What do the colors on UPS packages mean?

[Mugarolla]

We don't use color coding in my center yet, but, historically speaking, yes, red is next day, blue is 2nd day, and orange is 3 day select. They used to have shippers put color coded tape on packages indicating service level (now discontinued), and old hand written labels (which can still be used) are color coded as written above. Ground may have brown, but I can't remember for sure off hand. I like the color coding because I've had problems with bulk shippers mixing next day in their ground. As careful as I try to be, I'd still miss one from time to time, which is bad news...

The colors go back to non-computer generated labels.

Way back when , when labels were hand written, or the address just written on the box, we had NDA (red), 2DA, (blue) and 3DS (orange) stick on barcode labels that were put on the package.

We would peel off the barcode, sign it and write the time on it, when we made the delivery, and turn them in at the end of the day.

They also had red and blue stickers to help identify the air packages, and color coded waybills.

The colors made it easier to see the service level.