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Sending a package to a remote location in the U.S. can be a tricky process, and choosing the right shipping carrier is the key to not spending your life savings on the cost of shipping. Between USPS, UPS, and FedEx, it can be tricky to determine which carrier will give you the best deal…but that’s where Shipping School comes into play! Whether you’re sending a package to a small town or far-off corner of the country, this guide is all about how to figure out which carrier will give you the most affordable rates.
Table of Contents
- USPS is the Only Carrier That Won’t Add Surcharges for Remote Destinations
- More Reasons Why USPS is the Best Carrier for Shipping to Remote Locations
- Save the Most Money on USPS Labels with Shipping Software
USPS is the Only Carrier That Won’t Add Surcharges for Remote Destinations
Out of the three major carriers in the United States, USPS is the clear choice for shipping to remote areas. This is because of one word: surcharges. While they don’t advertise it super clearly, UPS and FedEx add surcharges to packages traveling to remote locations…and these surcharges can add a lot of extra cost to your shipping label.
USPS, on the other hand, never adds surcharges for any destinations; it doesn’t matter whether the destination is in the middle of Alaska or in the middle of Manhattan! Other than the distance your package has to travel, the only other factors that affect the cost of shipping with USPS are how much your package weighs and how big your box or envelope is.
Read more about the UPS remote surcharges, and see a breakdown of the different fees that FedEx imposes for remote ZIP codes.
More Reasons Why USPS is the Best Carrier for Shipping to Remote Locations
Here are two of the main reasons why shippers often consider USPS the best choice for shipping to remote destinations:
- Extensive network: The USPS network covers nearly every corner of the United States; this includes locations that UPS and FedEx deem remote. After all, the Postal Service was designed to meet the needs of every American, and it services over 150 million residential addresses on a daily basis! So, if you need to ship to a remote destination like somewhere in Alaska or Hawaii or even a U.S. Territory, USPS can deliver your package.
- Affordable rates: The Postal Service offers a slew of cheap services at your disposal, including First Class Package Service, Priority Mail, and Media Mail. USPS also offers flat-rate boxes for Priority Mail service, which are one of the best ways to keep costs low when shipping items to far-off locations. When comparing these prices to UPS and FedEx, they’re almost always cheaper. This is especially true when you take UPS and FedEx surcharges into account.
Save the Most Money on USPS Labels with Shipping Software
USPS offers the best mix of affordable rates and reliable delivery for packages going to remote destinations…but what if we told you there was a way you could save even more money on your USPS labels? With online shipping software, you can do just that!
By using online shipping software to purchase USPS labels, you get access to the deepest discounts that USPS typically reserves for huge commercial shippers. In some cases, this special tier of discounts can save you up to 89% off what you’d pay to ship the same package at the Post Office! USPS charges more money for packages that have to travel a long way, so taking advantage of shipping software is the best way to keep your costs as low as possible.
Learn more about how to save the most money on shipping in general.
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