Standard ground shipping is a cost effective alternative to air shipping.
Shipment transportation can take place either by air, by sea or by ground. Standard ground shipping is the land based method of transporting a shipment. United Parcel Service (UPS), United States Postal Service (USPS) and FedEx are all providers of ground shipping services.
Identification
Although standard ground shipping is done primarily by land via truck or train, USPS also classifies ground shipping as packages shipped across water by boat. Ground shipping is applicable to addresses located in the U.S. for USPS and FedEx; UPS covers the 48 contiguous U.S. states, Mexico and Canada. Outside of these areas, shipping would be considered international. The primary difference between standard ground shipping and express is that express will utilize the fastest method, such as air travel, to ensure prompt delivery of your package.
Considerations
In addition to transportation by train, truck or boat, carting packages by car or bike is also considered standard ground shipping. Some cities, such as Chicago and San Francisco, have bike messengers to provide courier services to deliver documents to businesses.
Benefits
Ground shipping is often a more cost effective alternative to shipping by air. The rate and timeline of delivery depends on the origin, destination and weight of your package. Typically, packages over 70 lbs. are considered too large to ship via standard ground shipping and may require freight transportation. Some companies, such as UPS, also provide door to door service as well as three delivery attempts. FedEx provides a money back guarantee on ground shipping if the parcel does not arrive within the scheduled delivery date.
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