You’ve made the sale and your product is packaged with care. The next decision for your business is how to ship the package. Many large and small businesses maintain customer accounts with various carriers. This is because each of the prominent providers in the market has its own specialty. While discounts with carriers may vary based on negotiated rates, the following is a general breakdown of how each carrier fits into the market.

United States Postal Service

If you’re patriotic at all, you probably have a soft spot in your heart for the United States Postal Service. After all, this is the service that carries letters to Santa and has delivered through the rain and sleet, and snow for years. However, when considering the best shipping solutions for your business, you need to be aware of not only USPS’s strengths but also its weaknesses.

USPS offers a variety of shipping options from the very basic First Class service to a variety of Priority Mail and Express Mail choices. The service is historically reliable in its standard-speed options, but its service is lackluster when it comes to getting packages to the right place overnight. Simply speaking, things are more likely to get lost with this service than with other carriers we’ll highlight later.

Pricing for USPS package services is normally competitive. Tracking services are available with most services and insurance is also offered in case you are shipping something valuable. If your company allows products to be shipped to Post Office boxes, your choice to utilize USPS in those cases is clear. Other carriers will not be able to deliver to P.O. boxes.

United Parcel Service

United Parcel Service, or UPS, is a common carrier for large, heavy packages. If you’re consistently shipping items over 70 pounds, you’ll want to consider setting up an account with UPS. The company’s big brown trucks have been utilized for many years to bring customers shipments that were too heavy for the mailman to deliver. If there’s a carrier that outshines the others in reliable delivery of large items, it’s UPS.

Companies can negotiate with UPS for discounts and they can utilize the shipper’s proprietary software to easily print shipping labels. Many businesses set up a daily pickup so that the driver stops in at a pre-scheduled time to pick up any packages that may need to go out that day. The carrier also offers generous insurance on packages. This makes UPS a popular option for businesses shipping fine jewelry, watches, and collectibles. In general, the carrier has a good reputation for reliability and affordability.

Federal Express

If you’ve been in business awhile, FedEx may still seem like the newcomer to the shipping game. However, as its name implies, the company has built a solid reputation as a leader in delivering packages fast. Its overnight service rates are competitive and its reliability rating makes it one of the most popular options. As with UPS, companies can create their own shipping labels and easily arrange pickups.

FedEx is also the go-to for perishable packages. Because of its reputation for reliable, fast deliveries, businesses shipping fruit, vegetables, and pre-packaged meals often utilize this service to ensure fresh delivery of their product. The company even offers cold packaging that can maintain a reliable temperature throughout transit.

When searching for the best carrier for your business, the key is not to narrow your options down too far. Indeed, these three carriers each excel in some aspect of the shipping market. USPS offers reliability and cost savings when shipping smaller packages at a standard speed. UPS shines in delivering large, heavy packages and reliably handling expensive products. FedEx may not be able to compete with the others’ rates for everyday shipments, but if you need something delivered fast, you’ll be glad to use their service. Businesses can benefit from knowing the strengths of each carrier and making informed decisions for each package.