I don't understand shipping

[jimskio]

I shipped off four packages Friday to Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois. I checked yesterday and three out of four were delivered. You, or at least I, would assume that the one in Hawaii is the one not delivered yet. Nope, the to Illinois is the one not delivered yet. Just doesn't seem right that one made it to Hawaii before Illinois. They were all small flat rate boxes. I guess at least they made it this time, I still have a box of blanks out there somewhere since June.

jimskio

 

[kooster]

I share your amazement. What's astonishing to me is that private carriers such as Fed Ex and UPS who handle a zabillion parcels a week, can track, pinpoint, and indicate exactly when a package will arrive. And, 99% of the time, they're correct. Yet, it seems like no one from the USPS has tapped into their system of efficiency and upscaled it to be incorporated into a Federal size operation. I would think resources at the Federal level would far exceed those of the private sector, and, as such would result in a more thorough system. Still wondering why it takes 3 weeks to move a small, lightweight item, the distance of 3 states . . . and they still haven't received it yet!!! YIKES.

 

[Justturnin]

It's all about location. HI was likely a direct flight and they may have been close to the Hub. IL is likely more rural and they may not run trucks to that location everyday. I struggle w/ how critical people are about shipping. Flat Rates are guaranteed 3-4 Business days, you shipped Friday and you say they all made it well w/in that time frame. I don't see the problem.

 

[Kenny Durrant]

I also shipped three packages regular mail. One to Puerto Rico and one to Ohio that was within a few pennies of each other. The one to Austin was a couple dollars more. All three packages were exactly the same. As far as the gov. and private business go the only thing I can figure is if the private businesses don't make a profit they go out of business. The gov. dosen't seem to have that problem.

 

[mredburn]

It makes perfect sense, The USPS is not profit motivated. Fed Ex and UPS are. THe package to Hawaii probably went airborne immediately while the rest went by truck.
Mistakes can and do happen, both by computer and people, not to mention outright theft.

 

[alamocdc]

I am equally amazed at how shipping works. I have three emails stating that the drum sander I ordered last week would be shipping yesterday, the 15th. But last Thursday I got a local call from a shipping company wanting to set up delivery. When I called Friday AM they said all the trucks were out and they would have to schedule the delivery for Monday (yesterday). So apparently I could have received my sander before it even shipped.

 

[nava1uni]

If you want to track a package from USPS you can do that for a few cents more. I do it with almost everything I mail. I find that USPS is as reliable as UPS or FED-EX. My personal opinion of most mail systems is that they are very efficient. I can remember when it would take a week or more to get mail and now it is only a few days. I think that everyone is just too impatient and waits to order things at the last minute. We have the least expensive mail system in the world and more reliable then most and we don't appreciate it. We have become a first world nation of spoiled people wanting everything immediately whether it be mail or anything else. Ask people from other countries and to mail a simple letter costs dollars not cents. We are a country with so much and yet we complain about things that really don't have much effect on our lives, except in minor ways.

 

[PTsideshow]

Part of the deal is the number or volume of packages going to the new super sort/distribution postal centers. There are few of them now operating then a couple years ago. You combine that with this new type standard shipping, were one of the trucking companies, be it UPS DHL or other ones that will deliver batch shipments to the sort centers.

Rather than like in the good ole days of contract US mail trucking. They only go out to the sort centers when the trucks are filled with letters and parcels for the area the sort centers service.

Cross country mail goes by plane since they no longer use trains or trucks other than short hauls. Air mail was stopped as a separate class years ago when it became cheaper to send it by plane.

So that can answer way it got to Hawaii faster, Like everything else it has to wait for either the truck or the cargo pod bin to get filled and room on the plane.

Here is a case in point. The scan is of a package I received it originated by DHL global mail service. Then local post office sort to street delivery, it was originated on 9/24/12 was supposed to be delivered on 10/03/12.

The bottom stamp is from DHL the upper stamp with the hand written MC is the local post office.
First problem was that the person in shipping didn't seal the package so the contents fell out. Now since it didn't have any contents you would think that they would have returned it to the company when they got it. They didn't do that either at DHL or the post office. so it still wasn't delivered on the date even though the tracking system said it was on the truck out out for delivery on the 3rd. I finally seen the postal guy, to ask he said he had no idea what I was talking about. The post office has an unlisted number in the phone book here locally. so I had to go to it, they looked and the only thing they could tell me was they had received it!

Couple of days later over the weekend the postal guy rings the bell and tells the wife that he didn't know what to do with it when he got it to deliver on the 3rd. It sat in his truck for 6 days,not the brightest post office employee!

So I finally have something I can contact Amazon with and they were reshipped and got here on the 13th.

It is truly amazing that anything that is sent through the post office gets anywhere which is really too bad.

The combo shipping with the post office can add up too 10 business days to the shipping time. and it is cheaper for them to do it this way in bulk than the priority boxes.

May your mail person be able to read, we had one that couldn't and they couldn't get rid of the person. They had to send him to school on the tax payers dime to learn to read, sounds like a good scam to me.
:clown:

 

[PTsideshow]

As to tracking with the USPS system it only works when the volume is low so the computers can keep up. I asked at the post office why it doesn't show the tracking till after it is delivered and was told high volume slow updates can take as long as 48 hours or more!
And as to finding the package that said it was on the truck she said it was pointless to ask the carrier. Which it turned out to be true. :wink:
Tracking with the post office seems to be getting worthless.
:clown:

 

[jimskio]

I was not complaining about this just couldn't understand the fact that one made it to Hawaii before one to Illinois. I was surprised that they received the package so quickly.

jimskio

 

[PTsideshow]

This is the current state of affairs and some of the operating problems encountered with when you have more than one carrier involved to one small package. When the shipper didn't seal it. I never buy anything that I need right now from the internet or catalog unless I pay for the deluxe shipping as been stated, they track and can find them better.

In this area Fed Ex is the worst, the SOB's don't even bother to ring the bell or knock. I have caught them more than once putting the attempted delivery sticker on the door, and not even having the package in their hands. Others have better luck with them in other areas.
:clown:

 

[IPD_Mr]

I was not complaining about this just couldn't understand the fact that one made it to Hawaii before one to Illinois. I was surprised that they received the package so quickly.

jimskio

The other thing to consider is rural and large metropolitan areas. If I ship to you, the package is sorted at Savannah's main sort facility then fed to the local stations within the city. But lets say that it was going to Claxton. Now the package goes to Savannah, is sorted, then on to Claxton. So while Claxton is actually closer to me than you are, you will have your package a day before Claxton will.

 

[sbell111]

Here is a case in point. The scan is of a package I received it originated by DHL global mail service. Then local post office sort to street delivery, it was originated on 9/24/12 was supposed to be delivered on 10/03/12.

The bottom stamp is from DHL the upper stamp with the hand written MC is the local post office.

... so it still wasn't delivered on the date even though the tracking system said it was on the truck out out for delivery on the 3rd. ... Couple of days later over the weekend the postal guy rings the bell and tells the wife that he didn't know what to do with it when he got it to deliver on the 3rd. It sat in his truck for 6 days,not the brightest post office employee!

... The combo shipping with the post office can add up too 10 business days to the shipping time. and it is cheaper for them to do it this way in bulk than the priority boxes.

I'm not following. How is you situation an example of how combo shipping is causing a problem? You experienced two problems. 1) The originator stupidly didn't tape the box. 2) Your local mailman didn't know what to do with an empty, open box. The combo process doesn't appear to be a problem, at all, in your scenario.

... Flat Rates are guaranteed 3-4 Business days, you shipped Friday and you say they all made it well w/in that time frame. I don't see the problem.

I agree. The OP seems more like an attaboy for the USPS than a complaint. One business day to Hawaii. That's pretty awesome.

 

[PTsideshow]

I'm not following. How is you situation an example of how combo shipping is causing a problem? You experienced two problems. 1) The originator stupidly didn't tape the box. 2) Your local mailman didn't know what to do with an empty, open box. The combo process doesn't appear to be a problem, at all, in your scenario.

You have two shipping companies notice that nothing is in the package but shipped it through anyways and then they can't find the package with the tracking number. Then by not delivering the package the day he got it he holds it for almost a week and they still can't track the package. So what good are the tracking numbers?
:clown:

 

[sbell111]

I'm not following. How is you situation an example of how combo shipping is causing a problem? You experienced two problems. 1) The originator stupidly didn't tape the box. 2) Your local mailman didn't know what to do with an empty, open box. The combo process doesn't appear to be a problem, at all, in your scenario.

You have two shipping companies notice that nothing is in the package but shipped it through anyways and then they can't find the package with the tracking number. Then by not delivering the package the day he got it he holds it for almost a week and they still can't track the package. So what good are the tracking numbers?
:clown:

But they did track the package. They had it as 'out for delivery'. This was actually correct as it was riding around in the postman's truck while he considered what to do with it. I'm not saying that the postman did the correct thing. I am merely taking the position that combo shipping worked without a hitch and the tracking system gave correct information.

Regarding the issue of shipping companies shipping an empty box instead of automatically returning it to sender, I am not convinced that this isn't what we would have them do.

 

[ren-lathe]

Ultimately your local "postman" should have brought the empty package to you immediately so you could begin a claim. As for moving an empty box they are paid to ship the box & have no responsibility for a bad pack job. The onus on that is the sender. i have an excellent postman, I would have had the package delivered immediately with an apology even though it was not his fault. It is interesting that my UPS driver whose job is primarily package delivery whines when anything weighing more than 15 pounds comes but the postman who is mainly a letter carrier always thanks me for using the post office when I get flat rate boxes some are in the 40+ pound range. Also the postman sets them inside for my wife where as the UPS guy just dumps at the door no matter the weight.

 

[PTsideshow]

I have the opposite deal the UPS guy leaves it at the side door, behind the privacy fence. They keep changing letter carriers and which direction they delivery the mail and what time of day it is delivered. The only thing mine does is moan about the weight of the packages I get and the frequency. They passed a petition around here a number of years ago wanting everybody to put up the rural type boxes, so they could deliver the mail from their trucks with out get out of it. It didn't work out and they are still walking.

Don't even get me going of FED EX lack of service or when I have gone to their depot 3 miles away the lack of concern about the crappy job. One answer was well what do you expect they are contractors! Even calling their 800 customer service number, and being transferred around there didn't seem to be a concern for the customer.

Yes you are correct it is the companies fault that the package wasn't sealed. But Amazon rules say that you can't begin to file a claim till a certain time after the delivery date, if it says it hasn't been delivered.

:clown:

 

[Russianwolf]

Had a package sent this past week ( Thursday) from Pennsylvania near Philly. Package went into Philly and then to Denver for a couple days. Then back to Maryland and finally to me. Maryland I can understand, but DENVER, CO?

 

[sbell111]

Had a package sent this past week ( Thursday) from Pennsylvania near Philly. Package went into Philly and then to Denver for a couple days. Then back to Maryland and finally to me. Maryland I can understand, but DENVER, CO?

I suspect that it was just mis-sorted and got put on the wrong plane.