It’s always fun and exciting knowing that you have a package on its way. Maybe you did a little bit of online shopping. Or maybe someone special in your life as sent you a fun surprise. Maybe you are just waiting for school or work documents to arrive and are eager to jump right in. At any rate, FedEx is one of the most popular shipping companies on the planet for a couple of reasons. For starters, the really helped to usher in the era of next day delivery. A lot of people today may forget that FedEx was originally known as the “when it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight” company – something that they used to build their company into the absolute behemoth that is right now.
On top of that, though, FedEx has earned a reputation for offering great services at affordable price points that are incredibly reliable. They built this reputation over decades of operation and continue to refine and improve their logistical architecture, to the point where they just might be the most consistent delivery company anywhere on earth. At the same time, though, we all get a little bit anxious about trying to figure out when our FedEx packages are going to arrive – even if our tracking information tells us that they are going to get there today or tomorrow. As human beings we like to know exactly when our packages are going to arrive. And hopefully this quick guide shines a little bit of extra light on exactly that subject.
Let’s jump right in!
How Late Does FedEx Deliver?
As a general rule, you aren’t going to find too terribly many FedEx trucks out there delivering packages after 8 PM throughout the business week. Monday through Saturday Federal Express is out there delivering packages to their customers, making sure that they receive their packages while working between the hours of 7 AM (local) and 8 PM (local) – with a handful of exceptions. If you have purchased guaranteed delivery services for a specific day (usually second day or overnight services) FedEx will go the extra mile to make sure that your package arrives when they promised it will. If that means delivering your package outside of normal business hours (usually after 8 PM local time) that’s what they are going to do.
FedEx also works a lot later into the evening (and sometimes on Sunday, too) around the busy holiday season. This shouldn’t surprise anyone considering the amount of volume that FedEx does in the lead up to Christmas. Shoppers start to go absolutely crazy just before Thanksgiving and the rush continues all the way through Christmas (sometimes for a couple of days afterwards). FedEx – alongside other companies like UPS and DHL, as well as the USPS – are always going to work double overtime to make sure that Christmas gifts arrive in advance of the big day whenever possible.
It’s not at all unusual to see FedEx drivers out on the roads well after 8 PM in late November and early December, but it’s really quite common to see them out after 9 PM (or even later) when you get towards the middle of December and Christmas really starts to loom. As we highlighted above, for the most part your packages are going to arrive at your doorstep between the hours of 7 AM and 8 PM on Monday through Saturday. Some areas also have Sunday delivery, and some special services also offer guaranteed delivery seven days a week, though you’ll have to looking to the specifics of those particular options to figure out when your package is most likely to arrive.
What About Specialty FedEx Delivery Options?
Of course, there are a whole host of other “specialty” FedEx delivery services that may have different delivery times you’ll want to be aware of. The ones that we breakdown below are in no way whatsoever a full and complete breakdown specialty delivery services from FedEx, but are merely the tip of the iceberg. All the same, these are the most popular options you could choose to take advantage of and they give you a good idea of the kind of delivery schedule that FedEx likes to stick to.
FedEx SameDay
FedEx same-day delivery services are available every day of the year, without exception, in all 50 states. These delivery services are guaranteed to arrive the same day that you have purchased them, even if that means that the delivery agent is going to be out a lot longer than the 8 PM traditional cut off. Sometimes these services can be have packages and parcels delivered within a few hours, but most of the time it’s going to take six or seven hours to get your package where you want it to go. FedEx does try to geographically limit these same-day delivery services to guarantee this kind of delivery window, though they may not be able to do so all the time. If you’re FedEx Same Day delivery does not arrive on the same day you are almost always entitled to a partial refund at the very least. You’ll want to reach out to FedEx directly for more information.
FedEx SameDay City
A number of major metropolitan areas throughout the United States also have FedEx Same Day City delivery available as well. These delivery services guarantee cross city and door-to-door delivery inside of just a few hours, 365 days a year in those specific locales. You’ll be able to call up and order this delivery service if it’s available in your city at any point in time, and the folks at FedEx will usually be able to let you know when you’re delivery will arrive that day. You can also choose to take advantage of contract only City Route delivery services that are going to include regularly scheduled drop-offs with clearly defined routes and stops. This is a fantastic solution for small businesses that need to have consistent delivery schedule is in the same city, but again this service is not available everywhere.
FedEx First Overnight
FedEx First overnight delivery services guarantee delivery first thing on the next business day morning, usually guaranteeing delivery before 830 or 9:30 AM (local time). Some areas will have their overnight delivery guaranteed to be at the ultimate destination before 2 PM (local time) the next day, though this kind of services usually only available in more suburban and rural areas. All 50 states have this service available to take advantage of, with customers being able to utilize overnight delivery to prioritize their packages. If you absolutely need to have something get to an individual or a business/organization first thing in the morning this is the kind of service you’re want to invest in.
FedEx Priority Overnight
Priority Overnight from FedEx guarantees that your overnight delivery will reach its ultimate destination before 10:30 AM (local time) in most areas, though sometimes – and in some areas – this guarantee will be good for noon or 5 PM in more rural areas. The service is a little bit slower than First Overnight (the service we just mentioned a moment ago) but it is also a little less expensive. If you are working with wider open delivery windows this is probably the service that you want to move forward with.
FedEx Standard Overnight
Of course, if you just need your package to reach its final destination overnight and are not all that concerned about exactly when it gets there – so long as it is still overnight – Standard Overnight is the way to go. This overnight service does promise that your package will arrive the next day, but the delivery window is wide open and left to the discretion of the FedEx logistical system. The only guarantee you’ll get from the folks at FedEx with Standard Overnight is that your package or parcel will get where it’s going before 8 PM the next day.
FedEx 2Day A.M.
Second Day A.M. service from FedEx is very similar to First Overnight, in that the packages you send via their specialty service are going to be guaranteed to be delivered by 10:30 AM two days after you send them out. This service is available in all 50 states, but it’s important to know that customers in Hawaii are only going to be able to use this particular “earlybird” second day delivery service if they are sending packages out of Hawaii.
FedEx 2Day
Second day delivery from FedEx is available as well, and it’s easy to save quite a bit of money when you aren’t requiring your packages to be delivered first thing in the morning the way that the service above requires. This solution guarantees that your package will get to its ultimate destination within two days of being shipped out, but the odds are that it’s going to be delivered closer to 8 PM than bright and early in the morning. The delivery window is a little bit wider open with this choice but the price is more economically focused.
FedEx Express Saver
Finally, you have the opportunity to take advantage of FedEx Express Saver delivery services that are basically third business day solutions. These inexpensive but expedited services guarantee that your packages will be delivered by 4:30 PM (local time) in most areas across all 50 states – with the sole exceptions of Alaska and Hawaii – though your package might take until 8 PM (local time) to reach more residential areas.
FedEx Delivery Times for Home Delivery Services
FedEx home delivery services follow their own specific schedules that you’ll need to be aware of, too. Standard FedEx Home Delivery will be guaranteed to arrive before 8 PM in almost all circumstances, and you can follow your tracking information to watch as your package moves through the logistical process at FedEx.
FedEx Evening Home Delivery
Evening Home Delivery from FedEx promises that your packages will be delivered between the hours of 5 PM and 8 PM local time on Monday through Sunday, giving you a chance to guarantee that you are around to sign for or physically receive your packages. This is a great solution for folks that want to be sure that they are there in person when their packages arrive, rather than leaving their important packages or parcels out on the doorstep or the porch for hours and hours at a time.
FedEx Appointment Home Delivery
FedEx also offers Appointment Home Delivery services that allow you to actually schedule your delivery between the hours of 9 AM and 8 PM, Monday through Sunday throughout the week. This lets you not only schedule the actual delivery timeline (within a 45 minute block of time) but also lets you tell FedEx exactly who is going to be signing for that package as well. You’ll be contacted by phone in advance of your package heading out to its final destination so that everything is synced up and you can go about your day without waiting around for FedEx.
Get More Control Over Your Package Delivery Times with US Global Mail
If you need even more granular levels of control over your package delivery timeline it might be a good idea to take advantage of the virtual mailbox services available through US Global Mail. One of the most reputable and reliable PO Box alternatives on the market today, US Global Mail has built up a near legendary reputation in the virtual mailbox industry for their service, their customer support, and their respect for the privacy of all of their clients.
Some of the biggest advantages of moving forward with US Global Mail include being able to take advantage of a physical street address, enjoying 100% digitized mail scanning, and even mail forwarding options that work domestically as well as overseas. For more information about the services available through US Global Mail check out their website today. You can also contact customer service at your earliest convenience with any specific questions you would like to have answered, getting in person and detailed answers straightaway.
