more expensive than ups ground. both services deliver on Saturdays; only fedex has standard delivery on sundays. And, while busy UPS drivers often work late into the night, only FedEx has pre-arranged overnight delivery options.
fedex ground vs. usps priority mail
usps priority mail is twice as fast as fedex ground and delivers in two days instead of four. The postal service also has the advantage of being able to deliver to PO boxes.
fedex ground is cheaper than usps priority mail: $34.96 vs. $44.55 for the 10-pound package we compared. however, if our hypothetical package could fit in a flat rate usps priority mail box, the postal service’s delivery option might be cheaper.
fedex smartpost vs. fedex home delivery
smartpost delivery times may be longer than fedex home delivery. smartpost can deliver to PO boxes, something home delivery cannot.
fedex smartpost is a cheaper option than home delivery: $24.48 vs. $34.96 for Los Angeles to New York delivery in our comparison.
fedex land vs. fedex smartpost
There are many complaints online about longer delivery times with smartpost vs. fedex ground. however, smartpost has the advantage of post office box delivery. Additionally, FedEx SmartPost is a cheaper option than FedEx Ground for our hypothetical box: $24.48 vs. $34.96.
ups ground vs usps priority mail
ups takes four days to deliver nationwide; priority mail takes only two. and ups ground cannot deliver to PO Box addresses. For the 10-pound box in our comparison, UPS Ground is cheaper than USPS Priority Mail: $28.52 vs. $44.55.
usps priority mail vs. usps first class mail
usps priority mail and first class mail are similar. both can communicate with post office box addresses. both are brought by postmen who will not be stopped by “snow, rain, heat or the gloom of the night”.
usps priority mail is faster than usps first class mail. the time to send a package across the country was twice as long for first-class mail than for priority mail. the services do not overlap in terms of weight, although you can send lighter packages by priority mail. For packages less than 13 ounces, First Class Mail is generally the least expensive option.
conclusion
There are pros and cons to all of these delivery options. look for volume discounts with each carrier. contact your ecommerce fulfillment company for assistance. then choose the one that best suits your eCommerce shipping needs.