18 Best Last Mile Delivery Companies in USA (2026)

This list is about delivery companies — carriers you can hire to move packages on your behalf — not software. If you're comparing tools to run your own delivery operation rather than outsourcing to a carrier, see our rankings of courier management software and dispatch software instead. It's a common point of confusion: "last-mile delivery" gets used for both the companies that do the driving and the software that coordinates it, so we're drawing a clean line here.

We grouped 18 companies operating in the US last-mile market into three categories: national integrated carriers, regional last-mile specialists, and on-demand/gig delivery networks. Each serves a different need, and most businesses of any size end up using more than one.

How to evaluate a last-mile carrier

Before diving into the list, a few criteria worth applying consistently as you compare options, regardless of which category they fall into:

Coverage match. A carrier's stated national footprint doesn't guarantee equal service quality everywhere — regional specialists in particular are only worth considering if their specific coverage area overlaps meaningfully with your customer base. Always confirm coverage against your actual delivery zip codes, not just a general "we serve this region" claim.

Speed vs. cost tradeoff. Faster delivery windows almost always cost more per package. Be honest about which of your customers actually need same-day or next-day delivery versus which would be equally satisfied with a lower-cost standard option — over-provisioning speed across your whole customer base is a common way delivery costs get out of control.

Integration effort. Some carriers offer simple API or platform integrations (particularly the on-demand networks, built for e-commerce integration from day one); others, especially larger national carriers, may require more setup work or a dedicated shipping/rate-management tool to integrate cleanly with your existing systems.

Volume commitments and contracts. National carriers often offer better rates at higher committed volumes, while on-demand networks typically charge per-delivery with no minimum commitment — which is better depends on how predictable your volume is.

National integrated carriers

These five operate the largest, most established delivery networks in the US, with the infrastructure to reach nearly any address in the country at a predictable service level. They're the default choice for businesses that need broad reach without managing multiple carrier relationships, though that breadth typically comes at the cost of the same-day flexibility smaller regional and on-demand options can offer within a concentrated service area.

1. UPS — The largest integrated carrier in the US by volume, with extensive ground and air networks and standardized service levels nationwide. Best for businesses that need predictable, broad-coverage delivery without regional gaps.

2. FedEx — Comparable national scale to UPS, with particular strength in express and time-definite delivery. Best for businesses with time-sensitive shipments across long distances.

3. USPS — The US Postal Service handles enormous last-mile parcel volume, often as the final-mile partner for e-commerce platforms and other carriers via partnership programs. Best for low-cost, high-volume shipping where speed is a lower priority than cost.

4. Amazon Logistics — Amazon's proprietary last-mile network, built initially to serve its own e-commerce volume and increasingly available to third-party sellers and shippers. Best for businesses already selling through Amazon's marketplace and fulfillment ecosystem.

5. DHL eCommerce — DHL's US-focused last-mile arm, often used for e-commerce parcel delivery with international shipping ties through DHL's broader global network. Best for businesses with meaningful cross-border shipping alongside domestic delivery, since the same carrier relationship can cover both without a separate international shipping partner.

Regional last-mile specialists

This group trades national reach for deeper service within a specific region, often with faster delivery windows, closer account management, and pricing that can undercut national carriers for businesses concentrated in their coverage area. They're a common supplement — or in some cases a replacement — for national carrier service among e-commerce and B2B shippers whose customer base is regionally concentrated rather than evenly spread nationwide.

6. OnTrac — A West Coast-focused regional carrier known for fast ground delivery within its service region, often used as a regional alternative or supplement to national carriers. Best for e-commerce businesses with concentrated customer bases in the western US.

7. Veho — A newer last-mile delivery company built specifically around e-commerce returns and delivery, with a network-based (rather than owned-fleet) driver model. Best for e-commerce businesses prioritizing delivery experience and returns handling.

8. GLS US — The US arm of General Logistics Systems, offering regional ground delivery with an emphasis on reliable, cost-effective service for e-commerce and B2B shippers, backed by GLS's broader European parcel network for businesses with transatlantic shipping needs.

9. Spee-Dee Delivery — A regional carrier serving the Midwest with ground parcel delivery, often chosen by regional businesses that don't need national coverage and want a more personal account relationship than a national carrier typically offers at similar volume tiers.

10. AxleHire — A same-day and next-day delivery company focused on metro-area e-commerce delivery, positioning itself as a faster regional alternative to national carrier standard shipping.

11. Point Pickup — A last-mile delivery network connecting retailers and businesses to a distributed driver network for regional delivery, often used for retail and grocery-adjacent delivery use cases where flexible, scalable driver capacity matters more than a fixed owned fleet.

12. Pilot Delivers — The last-mile delivery arm of Pilot Freight Services, focused on big-and-bulky final-mile delivery (furniture, appliances) rather than small parcel — a distinct niche within last-mile delivery that requires different equipment, scheduling, and often in-home delivery and assembly service that standard parcel carriers aren't set up to provide.

13. CDL Last Mile Solutions — A regional last-mile and final-mile delivery provider serving retail and B2B delivery needs, including scheduled and white-glove delivery services for shipments that need an appointment window and careful handling rather than a standard drop-off.

On-demand and gig delivery networks

Rather than owning fleets or running fixed routes, this group connects businesses to a marketplace of independent drivers for delivery that can typically be requested on-demand or scheduled within hours rather than days. They tend to be the fastest and most flexible option for lower, less predictable volume, in exchange for less standardization than an established carrier network and, in most cases, per-delivery rather than volume-discounted pricing.

14. Uber Direct — Uber's business-facing on-demand delivery product (built on the same driver network as Uber's consumer apps), used by businesses needing fast, flexible same-day or within-hours delivery without managing drivers.

15. DoorDash Drive — DoorDash's white-label delivery product for businesses outside of restaurant food delivery, using its existing driver network for on-demand delivery of retail and other goods, letting businesses offer branded same-day delivery without building or managing their own driver network.

16. Roadie — A crowdsourced delivery network (a UPS company) connecting businesses to independent drivers for same-day and scheduled delivery, with particular strength in large or awkward items that don't fit standard parcel networks — furniture, appliances, and other oversized goods that most on-demand networks aren't built to handle.

17. Metrobi — A delivery-as-a-service platform connecting small and mid-size businesses to a vetted driver network for recurring or on-demand delivery routes, positioned as an alternative to hiring and managing an in-house fleet, with particular traction among businesses that need the same drivers running consistent routes rather than a fully anonymous gig marketplace.

18. Dropoff — A same-day delivery courier service focused on business-to-business delivery — medical, retail, and other time-sensitive commercial deliveries — in major US metro markets, with a driver vetting and handling process built around industries like healthcare where chain-of-custody matters.

Comparison table

Outsourcing vs. running your own fleet

Every company on this list is an option for businesses that want to outsource delivery rather than run it themselves — and for a lot of businesses, especially those with inconsistent volume or broad geographic reach, that's the right call. Outsourcing removes the overhead of hiring and managing drivers, maintaining vehicles, and building dispatch operations from scratch, which is a genuine operational simplification, particularly for businesses where delivery isn't the core of what they do.

But outsourcing has real trade-offs too: less direct control over the customer's delivery experience, less ability to differentiate on service quality once a carrier's standard service level becomes the ceiling, and per-delivery costs that don't necessarily improve as volume grows the way an owned fleet's per-delivery economics can. If you're running your own fleet, or considering bringing delivery in-house because outsourced costs or service levels aren't working, you'll need dispatch and route planning software to run it well.

That's a different decision than choosing a carrier from this list, and it's what our other coverage focuses on: courier management software for running the full operation, dispatch software specifically for real-time driver assignment and tracking, and our detailed dispatch software comparison if you're already down to a short list of finalists. Route efficiency is its own related decision, covered separately in our route planning software guide.

For operators making that switch, white-label platforms like Traksend are worth a look specifically because they close some of the gap with the carriers above — your own branded tracking pages and driver app, rather than a generic dispatcher tool, so the in-house delivery experience can look as polished as the outsourced one you're replacing. This matters just as much for operators outside the US: Traksend is built as a global platform, not a US-only tool, so the same branded setup works whether you're running delivery in New York, London, or anywhere else in Europe. Several small operators end up running a hybrid model regardless — their own fleet for core service areas, supplemented by an on-demand network like Uber Direct or Roadie for overflow or edge-case deliveries.

Methodology

Companies on this list were selected based on their presence and relevance in the US last-mile delivery market, grouped by service model rather than ranked head-to-head, since a national carrier and an on-demand delivery network solve different problems and aren't directly comparable. This is a companies-and-carriers list, not a software ranking — for our software evaluation criteria, see our methodology page.

Coverage, pricing, and service levels for any carrier on this list can vary by region and change over time — always confirm current details directly with a carrier before making a decision based on this article. For broader market context on where last-mile delivery demand is headed, and the structural trends pushing businesses toward this expanding mix of national, regional, and on-demand delivery options, see our courier, express, and parcel market size report.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a list of software or a list of companies?+

This is a list of delivery companies and carriers — businesses you can hire to move packages for you. If you're looking for software to run your own delivery operation instead of outsourcing, see our rankings of courier management software and dispatch software instead.

Should a small business use a carrier from this list or run its own fleet?+

It depends on delivery volume and control needs. Outsourcing to a carrier makes sense when volume is inconsistent, geographic coverage needs are broad, or you don't want the overhead of managing drivers and vehicles. Running your own fleet makes more sense once you have consistent volume, want direct control over the customer delivery experience, or need same-day windows a third-party carrier can't reliably hit in your area — in that case, white-label dispatch platforms like Traksend let you run and brand that operation yourself, in the US, the UK, or elsewhere, without building software from scratch.

What's the difference between a national carrier and a regional last-mile specialist?+

National carriers (UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL eCommerce) operate extensive networks covering the entire country with predictable, standardized service levels. Regional last-mile specialists typically operate in specific metro areas or regions, often with more flexible, same-day-capable service and closer account management, but without national coverage.

Can I use more than one of these carriers at the same time?+

Yes — many businesses split volume across multiple carriers, using a national carrier for broad geographic coverage and a regional or on-demand specialist for same-day delivery within their core metro market. This is common enough that some dispatch and shipping software includes multi-carrier management as a feature specifically to support it.

How do gig-economy delivery networks like Uber Direct differ from traditional carriers?+

Gig-economy delivery networks connect businesses to a marketplace of independent drivers for on-demand, typically same-day or within-hours delivery, rather than operating owned fleets on fixed routes. They tend to offer faster, more flexible delivery windows for lower volume, but with less predictability and standardization than an established carrier network.