Two station-to-station networks, one closed for good and one suspended, checked on the operators' own pages.
What each operator says now
| Service | Current status | Stated wording |
|---|---|---|
| Greyhound Package Express | Closed | Greyhound will end its package express shipping operations as of September 30, 2022 |
| Greyhound online shipping | Closed earlier | placing an online shipment will not be available past September 15, 2022 |
| Amtrak Express shipping | Suspended | Amtrak Express shipping is suspended until further notice |
Both notices are still on the operators own sites, which matters because a great deal of writing about bus freight has not been updated since it closed. If a page is quoting you a per-pound bus rate today, check the date on it.
What those boxes cost now
Bus freight was best at exactly one thing: medium-to-heavy boxes going a long way, dropped and collected at a counter. Those are the three shipments below, quoted through the SMKlog calculator from Newark, NJ 07102 to Atlanta, GA 30303 on 2026-07-28. Prices are the complete checkout amount for the cheapest service returned.
| Packed carton | Weight | Cheapest price | Service and transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 x 16 x 12 in | 25 lb | $28.77 | FedEx Ground Economy, 6-7 business days |
| 24 x 18 x 14 in | 50 lb | $45.01 | UPS Ground, 2-3 business days |
| 24 x 18 x 18 in | 70 lb | $79.61 | FedEx Ground Economy, 6-7 business days |
The 50 lb row is the surprise. It came back cheaper than the 70 lb one by a wide margin and on the fastest transit in the group, which is a reminder that parcel pricing is not a straight line and the box matters as much as the pounds inside it.
Replacing what bus freight was good at
Counter to counter, no home delivery
The appeal was dropping a box at a terminal and having someone collect it with identification at the other end, skipping the residential leg entirely. The nearest parcel equivalent is buying a label, dropping at a carrier counter, and sending it to a business address or a carrier-held pickup point rather than a doorstep.
Heavy boxes without a size panic
Bus freight handled weights that make parcel shippers nervous. Parcel still takes them: USPS runs to 70 lb, and UPS and FedEx to 150 lb per package. Past 150 lb the shipment becomes freight and needs a truck, and that is a different quote with a different document.
Small towns on the route
Terminals reached places that felt underserved by parcel at the time. That gap has narrowed a great deal, though remote and extended delivery areas still attract their own charges from the ground carriers. Quote the actual destination ZIP rather than the nearest city.
What we sell, plainly
SMKlog sells parcel labels only and does not arrange pallet or freight shipments. We do not sell bus shipping, rail shipping or warehousing — international parcels we now do sell, to Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia, with everything else international routed to a manual review — and we have no relationship with either operator named on this page. Everything above about them comes from their own published notices on the date given.
Bus and rail shipping questions
Does Greyhound still ship packages?
No. The closure notice states that Greyhound will end its package express shipping operations as of September 30, 2022, and that placing an online shipment will not be available past September 15, 2022. Both were still published when checked on 2026-07-28.
Can I ship a package on Amtrak instead?
Not at present. The Amtrak express shipping page states that Amtrak Express shipping is suspended until further notice, checked 2026-07-28. Any rate or station list you find for it elsewhere is describing a service that is not currently running.
What replaced bus shipping for heavy boxes?
Ordinary ground parcel service. On the Newark to Atlanta lane on 2026-07-28 a 25 lb carton quoted $28.77, a 50 lb carton quoted $45.01, and a 70 lb carton quoted $79.61, all as complete checkout prices.
How heavy can a package be without going to freight?
USPS accepts up to 70 lb, and UPS and FedEx up to 150 lb for a single package. Above 150 lb the shipment is classified as freight and needs a truck quote rather than a parcel label.