Question about USPS Overnight

[aurareturn]

How reliable is it?

I have a very important document that needs to get from California to Illinois by Thursday. If I ship it on Weds, will it get there by Thursday?

Zip code: 94118 to 62410

 

[2Xtreme21]

I do believe if it says overnight, it will be shipped... overnight.

 

[shortspanishguy]

I have never had it fail on me before.

 

[Vette73]

If worried just use Fed-Ex. Was $6 to ship some papers overnight.

 

[FoBoT]

Express Mail is fine

 

[aurareturn]

Is there a specific time that I have to drop it off for Express Mail to work?

 

[awolkoff]

I find that FedEx eases my UPS worries.
YMMV, etc.

 

[aurareturn]

I looked at FedEx and it's over $40.

 

[idiotekniQues]

i found that usps priority mail got my stuff to cali from jersey a day faster and for half the price of ups 3 day select. for pretty much the same size packages.

 

[aurareturn]

How can I get a cheaper price with Fedex?

 

[aurareturn]

bump

 

[shortspanishguy]

Dude just use USPS overnight. I use it all the time no worries.

 

[Dragnov]

Originally posted by: aurareturn
Is there a specific time that I have to drop it off for Express Mail to work?

Yes. It varies by post office due to their collection times.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: aurareturn
How reliable is it?

Just like shortspanishguy, it hasn't failed me yet.

I've used USPS Overnight Express about 10 times in the past decade.

Originally posted by: aurareturn
If I ship it on Weds, will it get there by Thursday?

Maybe. Have you checked USPS Express Mail Service Commitments?

If I read it correctly, USPS only guarantees two days unless you choose Post Office to Post Office then it will be there by Thursday 10AM. But the recipient will need to visit the post office to claim the package.

Originally posted by: shortspanishguy
I have never had it fail on me before.

Likewise and it's around $13.50 vs $25 for FedEx overnight.

Originally posted by: aurareturn
Is there a specific time that I have to drop it off for Express Mail to work?

[/quote]

Yep and it's on USPS's website:
http://webapps.usps.com/expressmailcommitments/landing.jsp

2 Days 8:00 PM AIR MAIL FACILITY 660 WESTFIELD SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94128

2 Days 5:30 PM POST OFFICE 3245 GEARY BLVD SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118

2 Days 4:00 PM POST OFFICE 3245 GEARY BLVD SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118

Originally posted by: aurareturn
I looked at FedEx and it's over $40.

You said it's a very important document, just how important and time critical is it?

Another option is DHL which charges $26.48 for overnight by Thursday March 1, 2007.

For future shipments if you're a CostCo member you may want to consider pre-paid envelopes.

Originally posted by: idiotekniQues
i found that usps priority mail got my stuff to cali from jersey a day faster and for half the price of ups 3 day select. for pretty much the same size packages.

Likewise. USPS Priority costs $4.55 with delivery confirmation and usually arrives within 3 days, sometimes sooner.

Hope that helps

RossMAN

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
I do believe if it says overnight, it will be shipped... overnight.

They will tell you it will be shipped overnight. They will even punch some numbers in on thier little console to make it all the more believable. But odds are it will not get shipped overnight unless it is going from say New York to Boston.

 

[George P Burdell]

USPS overnight works as promised.

 

[FoBoT]

did you send it yet? did it get there on time?

 

[shortspanishguy]

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
I do believe if it says overnight, it will be shipped... overnight.

They will tell you it will be shipped overnight. They will even punch some numbers in on thier little console to make it all the more believable. But odds are it will not get shipped overnight unless it is going from say New York to Boston.

Maryland to Arizona overnight worked for me.

 

[SirChadwick]

Sometimes it will take 2 days to ship, even if you select overnight. From GA to CA always takes 2 days express, but 3 days priority. Not worth the extra imho.

 

[herbiehancock]

USPS Express, or overnight, only guarantees overnight delivery to certain zip codes. Call your local PO and confirm if your ship-to zip code is within an overnight area, otherwise it will be 2-day, as was posted above. The more removed from a large, urban area the zip you're shipping to, the more likely it won't go overnight. Been there too many times.....35 miles outside Boston, MA is outside the overnight area and I have sent at least three packages to the same address up there (wife's father) and it's never gotten there overnight....always 2-day, despite the $12+ charge for a flat document Express envelope.

Believe it when it was posted above.........not everywhere USPS delivers is overnight!!!

 

[DeadByDawn]

It's better than UPS next day air in my experience.

 

[aurareturn]

I was at the post office today and the lady said it would take 2 days. So I said forget it and went with Priority instead because that takes 2 days also.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: aurareturn
I was at the post office today and the lady said it would take 2 days. So I said forget it and went with Priority instead because that takes 2 days also.

I thought you said it has to arrive by Thursday?

IIRC priority isn't guaranteed 2 days so it might arrive Saturday or Monday.

 

[Paulson]

From illinois to california it would take longer than a day. You have to bring the item to them by 12:30 in order for it to get delivered faster as well.

Also a general rule of thumb... if you're shipping in the same state, use priority mail or first class mail and it will more than likely get there next day for a lot cheaper.