Both boxes were quoted live on 2026-08-18. Neither one returned a USPS price.
Two suitcases, Berkeley Heights to Chicago, 2026-08-18
A carry-on and a large checked case, both boxed, both quoted on the same lane the same afternoon. Every carrier that priced either one is in the table below; USPS is not, because USPS did not return a rate for either box.
| Carrier and service | Carry-on 22 × 16 × 10 in, 8 lb | Large checked case 31 × 22 × 14 in, 18 lb |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | Not returned | Not returned |
| UPS Ground | $27.58 2-3 business days | $56.11 2-3 business days |
| FedEx Ground Economy | $30.38 5-6 business days | $78.07 5-6 business days |
| UPS 3 Day Select | $41.94 3-4 business days | $88.40 3-4 business days |
| UPS Ground Saver | $46.84 4 business days | $79.03 4 business days |
| FedEx Ground | $47.69 2-3 business days | $84.45 2-3 business days |
UPS Ground was the cheapest option on both boxes, $27.58 for the carry-on and $56.11 for the large checked case. USPS Ground Advantage is listed first because it is the service that would ordinarily be expected to be cheapest on a light, boxy parcel like this one; on this lane and this day, it simply was not among the results.
No rule bans it, and neither box was too big
USPS Domestic Mail Manual 601, read 2026-08-18, sets a general packaging standard rather than a list of banned shapes: “Mailers must package mailpieces to withstand normal transit and handling without breakage or deterioration of content, package breakage, injury to USPS employees, or damage to other mail.” Boxes, envelopes, tubes and bags are named as acceptable containers. Suitcases, luggage, or anything with wheels or handles attached are not named at all, in either direction.
Size was not the obstacle either. USPS Ground Advantage's own page, read 2026-08-18, caps a parcel at 70 lb and 130 inches of combined length and girth.
| Box | Weight | Length plus girth | Ground Advantage ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carry-on, 22 × 16 × 10 in | 8 lb | 74 in | Well under 70 lb and 130 in |
| Large checked case, 31 × 22 × 14 in | 18 lb | 103 in | Well under 70 lb and 130 in |
Neither box came close to either ceiling, and USPS still returned nothing on this quote. That is a fact about what our checkout offered that day, not a claim about a rule USPS has written down anywhere. Whatever kept USPS out of the results, it was not a published weight or size limit.
Box it either way
Whichever carrier ends up on your quote, a bare suitcase handed over with a label taped to the shell is the wrong move: wheels, handles and fabric take the damage, and an unboxed bag commonly earns a special-handling charge on top. A snug outer carton is worth the ten minutes.
UPS answered fastest on this lane
UPS Ground quoted a 2-3 business day window on both boxes in this capture, ahead of FedEx Ground Economy's 5-6 days. Speed is worth weighing alongside price when USPS is not in the running.
Quote your own bag
Carrier availability shifts by box shape, lane and day. Run your actual suitcase and ZIP codes rather than assuming this capture applies to a different case or a different route.
Where these numbers come from
- United States Postal Service, USPS Ground Advantage — the 70 lb maximum weight and the 130 inch maximum combined length and girth. Read 2026-08-18.
- United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual 601 — the general packaging standard and the list of acceptable container types. Read 2026-08-18.
- Prices: our own capture of two suitcase parcels against production on 2026-08-18, mailed from Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922. Every figure above is a live checkout total, not a published rate card.
Carrier network availability and rate tables change without notice, and USPS revises the Domestic Mail Manual on its own schedule. Treat the figures above as one dated capture and pull a fresh quote for the bag and route you actually have.
Common questions
Does USPS ship suitcases?
USPS publishes no rule against it, but on our own checkout neither of two boxed suitcases we quoted on 2026-08-18, a carry-on and a large checked case, returned a USPS price. Both sizes were well inside USPS Ground Advantage's own published limits. UPS and FedEx priced both.
Is there a published USPS ban on luggage?
No. USPS Domestic Mail Manual 601, read 2026-08-18, states only a general rule: mailers must package mailpieces to withstand normal transit and handling without breakage or damage. It names boxes, envelopes, tubes and bags as acceptable containers and does not call out suitcases, luggage, or items with wheels or handles by name.
Were the suitcases too big or heavy for USPS Ground Advantage?
No. USPS Ground Advantage's own page, read 2026-08-18, caps a parcel at 70 lb and 130 inches of combined length and girth. Our carry-on box measured 74 inches of length and girth at 8 lb; the large checked box measured 103 inches at 18 lb. Both sat comfortably under the ceiling, and USPS still returned nothing for either one on this quote.
What did price the suitcases, and for how much?
UPS and FedEx, on both boxes. The carry-on ran $27.58 on UPS Ground up to $47.69 on FedEx Ground; the large checked case ran $56.11 on UPS Ground up to $88.40 on UPS 3 Day Select, all quoted Berkeley Heights, NJ to Chicago, IL on 2026-08-18.
Will USPS ever appear for a suitcase on a different route?
Possibly. This capture covers one shape of box on one lane on one day. Run your own suitcase and ZIP codes through the calculator rather than ruling USPS in or out from this page alone.