When RPS was founded on March 11, 1985, it intended to out-compete UPS Ground by focusing on efficiency and structuring itself for lower costs.

After an intensive effort to shift its operations to use the new technology, RPS became the first company able to track a package through the delivery cycle.

[4] In 1997, Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, contacted Dan Sullivan, co-founder of RPS and now president of Caliber System, about merging the two companies.

By acquiring RPS, FedEx would get a fully fledged ground network to complement its existing air services.

[10] Until 2018, most FedEx Ground US operations were five days a week, but this was expanded to six in September 2018 due to the rise in demand driven by e-commerce.

[11] Its US services were expanded again during the 2019 holiday peak season to seven days per week, a change which became permanent for the majority of the US population year-round in January 2020.

[13] Given its focus on deliveries to commercial locations, FedEx ground had operated on a five-day a week schedule (Monday-Friday).

[17] Ground Economy was originally Parcel Direct, founded in 1998 by Quad Graphics to provide delivery services for its catalog publishing customers.

This reduces costs by allowing bulk transportation of parcels between hubs and not requiring it to maintain its own final mile delivery network.

[20] Pickups from smaller shippers are performed by FedEx Ground which transfers them into the SmartPost network at the nearest hub.

Dedicated FedEx SmartPost trailers pick up from larger shippers and transport shipments directly into the network.