Wisconsin prices as upper-Midwest mid-zone from both coasts, with Milwaukee riding Chicago's dense network for tight windows in the southeast.
A single real parcel priced twice on 2026-07-27; the tables preserve the carriers' rows exactly.
Milwaukee is the destination behind these numbers: a 12 × 10 × 6 in, 5 lb box of household goods, quoted live through the SMKlog calculator from the two coasts. Each row equals the full checkout charge with SMKlog's share built in; there is nothing to add at the end.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Quoted transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $13.29 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $13.52 | 5 business days |
| UPS | Ground | $14.05 | 3-4 business days |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $14.31 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS | 3 Day Select | $19.94 | 3-4 business days |
| Carrier | Service | Price | Quoted transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $15.91 | 6-7 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $16.47 | 6 business days |
| UPS | Ground | $17.00 | 6-7 business days |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $17.52 | 7-8 business days |
| UPS | 3 Day Select | $25.00 | 3-4 business days |
Newark came in cheaper this time, $13.29 against $15.91 from Los Angeles, USPS Ground Advantage leading both boards. Shipping into the Northwoods costs the same dollars as Milwaukee from far origins; it just spends more days in transit. Both tables are fixed to 2026-07-27, and carriers have repriced since then or soon will, so put your own ZIPs through a quote.
Each quote silently compares the scale weight with a dimensional figure computed from the carton's measurements and bills the larger. Dense boxes win that comparison, puffy ones lose it. Before quoting, squeeze the packaging down to the smallest safe size.
Buying fresh cartons for every sale quietly eats margin. A structurally sound reused box, old labels stripped and seams re-taped, prices identically in every carrier's system. Spend on bubble wrap instead if the contents deserve it.
The country is carved into distance bands from every origin ZIP, and the band your destination falls in largely fixes the rate. Milwaukee lands mid-band from both coasts, which is why the two tables sit within a few dollars of each other rather than miles apart.
$13.29 from Newark, NJ and $15.91 from Los Angeles, CA, USPS Ground Advantage both, for a 12 × 10 × 6 in box at 5 lb on 2026-07-27. Each figure is the entire checkout price, SMKlog's charge inside. Boxes and weeks vary, so a live quote is the current truth.
Ground rows quoted 3-7 business days from Newark and 6-8 from Los Angeles on our pull, and UPS 3 Day Select offered 3-4 days from either coast at $19.94 and $25.00. Windows print beside prices in the tables, carrier-sourced.
USPS Ground Advantage led from both origins at $13.29 and $15.91, with UPS Ground Saver about a quarter behind the Newark figure at $13.52. Leads that small rotate with repricing cycles, so run the comparison again for your own shipment.
They don't involve one at any step. Describe the item, submit the ZIP pair, take your pick of the live rates, pay, and print the tracked label straight away.