In early July, the US Postal Service completely changed up its delivery methods and calculations. Priority Mail going short distances (for us, that's the East Coast) is now cheaper, but Priority going further is now a lot more expensive, particularly for boxes over 1 cubic foot (ie: 12" x 12" x 12").
Additionally, they took away First Class Package and Parcel Select and presented everyone with a new classification that sort-of combines the two: Ground Advantage ("GA"). GA is cheaper than Priority to most parts of the country, but why?
What's the difference?
Priority Mail rides by plane to the nearest hub to you, and then only takes a truck for the final leg of delivery. GA rides by truck the entire way. As a result, Priority arrives MUCH faster and is subjected to less vibration / bouncing / extreme temps along the way. GA rides in a hot trailer truck, bouncing along the highways... and is currently taking around 2 weeks to get across the country!
Our recommendation:
We always recommend Priority if you can afford it. Your ponies will be handled less often, arrive a lot sooner, and get a plane ride instead of a bouncy hot/cold truck ride. Our second choice recommendation is UPS Ground, which is almost exactly like the new USPS GA, except they're delivering more quickly.
Two weeks in the heat is not a great way to ship ponies. While GA does include up to $100 of insurance, Triple Mountain is not responsible for items damaged by the carrier, so if you're ordering more than $100 worth of models, we highly recommend choosing Priority to give them the fastest, easiest trip to you.
1 comment
Thanks for the thorough explanation of the mail change. That’s extra good to know with holidays coming up.