Discover delivery hours for FedEx, USPS, UPS, and DHL. Learn about nighttime delivery feasibility and optimize your business logistics with eLogii.
When your company needs to ship items fast, typical delivery times might be too slow.
For instance, if customers pay for quick delivery, they want their products to arrive promptly.
It is important not to upset your customers with late deliveries. To prevent this, checking out different shipping services to ensure they meet your delivery needs is a good idea.
Knowing how late a shipping company delivers can be crucial.
Let's say you send a package at 6 pm and expect it to arrive within 24 hours. If the shipping company stops its service at 5 pm the next day, they only have 23 hours to complete the delivery.
If they cannot manage it within that time, your package might not arrive until the following day. This results in late deliveries and unhappy customers contacting your customer service.
To stay on top, here are the delivery times for popular shipping companies like FedEx, USPS, UPS, and DHL.
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Various logistics carriers provide a range of services with different delivery times. Alongside standard delivery, they often offer expedited shipping options, although these tend to come with higher costs for quicker delivery.
Below, you'll discover a summary of the delivery times for FedEx, USPS, UPS, and DHL.
Additionally, we will outline whether they operate on weekends and holidays, providing all the essential information in a single, straightforward overview.
FedEx generally completes deliveries from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday through Friday. Residential deliveries also occur on Saturdays and Sundays. If FedEx sends a shipping notification promising delivery by the end of the day, expect the package to arrive by 8 pm.
FedEx operates on certain holidays, but the availability varies depending on the service. You can refer to FedEx's annual holiday service schedule to verify their availability. For instance, in 2022, FedEx Custom Critical will remain open on Thanksgiving Day while FedEx Ground is closed.
To track the arrival of FedEx packages, use the order number provided at the time of shipment. Tracking orders through this method helps prevent delivery exceptions. You can access the company's online tracking portal for real-time updates.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) typically delivers mail between 8 am and 5 pm, Monday through Saturday. Sunday delivery is usually reserved for Priority Mail Express packages.
USPS provides service on select holidays, with a holiday schedule available on its website. If a holiday falls on a Saturday, USPS generally observes it on the preceding Friday for most employees.
If a holiday lands on a Sunday, USPS typically observes it on the following Monday. It means mail carriers may have the day off, and deliveries may not occur on these days.
Yet, exceptions may apply for specialty services, which USPS outlines online. For instance, Christmas Day, occurring on December 25, is a postal holiday, resulting in the closure of all post office locations.
On Christmas Day, regular mail delivery is unavailable, but Priority Mail Express is an exception.
While not all USPS packages are trackable, packages with tracking numbers can be tracked online. Simply visit the USPS online tracking portal for updates.
UPS typically delivers to residential addresses between 9 am and 7 pm. Deliveries to business addresses are made by the end of business hours.
Deliveries are scheduled from Monday to Saturday, with Sunday delivery limited to residential addresses.
Like the other mail carriers mentioned, UPS provides a holiday schedule for reference to anticipate any possible delivery disruptions. Here's the 2024 schedule.
The availability of delivery depends on the chosen service. For instance, UPS domestic ground, air, and international services are closed on New Year’s Day and Easter. Yet, UPS Express Critical Services remains open these days.
To track UPS packages and determine their delivery status, use the company’s online tracking tool. Enter the reference or tracking number to locate your package within the supply chain. This way, you can keep customers informed about their orders.
DHL's standard delivery hours in the United States are typically from 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday. Weekend delivery is not available in the US.
Still, weekend delivery options are offered in other regions, such as parts of Europe and Asia, usually with an extra fee.
DHL's holiday operations vary based on the locality of your customer. The schedule is determined by the local public holidays in each region.
For instance, in the Netherlands, DHL closes on King’s Day. In the United States, standard local holidays like New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July may disrupt service.
DHL provides a track-and-trace online service. It allows you to track the expected arrival time of a package. This ensures you and your customers stay informed about precise delivery time windows.
Many delivery services don't operate at night for several reasons.
Businesses are usually closed, making it difficult to receive packages. Additionally, people at residences are often asleep during nighttime hours, making delivery impractical.
This is particularly challenging for deliveries requiring a recipient's signature, as the recipient may not be available to receive the package. In such cases, the delivery may need to be rescheduled.
Delivery at night presents safety concerns, according to the USPS Office of the Inspector General. For instance, there's a higher probability of packages being stolen from front porches during nighttime hours. That's why the majority of package deliveries are scheduled during the daytime.
Furthermore, nighttime deliveries can pose risks to drivers. The darkness increases the chances of tripping, and driving becomes more hazardous due to reduced visibility.
Additionally, crime rates tend to increase at night, particularly violent crime rates, which heightens the risk for drivers, making them more vulnerable to assault, robbery, and other criminal acts.
Yet, in cases where urgent nighttime delivery is necessary, it might still be workable. Some last-mile delivery services offer this option.
For instance, specialty courier services like Rapidus specialize in providing 24/7 service. These services may cater to entities like law offices working under tight deadlines or delivering documents or flash drives at any hour.
Another exception is late-night food delivery services.
Depending on the delivery zone and restaurant availability, platforms like GrubHub might assist in fulfilling late-night orders. Whether you're craving a burrito, taco, chicken wings, or a slice of pizza at 3 am, late-night deliveries could be an option.
Despite these exceptions, getting a package delivered at night is unlikely.
Moreover, as a business owner, you likely prefer to avoid nighttime delivery for practical reasons.
After all, you wouldn't want to leave a package on a customer's porch at night only to find it missing by morning!
If you're dissatisfied with the delivery options provided by logistics companies such as FedEx and DHL, you have the option to establish your delivery service team comprised of contract drivers.
For a local business operating within a small geographical area, having a fleet of drivers could be a viable solution. You can recruit individuals residing in and around the area to handle local package deliveries.
Yet, the question arises: How will you effectively oversee and manage this team of drivers?
Introducing eLogii route optimization software. Now, you can swiftly generate delivery routes for multiple drivers. Considering factors like traffic patterns and construction zones, eLogii charts the optimal path for each driver. That ensures swift delivery and customer satisfaction.
For added efficiency, you can designate priority deliveries, ensuring urgent packages are delivered promptly.
Moreover, with eLogii's real-time tracking feature, you can provide consumers with updates on the anticipated arrival time of their packages.
With eLogii, you can seamlessly send notifications to your drivers directly through the app.
Once your routes are generated within eLogii, you can effortlessly assign each driver their route and monitor their progress in real time.
Additionally, you have the flexibility to update routes on the fly, adding or removing delivery addresses as required.
Ready to establish your in-house delivery team? eLogii is your solution. Our robust routing software simplifies your workload by handling the task of mapping out driver routes for you.
eLogii can enhance your drivers' experience with features such as proof of delivery and a quick package locator. Drivers can conveniently access their routes via the mobile app.
The app also enables real-time tracking of your vehicles. You can track drivers' progress and track package locations without needing to disrupt their workflow with phone calls or messages.
Moreover, if a customer reaches out to inquire about their package, you'll have the information you need within minutes.
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