United Parcel Service had its origins in message delivery beginning in 1907. Expanding along the West Coast in 1919 and adding parcel delivery to its services, UPS has continued its geographic and service expansion. Today, its brown trucks are a common sight and represent its foundation: ground delivery service.
Shortest to Longest
UPS lists their ground shipping time frame as "day-definite delivery typically within one to five days." However, when testing their delivery map, a ground delivery from Philadelphia could take as long as six days to parts of Oregon and Idaho. UPS lists their service area for ground shipping as the 50 states plus Puerto Rico.
Ground Delivery Guarantee
The UPS ground delivery guarantee is stated as follows: "UPS guarantees on-schedule delivery of UPS Guaranteed Ground Service packages to every address in the 48 contiguous United States." If they fail to deliver or attempt to deliver by the day published on their site, UPS will credit or refund shipping charges; however, some conditions apply.
Those conditions include proper documentation and shipping label, proper drop-off with UPS either with a driver at the shipper's location or at a designated UPS location, and proper notification to UPS of the delivery failure within 15 days of the scheduled date.
Delivery Map
The company's website includes an interactive map to show transit time for ground shipments from and to anywhere in the country. By using the UPS map and entering the "ship from" ZIP code, you can determine how long your package will be in transit. This page can be found at: http://www.ups.com/maps?loc=en_US&WT.svl=SubNav.
Price Calculator
You will also find a price calculator at the UPS website, so you can determine the cost of shipping by ground or by any of their expedited methods. To use this calculator (found at: http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/shipping/cost/zones/continental_us.html), you must first determine the UPS zone by entering your ZIP code (or the ZIP code from where the package will be shipped). Once you've ascertained the zone number, you can proceed to the UPS pricing guide. That guide will show you prices for package weights up to 150 pounds for every UPS shipping option.
Price Adjustments
Packages that fall outside standard dimensions (for example, particularly long packages) increase the published shipping rates. Also, UPS offers a number of optional services that affect the overall shipping cost. These include changes made to the delivery point (either by the shipper or receiver), Saturday deliveries and pickups, confirmations, and COD deliveries.
Tracking
UPS offers packaging tracking via their website at no charge. You must have the assigned tracking number in order to use this service. Additionally, you can opt to send or receive e-mail alerts regarding the status of the shipment. This also enables you to view a proof of delivery (including the recipient's signature, if required) on line at no additional charge.
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