King Express is one of the two major Los Angeles–based diaspora couriers serving the USA-to-Guatemala corridor. Their distinctive feature is a three-tier air-pricing structure — $22/lb Express (5 days), $13/lb Regular (15 days), $3.50/lb Commercial (220 lb minimum) — plus a flat $325 for a 30×30×30 inch box door-to-door. They depart from LA on Mondays and Thursdays. For Guatemalan families on the US West Coast shipping to family back home, King Express is one of the default options.
Verification status: Partially verified. Rate structure and LA office address are confirmed across multiple King Express domains (kingexpress.us, encomiendasaguatemala.com, shippingtoguatemala.com, paqueteriakingexpress.net). Tracking system absent. Shared GT phone number with Gigante Express is a flag worth investigating before committing funds. Last verified April 2026.
Who writes this: We’re Guatemala Life, a Guatemala-based team. The Pico Boulevard / Koreatown Guatemalan diaspora cluster is the #2 US hub for USA-to-GT courier shipping (Miami/Doral is #1, Hyattsville MD is #3). We track the couriers that serve it because LA → Puerto Quetzal is the largest Pacific-side Guatemala cargo lane. King Express rates below are cross-checked against their multiple domains.
Flag before you ship: King Express shares a Guatemala City phone number (+502 5305-3371) with Gigante Express, and both appear to reference the same Zona 11 warehouse behind Roosevelt Hospital. We cannot confirm whether they are the same legal entity, a shared office, or a partnership. Ask for your specific delivery address in writing before sending money. See the Gigante Express page for the other side of this picture.
Rate breakdown (verified from multiple King Express domains)
| Tier | Rate | Min shipment | Transit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express air | $22 / lb | 3 lb | 5 business days | Urgent documents, small high-value packages |
| Regular air | $13 / lb | 3 lb | 15 business days | Standard personal shipments |
| Commercial merchandise | $3.50 / lb | 220 lb minimum | ~8 days general air | Businesses importing inventory |
| Consolidated lane (LA→Miami→GT) | $6 / lb | — | Varies | Mid-weight consolidated shipments |
| Flat-rate 30×30×30 box | $325 / box | One box | — | Diaspora family box, door-to-door |
| Vehicle shipping | Quote only | — | 20-22 days sea + port clearance | Cars, motorcycles, ATVs |
Rate in Quetzales. At Q7.75/USD:
- $22/lb Express ≈ Q171/lb ≈ Q376/kg
- $13/lb Regular ≈ Q101/lb ≈ Q222/kg
- $3.50/lb Commercial ≈ Q27/lb ≈ Q60/kg
- $325 box ≈ Q2,519 per box
See today’s exchange rates for the current conversion.
Break-even math on the flat-rate box. $325 for a 30×30×30 box is equivalent to $13/lb at 25 lb, or $6.50/lb at 50 lb. If you’re shipping a heavy box (40+ lb), the flat rate beats Regular Air. If your box is under 25 lb, Regular Air is cheaper. A dense box of clothing typically maxes out the 30×30×30 space before hitting the weight break-even, so the flat rate wins for most family-box scenarios.
Transit time
| Service | Transit |
|---|---|
| Express air (LA → GUA) | 5 business days |
| Regular air | 15 business days |
| Commercial air | ~8 business days general |
| 30×30×30 flat-rate box | Typical air lane |
| Vehicle shipping (LA → Puerto Quetzal) | 20-22 days sea |
Departures are Mondays and Thursdays from the LA office. If you drop off Tuesday, your shipment waits until Thursday. Plan around the calendar.
What to ship
King Express accepts:
- Boxes (family encomiendas, personal goods)
- Documents (express tier recommended for urgency)
- Merchandise (commercial bulk tier for 220+ lb)
- Vehicles — cars 2003+, motorcycles, ATVs, pickups (no year limit on some truck/pickup categories; verify at quote)
- Appliances (white goods, electronics)
What NOT to ship
Guatemalan SAT and US export rules restrict:
- Perishables (most couriers refuse)
- Live animals, plants
- Firearms, ammunition
- Counterfeit goods
- Alcohol — allowed in limits but subject to high DAI (15-30%) + IVA
Documents, jewelry, electronics, and auto parts are subject to extra customs fees at the Guatemala airport. King Express does not pre-pay these — SAT collects on arrival via the recipient.
Gotchas
- Shared GT phone with Gigante Express (+502 5305-3371). Both companies list the same GT number. Possible explanations: shared warehouse, partnership, same ownership, or one company piggybacking on the other’s GT infrastructure. Before shipping, confirm: (a) which US office you’re working with, (b) exact GT delivery address, (c) who signs for the package at the GT end.
- No public tracking. You cannot log in and see where your box is. You have to call. Casillero couriers (CPX, Guatebox) solved this problem years ago. If tracking matters, pick a different courier.
- Minimum 3 lb shipment. If you have a 1 lb package, King Express still charges the 3 lb minimum. USPS flat-rate is cheaper for tiny packages.
- Commercial tier requires 220 lb. Don’t assume $3.50/lb applies to your 80 lb box — it doesn’t. That would go at $13/lb Regular.
- Monday and Thursday departures only. A Friday drop-off means your box waits 3 days before moving. If your shipment is urgent, drop off Monday morning.
- LA pickup radius is limited. Free pickup is advertised for high-value documents within the LA service area only. For boxes, plan to drop off at 2807 W Pico Blvd.
How King Express compares to the LA-hub tier
| Courier | US hub | Rate | Transit | Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Express Express | LA Pico Blvd | $22/lb | 5 days | None public |
| King Express Regular | LA Pico Blvd | $13/lb | 15 days | None public |
| King Express Commercial | LA Pico Blvd | $3.50/lb (220 lb+) | ~8 days | None public |
| King Express Flat Box | LA Pico Blvd | $325 / 30×30×30 | Standard | None public |
| Gigante Express | Miami + LA | Quote | 48-72 hrs Mon/Thu | Partial |
| Chapines Cargo | LA Koreatown | Quote per box | 1-2 weeks | None public |
King Express’s advantage: the only LA-hub courier with a published three-tier rate structure and a published flat-box rate. If your shipment fits a tier, you know your cost before you call.
King Express’s disadvantage: no tracking, shared GT phone with Gigante raises verification questions, Mon/Thu-only departures constrain urgency.
Contact and office info
- Websites: kingexpress.us, paqueteriakingexpress.net, shippingtoguatemala.com, encomiendasaguatemala.com
- US office: 2807 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90006 (Pico-Union / Koreatown)
- US phone: (323) 734-1248 (alternates: 323-733-9784, 323-733-4782)
- US WhatsApp: (213) 818-6093
- Email: info@kingexpress.us
- GT phone: +502 5305-3371 (same number as Gigante Express — verify GT office before shipping)
- GT office: Referenced at 13 calle 12-96 zona 11 Ofibodega 1037, behind Roosevelt Hospital (per Gigante Express reference)
- Departures: Mondays and Thursdays from LA
Related pages
- USA to Guatemala Courier Directory — Full 4-tier comparison of couriers
- Gigante Express — The other half of the shared-phone story
- Quick Box USA — Cheapest casillero for online shopping
- USPS Priority Mail International — Flat-rate comparison baseline
- Chapines Cargo — The other LA Koreatown diaspora courier
- Ship a box from USA overview — High-level comparison
- Bring a car from USA — Vehicle import, for the $900+ vehicle shipping leg
- Import duty calculator — Estimate SAT DAI + IVA
Sources
Last verified: April 2026.
- King Express official — main site, rate structure
- Paquetería King Express merchandise page — commercial merchandise tier
- Shipping to Guatemala merchandise — rate confirmation
- Shipping to Guatemala vehicles — vehicle tier
- Encomiendas a Guatemala — fourth domain cross-reference
- SAT Guatemala Aduanas — import duties
Corrections & updates
If you’ve shipped with King Express recently and the rate, departure schedule, or GT office arrangement no longer matches what we describe, email us and we’ll update within 48 hours. The shared-phone situation with Gigante Express is specifically something we want reader input on.
Rates and service verified April 2026 across four King Express–affiliated domains. Shared GT phone with Gigante Express flagged for reader verification — the two companies may operate jointly, separately, or as partners; we do not have conclusive evidence either way.
