We Deliver Anything, Anytime, Anywhere!

Lightning Express delivers your packages on-demand, and on time when every second counts. We offer 24/7 OSHA/HIPAA Compliant TSA Certified Deliveries 365 days a year.

1. Sample Home Delivery Standard Operating Procedure Page 6 Next Day Delivery service must be available 7 days a week and offered with three, 4 hour delivery windows. Order information is sent to the TSP via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI): Files may be sent one or more times a day.
2. Standard Mail Delivery Time. Click here to see larger view. Castle Press First Class Mail Delivery Time. For first class mail, local addresses generally deliver within 3 business days. Deliveries to Mira Loma, California (not in Orange County) take from 2 to 7 days to deliver, whereas deliveries to West LA and Michigan can take up to 8 days.

The Standard Express Service provides express shipping services with a delivery period of 3-5 business days. We provide pickup services from the 48 continental states and delivery services to all 50 US states. Customers can track shipments via our online tools and smartphone apps.

Services Include:

• Standard pickup and delivery within 3 hours
• Rush pickup and delivery within 1-2 hours
• Direct dispatched drive time only
• Economy same day delivery by 5pm

Choose Your Delivery Method

• Standard = 180 minutes from pickup to delivery

• Rush = 60 to 120 minutes from pickup to delivery

• Direct = Private driver dispatched to your location for pickup and then direct delivery

• Economy = Cost-effective rate with a Guaranteed delivery by 5pm same day*

*Package should be available for pickup later than 10am for Economy delivery

Service Guarantees

It is our mission to get your deliveries to you on-time every time. See our service guarantees in your area:

Area	Standard	Rush	Direct	Economy
Baltimore, Harford & Howard Counties	3 hours	1-2 hour	Drive Time Only	Pick up by 10.a.m. for delivery by 5p.m. same day
Washington D.C. Metro Area	4 – 5 hours	2 – 3 hours
Philadelphia Metro Area	Call for Delivery Times	Call for Delivery Times

*Service guarantee times are from the moment order is placed.

Routed Delivery

Lightning Express routed delivery services are consistent, reliable, on-time and customizable. Our specialized software automatically optimizes your routed shipments and allows you to track the progress of your delivery in real time via our online portal.

Services Include:

• Sweeps
• Interoffice mail/Post office pickup
• Pharmaceutical deliveries
• Scheduled Delivery

Scheduled Delivery

We specialize in delivering reliable, pre-scheduled services or tasks that your business requires on a consistent basis. We set up your deliveries in advance at a reduced cost, making this a cost effective solution that is customized for your business’ specific needs.

Services Include:

• Interoffice mail & supplies
• Bulk mail
• Bank deposits
• Payroll
• Medical supplies/prescription drugs

Medical Delivery

Commitment and reliability are paramount when it comes to handling critical medical deliveries such as specimens, human tissue, and home infusion supplies. All our drivers are continually educated on the procedures of handling these deliveries, and are OSHA compliant.

Delivery Express Standard Shipping

Services Include:

• Human tissue
• Specimens
• Home infusion
• Therapeutics
• Medical Equipment
• HIPPA/OSHA Compliant
• STAT Deliveries

Pool Distribution

Our distribution and cross-docking services can reduce your fleet cost. From start to finish we are responsible for the chain of custody for your shipments. Our priority is reducing costs, while improving customer satisfaction.

Services Include:

• Same or next-day delivery of shipments to our distribution center
• Fast and consistent local/regional deliveries
• Reduced liability, and reduced claim potential through minimal handling

Technologies

We offer state of the art specialized technology services to help place and track orders online. Our digital capabilities create convenience and reliability for our customers. Our skilled staff is always ready to assist with all technological aspects of the delivery process.

Services Include:

• Real-time package tracking online and through mobile devices
• Automated comprehensive performance and cost reporting
• Flexible, customizable electronic invoicing
• Real time digital signature capture
• Route optimizer with GPS tracking
• Order entry via online and through mobile devices

AliExpress is one of the top online ecommerce retailers in the world. Alibaba group owns this ecommerce giant.

It’s effortless to find cheap and bestselling products on this site and have them delivered almost anywhere in the world. However, most people new buyers are often confused about the shipping and deliveries.

To be exact, most new buyers have no idea which delivery option to choose since this online retailer offers a plethora of different delivery options depending on your country.

One of the most popular shipment options is AliExpress Standard Shipping option which is mostly free and provides tracking as well.

Ali Express Standard Shipping Pros and Cons

Pros

• Cheapest shipping option available on AliExpress. It’s often available for free or costs around $1-$2.
• Tracking is available so you can easily track your package when it’s shipped.
• Available for almost all the suppliers on AliExpress, so it’s always the easier option to choose.
• Decent packaging quality considering the price point of the shipping option.

Cons

• Takes way too long to reach the destination. Usually takes 15-20 days for shipment to arrive.
• Sometimes the packages are lost during shipment and there’s nothing to do about it. You can get a refund through AliExpress in such a case.
• Very suitable for smaller items. Bigger items are better off with more secure options.

Today, we are going to dive deep into AliExpress Standard delivery option and see how it works and if it’s the perfect delivery option for your future purchases.

What is AliExpress Standard Shipping?

It is a shipment option available to all customers. It’s more like “Fulfilled by Amazon” which means that AliExpress takes care of the product delivery itself.

Who delivers AliExpress Standard Shipping?

It is delivered by AliExpress’ shipping partners which include Singapore post (Most used), Correos, Posti-Finland, SPSR, DHL, and Direct Link.

As a seller, you pack your products, but then it’s handed over to AliExpress Shipment Center who then check and deliver the products through their own service.

As a buyer when you choose this shipment method, the same process happens again. The products are delivered to their shipment center first and then shipped to you through them.

It’s one of the cheapest shipping options available on the website, mostly it’s entirely free, and sometimes it costs somewhere around $2-$3 for delivery.

It is, however, one of the most secure shipping methods available on the platform and if you think you might have to dispute the transaction, then it’s the best option to choose since the retailer can quickly intervene and check the status. AliExpress delivery time for standard shipping is 15-20 days depending on the location.

What’s the difference between Seller’s Shipping and AliExpress Standard Shipping?

As already mentioned above, the standard delivery is fulfilled by AliExpress through their own logistical partners.

Any other shipping method is fulfilled by the sellers themselves as they package and deliver it to the chosen carriers.

The main difference between both these delivery methods is mostly the cost and timings; however, that varies for different countries.

For some countries, the standard delivery might be cheaper and quicker while for some other methods might be a better option.

If your country doesn’t support any other reliable shipment methods, then it’s much safer to go with this shipment method as it’s a secure option for buyers in case of any disputes.

In the image above, you can see that Standard Shipment option is available for free, but the estimated AliExpress shipping time for standard shipment is around 19-39 days while ePacket and other options are much quicker to deliver.

These details are for U.S. delivery; other countries might have different estimates and costs, so it all depends on where you are getting your order delivered.

AliExpress Standard Shipping Tracking

It’s effortless to track this delivery method since the retailer provides the tracking details on your order page.

All the delivery updates will be available in your order details directly through the website.

Here is how you can easily track your orders from your account:

1. Head over to “My Orders” in your account.
2. Click “View Detail” on your order.
3. The tracking details will be available under “Logistics Information”.

If you are not happy with AliExpress’ shipping details, then there are other third-party tracking services available that will help you track your shipment.

How can I track my Aliexpress order?

17Track is one of the most popular shipment monitoring websites that shows accurate tracking information for a multitude of carriers all over the world. Tracking AliExpress shipments is easy with 17Track.

Just head over to 17Track, enter your tracking number, and it will show you the current logistical status of your order within minutes.

Another website that’s also great for AliExpress shipping tracking is CAINIAO; they are official AliExpress logistical partners. AliExpress tracking available through them is mostly accurate.

So, if your tracking information is not appearing correctly anywhere else, then CAINIAO might be able to help you out in tracking your package.

AliExpress Standard delivery tracking numbers change often depending on which carrier they use for your order.

For example, if the tracking number has SG in it, then it’s Singapore post. CN means China Post.

Do Long Shipping Times Stop Customers from Buying?

The short answer is NO. It doesn’t stop customers from buying, so you can leave that worry aside. Why? Because it is an actual KNOWN issue. We tested this and what we discovered is that long shipping times don’t affect conversions that much.

Of course, it is completely different story if the shipping takes less than a week. In circumstances like those, you will definitely increase your conversion rates, but still, not as much as you would expect. And when you consider the profit margins, the price difference more than makes for the conversion rate.

So, if you’re one of those people, who have been dragging their feet and putting off creating a store because of this small issue, then you need to start rethinking. It literally does not matter. In fact, we strongly recommend being honest with customers about shipping times.

At the end of your product page, just add a small notification that the item is going to take two to four weeks to arrive. This way, your customers will know exactly what to expect. We even bold this section to make sure that people read it. This helps you with follow-up customer support.

How to Overcome Challenges of Long Shipping Times?

When most people think of the challenges that are caused by long shipping times, they’re focused on how these times are going to affect the initial conversions and sales. However, if you are crafting your store and your ads appeal to people emotionally, this isn’t going to be a problem.

The issues, unfortunately, come from the customer service side. If you are shipping out from China, then you are going to get a much larger influx of emails, than if you were shipping the same items from the USA. You see, what happens is people don’t mind the long shipping times when buying the item.

However, fast-forward to a week or two, they might start to get a little bit angry. Why? Because we are used to getting items quite fast. Subsequently, you will get a lot of emails saying the same things. “Where is my item? It’s been a week and it hasn’t arrived yet.”

The vast, vast majority of people just want a REPLY. They want to know that someone is behind that computer screen and that they CARE. So, don’t worry, if you get an email that sounds a lot angrier than just “Where is my item?” Just email them back and explain the situation as nicely as possible.

Express Delivery Services

Tell them it’s going to arrive in two to four weeks as “advertised”. Bear in mind CUSTOMER SERVICE is the key here! Of course, you’ll sometimes get customers, who won’t calm down so easily and will ask for a refund. Now, what you do here is up to you.

We personally recommend that when creating a store; create a refund policy, which only allows money backs for faulty products or ones that arrive after four weeks. This issue is another reason why we strongly advise to be upfront with the customer at the beginning about shipping times.

Majority of Shoppers Prefer Free Shipping Over other options

Soppers don’t care if you can ship an item within 2-3 days or a week, what they really want is “Free Shipping”. Check the image below to see how a whopping 58% of shoppers prefer Free shipping over other options.

How Should You Ship Your Items from AliExpress?

In the past, we used to recommend using the “Free Shipping” option from AliExpress. However, times have now with the entrance of a fantastic alternative, “ePacket”. For those of you who don’t know, ePacket delivery is an agreement with the Hong Kong Post and U.S. Postal Service to encourage USA customers to purchase items from China.

It’s a heavily discounted shipping option and it is run at a loss. It will usually cost you $2 or less to ship your items out using ePacket. Now, on average, using the free shipping from AliExpress will have your items arrive anywhere between three to five weeks.

If you opt for ePacket though, it gets cut down to 2 weeks max. Nevertheless, it’s still advised to put two to four weeks in your product page copy. After all, you never know what there can be a handling or processing delay on top of the shipping time.

But you know what the best part about ePacket is? You can track your items to see whether the have arrived or not. So, if you are a new dropshipper, I strongly recommend you focus all your attention upon buyers in the US, as ePacket is not available for all countries worldwide.

And, in the countries that it is available in, it isn’t always as efficient and quick as ePacket shipping is to the USA. Stick to ePacket and stick to the USA. You can expand out from there later and subsequently begin generating more profit than ever.

Let’s compare different AliExpress Shipping methods.

AliExpress Standard Shipping Vs. China Post Air Mail

A lot of people often wonder whether they should use the standard shipment or China Post for their orders.

Most of the time it depends on the details for each method. Sometimes, standard delivery will be free or cost less than China Post and vice versa.

Sometimes the delivery times will be different for both services. However, as a general rule of thumb, you should always opt for standard shipment over China post.

Standard shipping is often cheaper and faster when compared to China post. It also offers better tracking information.

User feedback also states that there have been more lost packages with China post than standard shipping.

When it comes to epacket vs AliExpress Standard Shipping, then most of the times ePacket comes out on top, as it’s cheap, reliable with the tracking information, and much quicker than other alternatives.

Express Delivery Company

However, do keep in mind that it also varies according to different countries. In the image above, you can see ePacket being much faster for Canada with a little $0.38 cost; it also has tracking available while both China post and standard method don’t have tracking information. AliExpress shipping times for ePacket are much quicker.

Now, in this image you can see ePacket being the same as China post and standard delivery; however, this time ePacket costs $0.36 which is higher than other methods since those are absolutely free.

So, your delivery choice would often vary depending on the country where you are delivering. No need to pay an extra buck or half when all the features and delivery timings are same for each service.

How do I choose e-packet as a shipping option?

It’s very easy to choose epacket as a shipping option on AliExpress. If epacket is available as a shipping option then you can select it from the drop-down menu.

If you are using AliExpress for dropshipping with Oberlo then Oberlo lets you specify the shipping option. You can select epacket from Oberlo settings and it will always use epacket wherever and whenever available.

Is AliExpress shipping really free?

AliExpress shipping cost is zero. It’s mostly free, but sometimes it does cost a minor amount. Somewhere around $1-$2 for the shipping. So, in a sense, it’s free but for certain countries, it might charge you a buck or two.

Can we pay cash on delivery in AliExpress?

Unfortunately, Cash on delivery is not available on AliExpress because that would not be possible worldwide. Cash on Delivery is mostly available on stores that offer local services only.

It would be impossible to collect cash on delivery in hundreds of countries that AliExpressshhops to. So, that’s the reason why CoD is not available on AliExpress.

What is AliExpress Premium shipping?

AliExpress Premium Shipping is a high-quality and quick service provided by AliExpress itself in collaboration with Cainiao logistics. Sellers and suppliers on AliExpress can also choose to use this shipping method to provide faster shipping in more than 183 countries.

AliExpress Premium Shipping is a bit faster and reliable than AliExpress Standard Shipping in comparison. Most packages are delivered within 8-15 days with AliExpress Premium Shipping which is comparable to DHL and FedEx shipping options. AliExpress premium shipping tracking is also available via the website.

Aliexpress Different Order Status Mean

Your order status is visible in the My AliExpress section of the My Orders tab. AliExpress also sends you an email when the status of your order changes. So, what do these different orders stasuses on AliExpress mean?

Here’s what they mean,

Awaiting Payment: This means that AliExpress is waiting for you to make the payment for your order. It changes when you successfully make a payment and it’s received by AliExpress.

Payment being verified: After you make the payment, it takes some time for AliExpress to actually verify the payment and change the status of your order.

Awaiting shipment: After your Payment is successfully verified the status changes to waiting shipment which means the supplier is going to ship your order and add the tracking code to AliExpress.

Purchase protection for buyers on Aliexpress

Awaiting delivery: This means that the order gas been shipped successfully and the buyer is awaiting the delivery of their order.

Finished or Fund processing: The prder has been successfully delivered and the buyer ahs confirmed the delivery of the package. Fund processing means that AliExpress will release the funds to the seller.

Final Words

Now that you know how all the different shipment methods work on the platform, you can truly make an informed decision.

When choosing your delivery option, make sure that you know what works and what doesn’t for your country or any other country where you might be shipping.

There’s no need to pay extra when all the different methods are offering similar features. It’s better only to pay extra when availing premium delivery options.

Typically, the free delivery methods will suffice. ePacket might cost a buck or two depending on your country, but it’s much cheaper than premium methods and provides reliable shipment and tracking information.

We hope this cleared up all the questions that you had regarding the standard shipping and its alternatives. Feel free to post your questions in the comments section, if you have any.