When shippers try to determine the best carrier for their package delivery, they look to the great private carrier options in the us. USA: UPS, FedEx and DHL. They also look at USPS, a government organization with its own pros and cons. sometimes it’s about fedex vs usps, and sometimes it’s about choosing between fedex and a different shipping carrier. Determining which carrier meets a company’s shipping needs depends on a number of factors and what is most important to that shipper. It could be customer service, it could be an overnight delivery service, or it could be the reliability of international shipping.
fedex shipping and usps are two of the most used shipping companies. FedEx is an American company that revolutionized overnight shipping. fedex ships both domestically and internationally and has offices around the world. The United States Postal Service, or USPS, is affiliated with the government as an independent federal agency. The USPS handles the national postal service and delivery to all addresses in the country. excels at delivering small packages, heavier packages, and sometimes partners with larger private carriers in a hybrid delivery model
is fedex faster than usps?
residential delivery speed when comparing fedex vs usps depends a lot on the type of shipping service chosen. Each carrier has a number of shipping rate options to choose from, whether it’s overnight delivery, priority mail service, ground shipping, or freight (USPS does not offer freight service). there is another consideration as well. The USPS is starting a 10-year plan to cut costs, and that will affect some Postal Service delivery times. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the USPS Board of Directors implemented this plan in October 2021. The idea is to increase postal service rates and raise more revenue, but it will also extend delivery time to an estimated two to five days. , instead of two or three days before. that will happen as more mail is trucked across the country, rather than flown.
There are a number of factors that can influence delivery times and the most economical option. shipping rates are not easy to understand, with so many items.
Domestic Overnight Deliveries: FedEx is faster than USPS when comparing similar services. FedEx offers same day pickup and next day package delivery. FedEx offers shipping companies multiple delivery options for overnight delivery, including early morning, midday, and late day delivery. The USPS, on the other hand, offers a 1-day priority mail shipping option, but they guarantee it will arrive by 6 p.m. m.
Express deliveries: fedex and usps use different service names for each offer, but fedex delivery will most likely be sooner. fedex offers 2 day shipping and fedex 3 day saver express shipping, so you can get an idea of when it would arrive by name. if you ship priority or first class mail, you can expect your shipment to arrive in two to five days. with the recently announced 10-year postal service plan, it could be longer, if the destination is further away.
ground shipping: fedex is likely to be a little faster with ground service, compared to usps ground. that difference can be one or two days.
international shipping: expect fedex to get your package to its destination faster than usps. That’s because FedEx has a large international network and presence, while USPS relies on the destination country for that last-mile delivery.
remember that due to the covid-19 pandemic the service guarantees were eliminated or reduced. some guarantees have returned, but not all. If you absolutely must be there overnight, double check your overnight shipping options before ordering the fedex driver or usps driver to pick up your package.
which is cheaper: fedex, ups or usps?
so what is the difference between ups, usps and fedex? There is no set answer as to whether FedEx, UPS, or USPS are the best providers based on price. That’s because shipping costs are based on multiple factors, including:
- package weight and size (expect to pay more for heavier and larger packages, and each carrier will have their own way of charging, even with a surcharge; dimensional weight should also be considered)
- shipping zone (each additional shipping zone will add to the cost)
- delivery options (eg, next day delivery, ground, flat rate)
- scheduled pickup(scheduling the fedex driver or ups driver pickup will cost more than leaving the package at an office; USPS offers some free package pickups based on availability)
- additional services (you may need to pay more for some services, such as Saturday delivery, delivery confirmation, delivery, cash on delivery, wait for pickup)
- residential delivery (fedex and ups charge more for these services than shipping to a business address. there is no additional fee for usps ent ship to residences, which is one reason fedex and ups part ways with usps for some shipping services)
- insurance(fedex and ups include $100 in insurance , while USPS offers $50 in insurance for the package)
Different package sizes and delivery types will determine which carrier offers the cheapest shipping. We show some ways to see the same size packet to the same destination, depending on the type of service.
overnight delivery: 5 pound package, 12″ x 12″ x 12″ from washington dc 20001 to los angeles 90001 shipping on Monday to a business address
Priority/Expedited Mail: 5 pound package, 12″ x 12″ x 12″ from washington dc 20001 to los angeles 90001 shipping Monday to business address
ground delivery: 5 pound package, 12″ x 12″ x 12″ from washington dc 20001 to los angeles 90001 shipping on Monday to a business address
these graphs show that usps is usually the cheapest, followed by ups and then fedex. It’s worth noting that service times vary slightly, and USPS cannot offer the same overnight delivery options that UPS and FedEx can. however, USPS may be more economical for Saturday delivery, as it is required to go to each mailbox during its business days, which include Saturday. USPS also offers flat rate boxes, which can further reduce costs, if the items fit in them. Flat rate shipping is also available in some form with UPS and FedEx, although they use different names.
do fedex and usps work together?
fedex works with usps through its fedex smartpost program. this program is popular with e-commerce companies. The FedEx driver picks up the package (or drops it off at a FedEx location) and USPS delivers it to the last mile. It’s not the perfect program for all shippers, but it works for many. fedex smartpost is less expensive than the fedex service. In addition, the USPS can deliver packages at a lower cost to residential addresses for last-mile delivery. They can also deliver to PO Boxes, which FedEx can’t do. and they can easily deliver on saturdays when fedex would issue a surcharge. this service offers tracking numbers and shipping labels. package tracking is available for the sender and the customer.
Is fedex or usps more reliable?
fedex has a better reputation for reliability, tracking and customer service. however, there is a price you pay for that, and the price is higher cost. fedex is also a most trusted shipping partner for specific types of shipments. that includes special packages, including perishable food products and other temperature-controlled products. offer cold pack materials that can meet specific standards without the need for dry ice or gel packs. fedex can also ship alcohol.
another advantage of reliability with fedex is that with their delivery manager program, you can have packages held at your location or delivered at another time. While both FedEx and USPS are reliable when it comes to package pickup, FedEx charges for this service.
If you want to learn more about the different carriers, please read our linked blogs, “ups vs usps”, “fedex vs ups”, “fedex vs dhl” or “dhl vs ups” for more information.
how to find savings using fedex vs usps
E-commerce businesses may already use multiple shippers for their shipping needs. Not all companies do this, instead developing a relationship with a company and assuming that the convenience and discounts offered are good enough. that may not be the smartest approach for all companies. Carriers like FedEx, UPS, DHL Express and USPS have their pros and cons, with some finding that courier can also be a great option in some circumstances. a perhaps cheaper courier service for local or regional deliveries. the idea is to balance shipping needs with the strengths of each company. Consider if your packages need to be urgent, if flat rate service will work, if you need drop box delivery, Saturday delivery, or if your packages are heavy and bulky.
In addition to choosing the best shipping company for your needs, you can also reduce shipping costs with other methods. One way is to use shipping software that has already negotiated discounts, which you can see in the charts above, comparing prices. other shipping software can automate decisions about the ideal shipping solution for each package, based on the rules you’ve set up for it.
many companies realize significant savings by using the shipware transportation contract optimization program. shippers can save up to 30% on overall shipping costs with this method. carriers may want to renegotiate their contracts even before their contracts are ready for renewal. the program is powered by shipping experts who dive into the details of the shipment to get a better idea of the details of how the shipper operates, including typical package sizes, weights, destinations, ancillary fees and other nuances . experts then compare these details to proprietary shipware benchmark data, to understand which areas are most ripe for negotiation.
in-house shipware experts come from the carrier side and know how to develop an effective data-driven trading strategy. they can advise company executives throughout the process, resulting in better rates and terms. Shippers find that there are many more areas to negotiate beyond basic discounts.
With contracts in place, shippers can also use the invoice audit recovery program, which can help companies reduce their shipping costs effortlessly. Once installed, the program checks carriers’ invoices for errors and mistakes. the program runs in the background, processing any number of available invoices. errors typically add up to between 1% and 9% of total invoice costs.
The shipware program uses artificial intelligence to detect billing errors that are almost impossible for humans to find. the program can find the missing service guarantee, incorrect additional charges and other problems. the program requests credit on behalf of the sender, and all credits are applied directly to the sender’s account. no out of pocket expenses, shipping material is only paid for a portion of what is recovered from the carrier. it’s a no-loss proposition, and customers typically get back 1-9% of their billing fees.