UPS offers a wide variety of shipping services, and UPS Ground is the most economic shipping option the company offers.
So, how long does UPS Ground take to deliver, and what else do you need to know before you choose this service? If you’d like to find out, keep reading!
How Long Does UPS Ground Take to Deliver In [currentyear]?
UPS Ground is a shipping service that travels exclusively by ground transportation in [currentyear]. UPS Ground delivers within 1 to 5 business days domestically and to most international locales, but you should allow for customs and weather delays when shipping internationally. UPS Ground is faster than standard shipping, or USPS ground, and comes with included tracking and package insurance.
If you’re considering whether UPS Ground might be the right choice for your next UPS package, be sure to read on for a more comprehensive look at this service!
What Is UPS Ground Shipping?
UPS Ground is a shipping service UPS offers that transports package exclusively by ground, which means these packages only travel by boat or truck.
This makes UPS Ground a great choice for shipments containing hazardous materials that could be dangerous on planes, such as aerosols or flammable liquids.
Other items that are best to ship via UPS Ground include, but aren’t limited to, the following:
- Recalled or recycled batteries
- Lithium/lithium-ion batteries
- Lead-acid batteries
- Dry ice
- Perfume
- Swimming pool/jacuzzi chemicals or parts
- Oxygen generator
- Passenger Service Unit (PSU)
- Fertilizer
- Fire extinguishers
- Drilling/mining equipment
- Dental apparatus/equipment
- Air conditioning equipment
- Airbags
If you’re unsure whether your item is safe to transport via air services, be sure to check out UPS’ page on shipping hazardous materials, which can be found here.
UPS Ground is also typically the most economic option for shipping, as it tends to require fewer resources and fuel and is not as strict in terms of delivery dates/times as other shipments.
How Long Does a UPS Ground Package Take to Be Delivered?
Your UPS Ground package will always make it to its destination but it typically takes a bit longer, hence the lower shipping costs.
If you’re shipping a package using UPS Ground within the United States or its territories, UPS Ground offers day-definite delivery times within 1 to 5 business days.
This means that when your package is picked up by UPS, you’ll be told exactly what day to expect your package.
The day your package will arrive is within a week or less of the day it was picked up for shipping and processed.
For areas outside of the US, however, shipping with UPS Ground may take a bit longer.
In addition to the distance that UPS will have to cover, there are multiple other factors to consider.
These factors include different climates and weather systems that can affect UPS’ ability to transport the package, and international customs and regulations.
If you’re shipping with UPS Ground to an international locale, be sure to do some research on the different customs regulations of the country to whom you’re shipping.
This way, you’ll be able to get a good idea of how much additional time you may need to plan for.
UPS has a great online tool to help you deal with all of the paperwork that comes with international shipping, also how to understand the customs requirements for different countries.
As a general rule, however, UPS Ground will only ever take two weeks maximum to reach any given location around the world.
Is UPS Ground Faster Than Standard Shipping?
Standard shipping, or USPS Ground, takes anywhere from 2 to 8 business days to deliver.
This is at least 1 business day and up to 3 business days longer than UPS Ground, which delivers in 1 to 5 business days.
In addition to UPS Ground being faster than USPS Ground, it’s also typically cheaper than the USPS service.
While this depends on a variety of factors such as the weight, dimensions, and distance traveled of a given package, on the whole, UPS Ground is less expensive than USPS Ground.
Outside of being both faster and cheaper than USPS Ground, UPS Ground also includes more features to help keep your package safe and free of charge.
One feature included in UPS Ground services is package insurance, which covers every package for up to $100 at no extra charge.
Can You Track UPS Ground Packages?
You can absolutely track UPS Ground packages!
Tracking is an included feature in all UPS shipping services, and UPS Ground is no different.
To track your package, you’ll first need to locate your tracking number.
Your tracking number can be found on your shipping receipt or on the confirmation email you received from UPS when your package was processed and shipped.
UPS tracking numbers are typically 18 characters long and can have both alpha and numeric characters.
Once you’ve located your tracking number, you can visit this page of the UPS website and type the tracking number into the search box, and then click the yellow “track” button.
The page should then populate all available tracking information, including where your package currently is and the estimated arrival date.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on whether or not USPS takes UPS package, how fast is UPS Ground, and how long does UPS hold packages.
Conclusion
UPS Ground is the most economic shipping service UPS offers, as all UPS Ground packages travel exclusively by truck and boat. This makes UPS Ground ideal for shipping hazardous materials or packages that are not necessarily time-sensitive.
UPS Ground takes anywhere from 1 to 5 business days to deliver, which makes it faster than standard shipping by 1 to 3 business days. UPS Ground also tends to be cheaper than standard shipping and includes more features such as insurance of up to $100 and tracking.
