Common Delivery Services in the United States

In the United States, most fast or expedited shipping is overnight delivery or two day delivery service. Faster shipping is generally limited to florist networks.

FTD and Teleflora are the main same-day delivery providers in the US. These are both florist networks which deliver items like fresh flowers, green plant arrangements, gift baskets, balloons, candy, snacks and small gift items.

Other same day deliveries are usually extremely urgent due to the expense. See "Same Day Delivery - When it Can't Wait" for more details.

The three major carriers in the United States are the United States Postal Service with some ties to the Federal Government, and two corporations - UPS (United Parcel Service), and FedEx(Federal Express). DHL(Dalsey, Hilbloom and Lynn - previously Airbourne) no longer ships within the US but is still a large international shipper.

Overnight and Two-Day Service
The US Postal Service offers Express Mail Overnight Guaranteed, by 12 noon or 3 PM. This service is available to most U.S. addresses 365 days a year including Sundays and Holidays. Express Mail includes delivery to P.O. boxes and military bases, something the other carriers cannot offer.

USPS Priority mail is an economical way to get packages delivered fast, generally delivered within 2 or 3 days. This service is available during normal Postal business hours Monday thru Saturday, excluding holidays. Priority mail can be delivered to P.O. boxes and APO/FPO addresses, something the other carriers can't do.

United Parcel Service offers UPS Next Day Air Early A.M. with deliveries as early as 8:00 AM. UPS Next Day Air typically delivers by 10:30 AM. UPS Next Day Air Saver usually delivers by 3:00 PM.

There are several classes of UPS 2d Day Air for more economical shipping. These services are offered Monday through Friday. Saturday pickup and delivery are extra.

Fed-Ex Offers several overnight services. FedEx First Overnight delivers next day between 8 and 10 AM. FedEx Priority Overnight delivers by 10:30 AM to most areas, andFedEx Standard Overnight will deliver by 3:00 PM to most areas.

There's also a more economical FedEx 2Day service which delivers in two business days. These services are offered Monday through Friday. Saturday pickup and delivery are extra.

All the major services can be contacted through their web sites:
usps.com
ups.com
fedex.com


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