What Is the Cheapest Way to Send a 50 lb Package?

Written by Joe Jordan | Jul 14, 2023 2:17:15 AM

So you want to ship a 50-pound box? And you also want to save money? In today's blog, we will help you by comparing the rates of different carriers' services. By the end, you will know which carrier and service is your best bet for saving money with your 50-pound shipment.

What Is the Cheapest Way to Ship a 50-Pound Package?

The cheapest way to ship a 50-pound package is using ground shipping. Most carriers price their services based on delivery speed, and ground shipping is often the slowest service, making it the cheapest one.

When small parcel shipping, you often have to make a tradeoff between speed and cost. If you want quicker delivery, you will have to pay more.

The service you use will depend on the following:

How fast you want the item to arrive - If the package is not urgent, choose ground shipping options like UPS Ground or FedEx Ground. If the package is needed urgently, use express services like UPS Next Day Air or FedEx SameDay.
Your budget - To save money, choose slower delivery options like ground shipping.
The contents of your package - Not all 100lb packages are the same. A package containing 100 lb of clothes will be handled differently from a 100 lb package containing chemicals. Consult with your carrier if you're shipping special or dangerous goods.

Let's examine how much shipping a 50-pound box costs across different carriers.

How Much Does It Cost to Ship a 50-Pound Box?

Carrier	Shipping service	Cost range to ship a 50 lb package
UPS	UPS Express Critical	Get a quote (The fastest and most expensive UPS service).
	UPS Next Day Air Early	$101.67-$336.20
	UPS Next Day Air	$71.67-$334.89
	UPS Next Day Air Saver	$66.49-$244.25
	UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.	$48.68-$204.68
	UPS 2nd Day Air	$44.45-$185.36
	UPS 3-Day Select	$32.24-$131.10
	UPS Ground	$16.10-$166.06
FedEx	FedEx First Overnight	$106.55-$280.16
	FedEx Priority Overnight	$75.55-$249.16
	FedEx Standard Overnight	$71.75-$241.82
	FedEx 2Day A.M.	$52.29-$206.09
	FedEx 2Day	$47.62-$176.30
	FedEx Express Saver	$44.21-$149.10
	FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery	$16.21-$36.17
USPS	Priority Mail Express	$69.30-$221.95
	Priority Mail	$23.15-$177.55
	USPS Retail Ground	$22.20-$68.60

Based on the data in the table, it's clear that the cheapest way to send a 50 lb package is by using FedEx Ground or FedEx Home Delivery.

These two FedEx services are similar in that they use the same delivery network. However, FedEx Ground delivers packages weighing 150 lbs. or less to businesses or commercial addresses from Monday to Friday. In comparison, FedEx Home Delivery handles the delivery of packages weighing 150 lbs. or less to residential addresses every day of the week.

Now, if you're looking for another wallet-friendly option, UPS Ground comes to the rescue with prices starting at just $16.10.

What Is the Least Expensive Way to Ship a Large Heavy Package?

Generally, the cheapest way to ship a heavy package is once again through ground shipping. If you have a very heavy package (say over 150 pounds), then you may need to use freight shipping.

Below we will compare FedEx and UPS rates for shipping large, heavy boxes. We consider packages weighing more than 70 pounds to be large packages. USPS does not apply here since their maximum weight for a mailable package is 70 pounds.

	UPS Service
Weight	UPS Next Day Air Early	UPS Next Day Air	UPS Next Day Air Saver	UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.	UPS 2nd Day Air	UPS 3-Day Select	UPS Ground
71–80 pounds	$225.24–$911.94	$195.24–$899.58	$177.58–$730.30	$133.56–$691.56	$121.38–$589.29	$83.23–$415.25	$29.40–$460.46
81–90 pounds	$259.67–$976.86	$229.67–$965.81	$203.13–$868.77	$148.33–$759.97	$134.12–$634.44	$95.48–$461.99	$39.94–$504.27
91–100 pounds	$281.73–$1,173.45	$251.73–$1,167.21	$231.60–$992.83	$166.10–$874.49	$151.22–$760.59	$110.01–$551.12	$90.02–$550.71
101–110 pounds	$301.15–$1,287.81	$271.15–$1,283.95	$255.76–$1,092.12	$186.58–$961.94	$165.37–$836.39	$120.19–$606.93	$64.23–$601.03
111–120 pounds	$328.01–$1,402.15	$298.01–$1,400.67	$281.08–$1,191.41	$205.04–$1,049.39	$181.74–$912.19	$132.65–$661.98	$72.54–$665.82
121–130 pounds	$354.84–$1,514.30	$324.84–$1,517.40	$306.41–$1,290.69	$223.53–$1,136.83	$198.12–$987.99	$146.37–$717.23	$81.78–$721.64
131–140 pounds	$381.00–$1,628.48	$351.00–$1,634.11	$331.73–$1,389.97	$241.99–$1,224.28	$214.49–$1,063.79	$159.22–$770.19	$88.21–$784.68
141–150 pounds	$420.25–$1,742.67	$378.52–$1,750.83	$357.04–$1,489.25	$260.47–$1,311.73	$230.87–$1,139.60	$173.39–$827.47	$97.33–$856.00

	FedEx Service
Weight	FedEx First Overnight	FedEx Priority Overnight	FedEx Standard Overnight	FedEx 2Day A.M.	FedEx 2Day	FedEx Express Saver	FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery
71–80 pounds	$68.04–$199.53	$37.04–$168.53	$33.87–$165.22	$25.37–$127.21	$22.59–$106.40	$21.03–$91.63	$10.10–$22.40
81–90 pounds	$93.53–$280.16	$62.53–$249.16	$55.08–$241.82	$36.28–$206.09	$33.06–$176.30	$32.41–$149.10	$14.17–$36.17
91–100 pounds	$109.85–$367.87	$78.85–$336.87	$73.68–$319.81	$57.43–$276.22	$49.83–$243.54	$45.48–$205.05	$16.80–$51.83
101–110 pounds	$128.73–$435.45	$97.73–$404.45	$92.11–$387.40	$74.31–$362.84	$63.05–$312.64	$61.81–$259.57	$20.29–$63.95
111–120 pounds	$149.28–$510.78	$118.28–$479.78	$112.52–$462.75	$94.83–$438.26	$82.33–$359.69	$79.96–$308.02	$23.15–$74.72
121–130 pounds	$185.48–$613.46	$154.48–$582.46	$133.04–$565.44	$114.67–$522.93	$93.47–$424.98	$91.63–$373.06	$24.85–$81.11
131–140 pounds	$214.21–$698.31	$183.21–$667.31	$151.33–$650.28	$133.01–$602.70	$108.74–$479.00	$104.68–$436.39	$26.09–$85.57
141–150 pounds	$185.48–$613.46	$154.48–$582.46	$133.04–$565.44	$114.67–$522.93	$93.47–$424.98	$91.63–$373.06	$24.85–$81.11

How ShipSigma Can Help

At ShipSigma, we leverage our industry-leading AI technology, backed by over $1 billion of live market data and over 250 years of combined shipping experience, to identify specific cost-saving opportunities based on your unique shipping needs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Shipping a 50 lb Package

Does package weight affect which carrier offers the best rate for a 50 lb shipment?

For a 50 lb package, FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery are the lowest-cost options, ranging from $16.21 to $36.17, versus UPS Ground at $16.10 to $166.06. The wide range in UPS Ground pricing means FedEx Ground is the more predictable budget choice at 50 lbs.

What is the difference between FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery for a 50 lb shipment?

FedEx Ground delivers packages up to 150 lbs to business or commercial addresses Monday through Friday. FedEx Home Delivery covers the same weight limit but delivers to residential addresses every day of the week.

Which USPS service is the most affordable for a 50 lb package?

USPS Retail Ground is the lowest-cost USPS option for a 50 lb package, ranging from $22.20 to $68.60. Priority Mail costs $23.15 to $177.55, and Priority Mail Express ranges from $69.30 to $221.95, making Retail Ground the clear budget choice within the USPS network.

Does USPS accept packages over 70 lbs?

USPS does not accept packages heavier than 70 lbs; their maximum weight for a mailable package is 70 pounds. Shippers with packages beyond that limit must use UPS, FedEx, or freight carriers instead.

At what weight do packages require freight shipping instead of ground service?

Packages over 150 pounds exceed the standard weight limits for UPS and FedEx parcel services, which both cap their ground and express services at 150 lbs per package. At that threshold, freight shipping is the appropriate service.

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