{"id":2102,"date":"2021-06-03T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/blog\/ground-shipping\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T16:04:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T16:04:09","slug":"ground-shipping","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/blog\/ground-shipping\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Ground Shipping? How to Utilise Ground Shipping for Faster Delivery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Table of Contents<\/p>

** Minutes<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

What is ground shipping?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top ground shipping couriers compared<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why choose ground shipping over other options<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ground shipping for ecommerce stores<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leave shipping and fulfilment to the experts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get started with ShipBob<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ground shipping FAQs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When you think \u2018ground shipping,\u2019 you might think, \u2018slow delivery.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ground shipping doesn\u2019t have the best reputation in logistics. But with Amazon raising the standard around fast, affordable shipping and the rapid rise of ecommerce, there are more on-demand logistics<\/a> solutions than ever before, making it possible to ship customer orders fast at an affordable rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, offering 2-day shipping was only possible with expedited shipping<\/a> via air, which tends to me much more costly than ground shipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, major shipping couriers<\/a> and other third-party logistics<\/a> (3PL) companies now have the infrastructure and resources to enable 2-day shipping via ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, learn how to utilise ground shipping for faster, more affordable delivery. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is ground shipping?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ground shipping utilises road or rail, and it is the most cost-effective mode of transportation for shipping packages. Offering ground shipping for your customers is the most common and standard mode for domestic transit, as it helps you reduce shipping costs<\/a> and helps you more affordably offer free shipping (since you\u2019re able to offset the cost when you implement a minimum spend threshold that\u2019s above your average order value<\/a>). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally, ground shipping has a longer last-mile delivery<\/a> timeline than air, but with more third-party logistics or 3PL companies<\/a> expanding distribution reach as ecommerce continues to grow, there are now more ways than ever to optimise ground shipping and speed up transit times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top ground shipping couriers compared<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To ship via ground across the United States, there are four major shipping couriers that offer widespread coverage in the United States: USPS, UPS, DHL, and FedEx.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The table below compares different pricing rates across major shipping couriers. In terms of coverage, it\u2019s worth noting that parcels sent to a US location by sea counts as ground shipping for USPS and UPS. Shipping via ground with USPS, DHL, FedEx, and UPS covers all US postcodes (including military addresses), as well as Canada and Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Courier<\/td>Speed via Ground<\/td>Rates<\/td>Coverage<\/td><\/tr>
UPS<\/td>1-3 business days<\/td>Starts at $8.76 depending on packaging and dimensions  <\/td>All 50 states and Puerto Rico<\/td><\/tr>
FedEx<\/td>1-5 business days in states sharing common border3-7 business days for Alaska and Hawaii <\/td>Starts at $8.90 depending on packaging and dimensions  <\/td>Delivers to all 50 statesFedEd International Ground\u00ae ships between the US and Canada, and within Canada<\/td><\/tr>
DHL<\/td>3-8 business days for standard ground<\/td>Rates vary significantly<\/td>Domestic and international shipping via ground (i.e., Canada to US)<\/td><\/tr>
USPS<\/td>2-8 business days via USPS Retail Ground\u00ae<\/td>Starts at $7.70 depending on packaging and dimensions  <\/td>All 50 states and Puerto Rico<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These major couriers<\/a> also partner with regional parcel couriers<\/a> to speed up delivery via ground. Regional couriers cover more than 85%<\/a> of the US population and specialize in short-haul deliveries (usually up to 500 miles but often much less).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why choose ground shipping over other options<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Online shoppers are likely to abandon online carts<\/a> because delivery is too expensive. But ground shipping can help offer fast, 2-day shipping at a low cost, which provides a premium shipping<\/a> option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A common misconception surrounding ground shipping is speed. Oftentimes, ground shipping is associated with slower travel times \u2014 and while it\u2019s true for shipping from one coast to the other, it\u2019s not always the case. Depending on where you\u2019re shipping from, there are ways you to leverage ground shipping and still meet customer expectations around delivery speed. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ground shipping is slower (and more costly) when packages must travel to higher <\/span>shipping zones<\/span><\/a>, or the mile radius from the shipping origin. Zone 1 is the closest area to the fulfilment centre from which we are shipping, and the farther away, the higher the zone. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you ship to an area within the same zone as your warehouse, then those packages can be shipped faster and cost-effectively via ground. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a 3PL like ShipBob, you can offer faster and more affordable shipping via ground by splitting inventory across multiple fulfilment centres<\/a> in different regions of the US, which enables affordable 2-day shipping<\/a> for US-based customers in those regions. This is all done without having to manage your own warehouse(s) but by leveraging ShipBob\u2019s economies of scale.  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cFor us, changing from a 3 week lead time to 3 days through ShipBob is what drove our sales. Even now, one of the primary reviews we get on Etsy is, \u2018My order arrived really quickly!\u2019 Having the stock locally in the US means that lead times and shipping times are minimal, and that you\u2019ll get higher conversion rates because you\u2019re offering better lead times.<\/span>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Greenhalgh, Co-Founder of A Year of Dates<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Another hesitation surrounding ground transportation involves the impact on our environment. While it\u2019s not as bad as air shipping, ground transportation still contributes to a business\u2019s carbon footprint. Fortunately, there are plenty of options for ecommerce businesses to decrease their carbon footprint. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Businesses can either fulfil items themselves or outsource fulfilment<\/a> and still be able to opt into eco-friendly shipping <\/a>\u2014 one example being using biodegradable material ideal for recycling or shipping a package in its own container (known as SIOC packaging<\/a>). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, ShipBob partners with carbon-neutral shipping<\/a> solutions, like<\/span> Ecocart so you can purchase carbon credits by allowing your customers to choose (and optionally, pay for) carbon offsets on a per-order basis, and allowing you to offset the carbon impact of product manufacturing and even last-mile delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ground shipping for ecommerce stores<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned before, there are several ways to leverage ground shipping that still meets customer expectations around speed. <\/span>How you set up your shipping strategy<\/a> depends on where you store inventory, where your customers are located, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is an overview of how to optimise ground shipping coverage for your online brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose your ground shipper courier<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first thing you\u2019ll need to do is choose which major shipping courier(s) you want to partner with for shipping packages via ground. Here is a deeper dive into the four primary couriers that cover the US. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

UPS Ground Shipping<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

UPS Ground Shipping offers shipping via ground in 1 to 5 days and starts at $8.76 depending on packaging and dimensions. Extra large packages can cost up to around $22.85 to start. Additionally, they offer Saturday Delivery for UPS Ground transport, allowing you to ship to your customers during the weekend. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you are shipping from the Chicago area via UPS, the map below highlights how long it would take to ship orders across the country.<\/span>\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Map generated <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FedEx Ground Shipping<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

FedEx Ground offers a competitive transportation rate of 1-5 business days from states sharing a common border, with service days from Monday until Friday. They ship packages up to 150 pounds, 108\u201d in length, and 165\u201d in length plus girth.<\/span> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They offer competitive, cost-effective rates (starting at around $8.90), which helps ecommerce businesses optimise their shipping. The map below<\/span> highlights the delivery times based on zones if you are shipping from the Chicago area via FedEx<\/span>. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Map generated <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DHL Ground Shipping<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

DHL gets a little trickier. They offer domestic shipping for customers<\/a> that ship a large volume of products within the US. Especially for ecommerce businesses that ship hazardous materials<\/a>, or ship across the globe, DHL can be a great option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DHL is headquartered in Germany and specializes in international shipping<\/a>, making it easier to send timely deliveries across countries. They also offer DHL Express Worldwide, guaranteeing next-day shipping to any international location (of course, not via ground shipping). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To give you an idea of how DHL Ground works, you can download <\/span>maps of European countries<\/span><\/a> highlighting different ground shipping zones.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

USPS Ground Shipping<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

USPS offers multiple shipping options. One of their more popular options is Priority Mail, which will ship in 1-3 business days. But for a more cost-effective (and non-urgent) delivery, USPS Retail Ground ships packages in 1-8 business days at a cheaper price. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rates for USPS Retail Ground start at $7.70. The map below highlights the delivery times shipping from the Chicago area. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Map generated here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partner up with a 3PL like ShipBob<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since ShipBob partners with all the leading ground shipping couriers including regional couriers (and fulfils orders for thousands of merchants across different industries and countries), ShipBob makes shipping operations<\/a> more affordable and effective \u2014 whether you decide to utilise ground shipping or different methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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