Texas sits close to the middle of every carrier's zone map: roughly the same distance band from either coast, which our two live runs below show almost perfectly — the same box priced within cents from Newark and from Los Angeles. That symmetry makes Texas a good place to see what carriers charge for pure middle-distance.
Two live pulls on 2026-07-27, one box, both coasts; the tables show every returned row.
Dallas makes an unusually clean test because both coasts sit about equally far away. We quoted a 12 × 10 × 6 in, 5 lb box of household goods through the SMKlog calculator from Newark and Los Angeles; the tables hold the carriers' replies verbatim, each price a complete checkout figure with SMKlog's charge inside.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Quoted transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $15.12 | 4-5 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $15.49 | 5 business days |
| UPS | Ground | $15.67 | 3-4 business days |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $16.22 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS | 2nd Day Air | $23.99 | 2-3 business days |
| Carrier | Service | Price | Quoted transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $15.12 | 4-5 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $15.49 | 5 business days |
| UPS | Ground | $15.67 | 3-4 business days |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $16.22 | 3-4 business days |
| UPS | 2nd Day Air | $23.99 | 2-3 business days |
The two runs came back near-identical, $15.12 floors from both origins, which almost never happens on coastal destinations. Ground rows bunched within about a dollar of each other while UPS 2nd Day Air jumped to $23.99 for its 2-3 day window. Houston, Austin and San Antonio usually share Dallas's band from most origins. Even symmetric lanes reprice weekly, so a live quote with your own ZIPs is still the step that counts.
Zone systems only see distance between ZIPs. Dallas lands in the same band from Newark as from Los Angeles, so the two tables nearly mirror each other. For sellers this means Texas buyers cost about the same to reach from either coast, a rare simplification.
On this lane the ground services clustered around fifteen to sixteen dollars while quoted windows ranged from 3-4 to 6-7 business days. Choosing a faster ground row costs little or nothing here. The days column is the real differentiator, not the price column.
If a carton survived its first trip intact, it can make another. Remove old shipping labels completely so sorters scan only yours, re-tape every seam, and pack so nothing rattles. The quote depends on measurements, never on whether the box is new.
Remarkably even: our 2026-07-27 run priced a 12 × 10 × 6 in, 5 lb parcel at $15.12 by USPS Ground Advantage from Newark, NJ and $15.12 from Los Angeles, CA as well. Prices shown are full checkout totals with SMKlog's charge included. Your parcel sets its own number; quote it live.
The carriers quoted 3-7 business days on the ground rows from both coasts on 2026-07-27, with UPS 2nd Day Air at 2-3 days for $23.99 when the calendar is tight. The exact window for each service sits beside its price in the tables.
USPS Ground Advantage tied itself at $15.12 from either coast, with UPS Ground Saver at $15.49 close on both runs. When the field is packed this tightly, a small box change can reorder it, so compare live for your shipment rather than assuming a repeat.
They don't. Describe the contents, type both ZIPs, review the live board, pay for the row you like. The tracked label is yours to print immediately, no login created.