US parcel routes
Standard domestic parcel shipments can start with the parcel calculator when package data, route, and carrier service are label-ready.
Coverage
Shipping lanes and coverage by shipment fit.
Parcel labels sell online on US routes and on four export lanes — Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia. Everything else, from a Mexico cross-border pallet to an Asia Pacific container, comes in through freight review. Availability depends on package data, carrier service, mode, route, and customs requirements.
US parcel routesFour export lanes onlineGlobal freight review
Clear route, clear next step
The route and shipment profile determine whether the calculator or review path is right.
North America
Common review paths include US distribution lanes, Canadian freight beyond parcel size, Mexico cross-border context, and commercial freight requests.
International freight
Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific requests can be reviewed when route, mode, cargo, timing, and business context are clear. Parcel-sized exports to the four online countries skip this queue entirely.
Four international lanes sell labels online
Since August 2026 a parcel headed to one of these four countries prices in the calculator and checks out like a domestic box. The customs declaration is completed before payment, the commercial-invoice pack arrives by email with the label, and duties or import taxes are collected from the recipient on arrival rather than added to your label. Carriers differ by lane — UPS, FedEx, or DHL Express, whichever serves the route.
Canada
The nearest export lane: describe the item, declare the contents at checkout, and the invoice pack lands in your inbox with the label.
United Kingdom
Priced live like any US route. Import charges are billed to your recipient by the border authority or the delivering carrier, never folded into the quote.
Germany
Labels sell online with the declaration done up front, so the box reaches the EU border with its paperwork already prepared.
Australia
The longest lane of the four works the same way end to end — quote, declare, pay, print — and the recipient settles anything owed at import.
What stays off the self-service path: every other destination country, anything over parcel limits, battery-powered and restricted items, and high-value shipments. Those go to freight review, where a person checks the lane before any payment.
Good fit
- Clear route Known origin and destination, including ZIP, city, port, or country where relevant.
- Known shipment type Parcel, pallet, LTL, ocean, air, road, rail, or multimodal.
- Usable cargo context Product, package, dimensions, weight, quantity, contents, timing, and handling notes.
Needs review
- Oversized or palletized Routed to freight review before checkout.
- Restricted or hazmat Blocked or reviewed before payment.
- Other international lanes Destinations outside Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia need contents, value, and classification review before labels.
What a five-pound box costs on six common lanes
Every price below came out of the SMKlog calculator on 2026-07-25 for the same package: a 12 × 10 × 8 in box at 5 lb, quoted between real ZIP codes. Nothing here is a table we typed by hand.
| Lane | Cheapest ground | UPS Ground | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey 07922 → New York, NY 10001 | $8.67 | $11.74 | 1–2 days |
| New York, NY 10001 → Dallas, TX 75201 | $9.06 | $17.00 | 3–4 days |
| Miami, FL 33101 → New York, NY 10001 | $9.06 | $15.67 | 3 days |
| Chicago, IL 60601 → Seattle, WA 98101 | $11.00 | $17.00 | 4–5 days |
| New Jersey 07922 → Los Angeles, CA 90001 | $14.26 | $19.30 | 4 days |
| Los Angeles, CA 90001 → Miami, FL 33101 | $14.26 | $19.30 | 4–5 days |
Two things this table shows better than any explanation. First, distance is priced in zones, not miles: Miami to New York and New York to Dallas are nearly the same distance apart in price, and coast-to-coast in either direction lands on the same $14.26. Second, the spread between the cheapest ground service and UPS Ground on a short lane is under $4, while on a long lane it is over $5 for the same box — which is why picking the carrier before knowing the route is guesswork.
Lower 48
All parcel services quote here, and a label can be bought online in a couple of minutes. Rural destination ZIP codes carry their own pricing on USPS Ground Advantage since the July 2026 change, so quote the buyer's actual ZIP rather than the nearest city.
Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico
Parcel service exists but prices well above the lower 48, and ground transit times stretch. USPS is usually the only sensible option; UPS and FedEx surcharge these destinations heavily.
Pallets and oversize
Once a shipment passes carrier parcel limits — roughly 150 lb, 108 in long, or 165 in in length plus girth — it stops being a parcel and moves to the freight review path, which is quoted by a person rather than an API.