Regional Carriers Guide: OnTrac, LSO, and Spee-Dee for E-commerce
Discover regional carrier alternatives to USPS, UPS, and FedEx. Coverage areas, pricing advantages, and integration strategies for e-commerce sellers.
January 9, 20266 min read72 views
Why Regional Carriers Matter
Regional carriers offer 15-35% savings over national carriers within their coverage areas. For sellers concentrated in specific regions or using multi-warehouse fulfillment, regional carriers can dramatically reduce shipping costs.
Regional Carrier Overview
Carrier
Coverage
Founded
Package/Day
OnTrac
West Coast (8 states)
1991
2M+
LSO
Texas + 6 states
1994
1M+
Spee-Dee
Midwest (6 states)
1978
500K+
Eastern Connection
Northeast (12 states)
1983
300K+
Better Trucks
Select metros
2019
200K+
OnTrac (West Coast)
Coverage Area
California (entire state)
Arizona
Colorado
Idaho
Nevada
Oregon
Utah
Washington
Rate Comparison (Zone 2, 5 lbs)
Carrier
Retail
Commercial
Atoship
UPS Ground
$14.80
$11.50
$9.20
FedEx Ground
$15.20
$11.80
$9.45
USPS Ground
$9.85
$8.20
$6.45
OnTrac Ground
$8.50
$6.80
$5.85
OnTrac savings: 25-35% vs UPS/FedEx
Transit Times
Distance
OnTrac
UPS Ground
Same state
1-2 days
1-2 days
CA to AZ
2 days
2-3 days
CA to WA
2-3 days
3-4 days
CA to CO
3 days
4-5 days
OnTrac Services
Ground delivery (residential and commercial)
Sunrise delivery (early morning)
Same-day delivery (select metros)
Saturday delivery
No residential surcharge
Best For
West Coast fulfillment centers
CA-based sellers shipping regionally
High-volume Amazon sellers (SFP eligible)
LSO (Texas + South Central)
Coverage Area
Texas (primary)
Louisiana
Oklahoma
Arkansas
New Mexico
Kansas
Missouri
Rate Comparison (Zone 2, 5 lbs)
Carrier
Retail
Commercial
LSO
UPS Ground
$14.80
$11.50
N/A
FedEx Ground
$15.20
$11.80
N/A
USPS Ground
$9.85
$8.20
N/A
LSO Ground
$9.20
$7.40
$6.25
LSO savings: 20-30% vs UPS/FedEx
Transit Times
Route
LSO
UPS Ground
Houston to Dallas
1 day
1-2 days
Dallas to OK City
1-2 days
2 days
Houston to New Orleans
1-2 days
2 days
Dallas to Kansas City
2 days
2-3 days
LSO Services
Ground delivery
Early AM delivery
Saturday delivery
Signature required options
Hazmat certified
Best For
Texas-based fulfillment
Oil & gas industry shipping
Medical supply distribution
Spee-Dee (Midwest)
Coverage Area
Minnesota (primary)
Wisconsin
Iowa
North Dakota
South Dakota
Nebraska
Illinois (partial)
Rate Comparison (Zone 2, 5 lbs)
Carrier
Retail
Commercial
Spee-Dee
UPS Ground
$14.80
$11.50
N/A
FedEx Ground
$15.20
$11.80
N/A
USPS Ground
$9.85
$8.20
N/A
Spee-Dee
$9.50
$7.60
$6.45
Spee-Dee savings: 20-30% vs UPS/FedEx
Transit Times
Route
Spee-Dee
UPS Ground
Minneapolis to Madison
1 day
1 day
Minneapolis to Des Moines
1-2 days
2 days
Minneapolis to Fargo
1-2 days
2 days
Minneapolis to Omaha
2 days
2-3 days
Spee-Dee Services
Ground delivery
Same-day delivery (select markets)
Early delivery
No fuel surcharge (included in rates)
Excellent rural coverage
Best For
Midwest distribution
Agricultural industry shipping
Rural address delivery
Eastern Connection (Northeast)
Coverage Area
New York
New Jersey
Connecticut
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Virginia
Delaware
Rhode Island
New Hampshire
Vermont
Maine
Rate Comparison (Zone 2, 5 lbs)
Carrier
Standard
Eastern Connection
UPS Ground
$11.50
N/A
FedEx Ground
$11.80
N/A
USPS Ground
$8.20
N/A
Eastern Connection
N/A
$7.20
Eastern Connection savings: 15-25% vs UPS/FedEx
Best For
NYC/NJ fulfillment operations
Northeast-focused e-commerce
High-density urban delivery
Multi-Regional Strategy
Using Regional + National Carriers
For nationwide coverage with cost optimization:
Ship To
Primary Carrier
Reason
West Coast
OnTrac
25-35% savings
Texas + South
LSO
20-30% savings
Midwest
Spee-Dee
20-30% savings
Northeast
Eastern Connection
15-25% savings
Other regions
USPS via Atoship
Best national rate
Estimated Savings with Multi-Carrier
Monthly Volume
Single Carrier Cost
Multi-Carrier Cost
Savings
1,000
$12,500
$9,200
$3,300 (26%)
5,000
$62,500
$44,500
$18,000 (29%)
10,000
$125,000
$86,500
$38,500 (31%)
Integration Considerations
API Integration
Carrier
API Available
Documentation
Ease of Use
OnTrac
Yes
Good
Moderate
LSO
Yes
Basic
Moderate
Spee-Dee
Yes
Basic
Moderate
Eastern Connection
Limited
Basic
Difficult
Atoship Integration
Atoship supports major regional carriers:
OnTrac: Full integration
LSO: Full integration
Spee-Dee: Full integration
Rate shopping includes regional options
Reliability Comparison
Carrier
On-Time Rate
Damage Rate
Claim Process
OnTrac
94%
1.5%
Online
LSO
93%
1.3%
Phone/Email
Spee-Dee
95%
1.1%
Phone/Email
UPS
94%
1.2%
Online
FedEx
94%
1.4%
Online
When to Add Regional Carriers
Add regional carriers when:
25%+ of volume ships to one region
Using multi-warehouse fulfillment
Regional carrier covers your origin
Seeking maximum cost optimization
Stick with national carriers when:
Low volume (< 100/month)
Nationwide distribution
Simplicity is priority
Need single carrier experience
Get Started with Regional Carriers
Atoship provides access to regional carrier rates alongside USPS, UPS, and FedEx - all in one platform.
