What is UPS Ground?
UPS Ground is the most economical service UPS offers for packages that don't need to move overnight. It delivers in 1 to 5 business days within the contiguous US, and tracking is included on every shipment.
How fast it is
UPS Ground delivers in one to five business days. How many depends on how far the package travels, so a cross-town delivery lands sooner than a coast-to-coast one.
Once UPS has the package and it's moving through the network, tracking shows a scheduled delivery date, as UPS's guide to tracking statuses explains. Treat that date as an estimate. The UPS Service Guarantee page lists the Air and international services the guarantee currently covers. Ground isn't on that list, and UPS says the guarantee remains suspended for every service it doesn't name.
Where it goes
UPS Ground covers all 50 states plus Puerto Rico.
Size and weight limits
The limits, from UPS's domestic services page and its size and weight guide, are:
- Up to 150 lbs per package
- Up to 165 inches in length and girth combined
- Up to 108 inches in length
A package over any one of these limits gets an Over Maximum Limits charge, and the size and weight guide says packages above certain size and weight combinations may require freight shipping services. If an item regularly runs past these limits, get a freight quote, usually LTL (less-than-truckload), before you ship it.
What it costs
Ground rates depend on how far the package travels and its billable weight, which is the greater of actual weight or dimensional weight. UPS gets dimensional weight by dividing length × width × height in inches by 139 on Daily Rates or 166 on Retail Rates, per its size and weight guide. A large, light box gets priced on its size, so pack tight. You can add insurance for an extra charge.
When to use it
Reach for UPS Ground on standard orders where a 1 to 5 day delivery works and you want to keep shipping costs down. Save the overnight and 2-day air services for the orders that actually need the speed. If you're deciding between UPS Ground and USPS Ground Advantage, our comparison of the two covers speed and price.
Not sure which service fits a given order profile? Talk to us.
Sources
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