November 17, 2008: The world's largest national economy is not large enough, it appears, for three private parcel carriers.

DHL's announcement last week that it will entirely scrap its domestic air and ground delivery business in the United States ends a five-year, $10 billion effort to mount a new competitive challenge to FedEx and UPS, sending shippers looking for alternatives at the busiest period of the year and toward a new competitive landscape. Although the end of DHL's domestic operation isn't scheduled until Jan. 30, there already is a fight for many thousands of daily parcel shipments and, say experts, a growing chance of a bigger battle for air express business outside of the United States.