Dive Brief:
- OnTrac will launch an express delivery offering and a deferred ground shipping service in early 2026, the parcel carrier announced Monday.
- OnTrac Express will provide two-day and three-day transit times for long-distance shipments in the U.S. by leveraging partner ClearJet's air transportation capabilities. The other service, OnTrac Ground Essentials, is designed to be an economical option for merchants shipping non-urgent parcels at scale.
- Early access enrollment is now available for both services ahead of their formal launches next year. Some customers are already piloting the capabilities and will provide OnTrac with feedback prior to the full rollout, said Vijay Ramachandran, VP of marketing, product strategy and marketplaces, in an interview with Supply Chain Dive.
Dive Insight:
OnTrac is looking to capitalize on what it views as underserved areas of the delivery market. Outside of national carriers like FedEx and UPS, options for coast-to-coast parcel shipping are limited, adding incentive for the carrier to launch its new express service, Ramachandran said.
For the OnTrac Express service, ClearJet will manage package pickups for longer-distance shipments and use air cargo carriers to transport volume to OnTrac facilities for last-mile delivery.
Multiple OnTrac and ClearJet customers are already using select capabilities from the express service. Origin points for OnTrac Express' formal launch will be determined based on waitlist demand, with further expansion across the carrier's network to follow.
"This partnership proves there’s room for a new model between costly air and traditional ground services," ClearJet CEO Chris Guggenheim said in a news release Monday.
Meanwhile, OnTrac Ground Essentials features transit times that are typically a day or two longer than the carrier's standard ground service. However, it features per-parcel costs up to 30% lower than comparable shipments from national providers and no residential delivery surcharge, per OnTrac. The company's residential fee is currently $6.10 per package.
In addition to the two shipping services, OnTrac launched a "7-Day Play" program in partnership with delivery management platform Fenix Commerce.
The program's perks for shippers include providing precise delivery dates for their customers at checkout by leveraging OnTrac transit data. Precise delivery dates can help secure orders from customers shopping for a time-sensitive situation, such as a gift for a birthday.
"The difference between getting the sale and not getting the sale is being able to surface a precise, estimated delivery date at checkout on the product day, just like Amazon does," Ramachandran said.
The wave of new capabilities comes as OnTrac works to stand out in a competitive parcel delivery market with a variety of FedEx and UPS alternatives. Since 2024, the carrier announced seven-day delivery capabilities and launched discount programs for shippers adjusting to tariffs and using competing services from the likes of UPS.
Despite the crowded environment, OnTrac's domestic volume from shippers is up over 40% compared to last year, according to Ramachandran.
