Part
01
of one
Part
01
I'm looking to understand the cost of delivery and main delivery companies within Los Angeles.
Hi there! Thanks for your question about the top couriers in Los Angeles and the price of using their services. The short answer is that the top 10 courier services that service Los Angeles and Orange County are Gofer it!, Deliver-It Courier and Delivery, deliverLA, Schelp & Fetch, Ziply, Express Connection Messenger Service, Split-Second Delivery, Lightning Messenger, Clockwork Express, and FedEx Local. Along with these, I have included information on 3 other appealing courier services that you might be interested in. The prices for each of these services vary, but typically the rates begin at $15-$20 for the first 15-20 miles, then a mile surcharge is added after that for every additional mile. How quickly you want the cargo delivered also affects this price. Below you will find my methodology and a deep-dive of my findings.
METHODOLOGY
I began my research by looking for any preexisting lists rating courier services in Los Angeles that serve the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. I was able to find several lists featuring user ratings and feedback about top couriers’ services. Once I had obtained these lists, I then used an advanced Google search to locate any other top services that were not included and cross referenced them with online ratings or reviews to verify their reliability. I selected only services with top user ratings to ensure the company’s reliability claims would have substantial support from consumers.
Along with user-rating, I also visited each company's website to ensure they were capable of same-day deliveries throughout Los Angeles and Orange County for packages ranging from at least 1-10 lbs. Services like Diddley D's Downtown Delivery were excluded from my top findings because they only service downtown Los Angeles and only operate with pedal and motorbikes. Other services were excluded because they only handled medical, legal, or other industry-specific cargo.
Please note that some services that were considered to be top services by online reviewers did not always provide rate information or the ability to request a quote through their website. In order to determine the top couriers, I have only included services with their rates posted online or with the option of inquiring about a quote through their website. In cases where rates were not available online but requesting a quote was available, I have linked the quoting information below. Additionally, I reached out to these companies to see if any representatives could provide me with specific rate information over the phone. I have provided the information from these customer representatives in my findings.
Below you will find the top 10 couriers that deliver within Los Angeles and Orange County by user rating and reliability with all their available rate information. Along with this, an additional 3 couriers are listed. Some are listed because they have brand names that consumers trust while also offering same-day delivery services. Others are listed because they offer very competitive rates and have a long-standing history in the community, even though their online rating is lower than the top ten's ratings.
TOP 10 COURIERS IN LOS ANGELES
Below are the top 10 couriers that deliver to the Los Angeles and Orange County areas with all available rate information.
Rated number one on Yelp, Gofer It! is an "affordable, reliable, same-day delivery in Southern California." Their company is proud to be “enabling local businesses and individuals to move things quickly and easily.” Gofer It! also has some of the most competitive rates available. They offer flat fees for service starting at $15.00 for the first 10 miles up to 75lbs. Rates are as follows:
ASAP (2 hours): $20.00 for the first 10 miles, then +$2.50 per mile.
Rush (4 hours): $17.50 for the first 10 miles, then +$1.75 per mile.
Same Day (6 hours): $15.00 for the first 10 miles, then +$1.50 per mile.
Rated second by Yelp, Deliver-It is an "industry leader" the "best in [their] class." They also offer their entire rate structure available online:
Immediate Pickup and Delivery:
0-15 miles: $22.52
15-25 miles: $34.50
25-36 miles: $50.00
36-50 miles: $74.00
50+: $1.70/mile
Pickup and Deliver in 2 hours:
0-15 miles: $15.00
15-25 miles: $23.00
25-36 miles: $35.00
36-50 miles: $54.00
50+: $1.25/mile
Pickup and Deliver in 4 hours:
0-15 miles: $11.00
15-25 miles: $19.00
25-36 miles: $31.00
36-50 miles: $45.00
50+: $1.05/mile
Rated number 3 by the Yelp community and a 100% response time, deliverLA guarantees "delivery anytime anywhere." deliverLA promises “reliable and fully insured” delivery services, back by their “team of professionals who benefit from decades of experience in this business.” Their rates are not posted online, however, they do state they offer "super rush, rush, standard, [and] economy" same-day deliveries as low as $0.99 a mile.
Top rated by both Yelp and Expertise, recently began "partnering with a consortium of like-mind Los Angeles-based tech upstarts, Schlep & Fetch is reshaping the delivery model to provide service across a variety of business sectors including food, dry cleaning, alcohol, and retail." They advertise deliveries across Los Angeles, but when I reached out to a customer service agent, he informed me that they also will deliver to Orange County with an additional mile rate. Though their rates were not available online, he also explained their rating structure as follows:
$25.00 for the first 5 miles and afterward it is a dollar per mile for the next 20 miles. After that additional 20 miles, it is $1.50 per mile. For a long distance of more than 25 miles, delivery times range from 4-6 hours.
With a 5-star Yelp rating, Ziply promises that they can have "[your package] delivered within 90 minutes" of pickup. They ensure quality and reliability because each of their “couriers are individually recruited and vetted by . . . a dedicated team member with 20-plus experience in local, same-day delivery.” Unfortunately, their exact rates were not available online. However, I was able to use a series of zip-to-zip searches to determine what the cost of shipping an item no more than 10lbs across Los Angeles and Orange country would cost. I was able to derive the following information for packages up to 10lbs:
Their flat rate begins at $10.00 (0 miles). For a delivery of 20 miles, the price would be about $30.00 with an estimated delivery of 30 mins. For a delivery of 45 miles, the price would be about $60.00 with an estimated delivery of 1 hour.
This company’s site highlights the importance of “reliable messenger service to count on when your customers need packages,” which is why they promise that each package will be delivered safely and on time. They also have a 5-star rating on Yelp, and customers seem to be overwhelmingly pleased with the personalized customer service offered by this courier saying “if I could give them 10 stars I would!!”
They offer same-day services across all of South California 24/7. Though their rates were not online, you can request a quote through this page. Additionally, their customer service reviews indicate that the owner, Peter, can offer specialized rates. To speak with him you can call (310) 447-8000 during regular business hours.
Split-Second offers on-demand and scheduled delivery and has experience as a medical courier, freight shipments, home delivery service, air cargo delivery, and warehousing. Expertise points out that “has provided quick and reliable delivery services at reasonable rates since 1993.”
Split-Second Delivery does not have their rates available online. I spoke with a representative over the phone who informed me that their rates vary from weekday to weekend, but an accounting agent may be able to set up rates that are specific to your shipment needs. Their rates are discounted for bulk orders and frequent customers, typically who have an account. The phone number I called to speak to Split-Second is 800-560-6200. He advised to call back during regular business hours to speak with an accounting agent about special rates.
This courier service offers same-day, on-demand deliveries “immediately delivered anywhere in Southern California.” Their 2-4 hour service delivers anywhere in Orange County, Los Angeles, or San Diego. They can also guarantee 5:00 PM deliveries “anywhere in the originating county.” They have a 5-star Yelp review, and a company goal “to exceed your highest expectations.”
Though their rates were not available online, I reached out to a customer service agent who advised to call during regular business hours for specific rates. You can also request a rate online here, or call one of their local lines to speak directly with a customer representative:
San Diego County
10671 Roselle Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 550-1400
Los Angeles County
5435 Cahuenga Blvd Suite C.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(310) 390-4433
Orange/Riverside County
3419 Via Lido, Suite 413
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(714) 835-7900
Listed as a top courier service for the Los Angeles area, Expertise states that Clockwork Express is “committed to ensuring customer satisfaction by providing 24-hour customer service as well as competitive delivery rates.” Using their online quoting tool, I was able to derive the following information about their rates:
Please note that the weight of these items not affected when adjusted from 1 to 10lbs.
Rush Delivery (1-2 hours):
Base rate: $15.00
40 miles = approx. $80.00.
About $1.40 a mile + base rate of $20.00
Normal Delivery (2-4 hours):
Base rate: $20.00
40 miles = approx. $90.00.
About $1.30 a mile + base rate of $15.00
Included because they have a reliable brand name, FedEx offers a SameDay ® service in Los Angeles. The service allows customers to get rates, shipment status, account information, and invoices online. Deliveries on weekdays between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM are fulfilled by uniformed FedEx couriers. Services can be scheduled by phone or online. This service came up as an individual solution throughout my research but was not included in any of the local lists.
Rates for FedEx SameDay vary according to the speed of delivery. They offer priority, standard, and economy rates. Using the “SAVEFIRST3” promo code will save you 50% on your order. Using this, delivering a package across Los Angeles will cost approximately $32.92.
ADDITIONAL COURIERS IN LOS ANGELES
Below are 3 more couriers who deliver in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas.
This courier service offers a flat-rate service with no specific fees according to mileage or gas costs. The service markets itself as an “on-demand postman,” which can be booked online or on mobile. They offer same-day delivery but can also be booked up to five days in advance. This service was not included in the top 10 list because it was not listed on any of the pre-compiled local, top courier services. However, I included it as a bonus because of the popular brand name, and because it came up frequently as an individual courier solution throughout my research.
While prices vary depending on the time-slot or length of time the delivery will take, they offer a flat-rate so there will be no additional fees incurred. Quotes can be requested on their website.
This courier service was also mentioned on Expertise’s top 20 courier services list. However, they were not included in the top 10 list because they are not specifically a courier service, and instead offers personal shopping, home care, pet care, cleaning, and delivery or courier services.
This courier service has 29 years of experience and offers a very low flat rate service. They also offer an online ordering and tracking system. They offer four rate-based services, including overnight deliveries that are guaranteed to take an hour and a half. They also deliver in Orange County, Ventura County, and San Bernardino and Riverside.
DDD Courier offers a flat rate of $18.99 to anywhere in Los Angeles, and it is guaranteed to be delivered same day. This flat rate will guarantee delivery in four and a half hours, but a one and a half hour service are available for a flat rate of $39.90.
CONCLUSION
In short, the top couriers for same-day delivery to the Los Angeles and Orange County areas are Gofer it!, Deliver-It Courier and Delivery, deliverLA, Schelp & Fetch, Ziply, Express Connection Messenger Service, Split-Second Delivery, Lightning Messenger, Clockwork Express, and FedEx Local. Of these top couriers, base rates usually begin between $15 and $20 dollars with an additional mile surcharge after about 15-20 miles. The speed in which a package must be delivered also affects this price, though weight (between 1 and 10lbs) is rarely a factor in the price.
Thanks for using Wonder! Please let us know if there's anything else we can help with.