USPS Shipping

[DerHoggz]

Should things shipped via USPS come at the regular time with your other mail, or does it get its own truck?

[Yerf Dog]

It may depend on the size, but typically at the same time.

[Stinsok]

Warning. The past two items I shipped through them took about 2 weeks to arrive. I sent them Parcel Post, but 2 weeks for Alabama to Jersey? C'mon!

[DerHoggz]

The tracker said it left Colombus Ohio (like 1-1.5 hrs away) at 6:40 last night "in transit to the destination", would it go through my post office first? It is just a bridge, a thumbrest, and some covers.

[mrpackerguy]

Same time as regular mail in our neck of the wilderness.

[FL Knifemaker]

With USPS you'll be lucky if it arrives at all

[MJ5150]

Same truck in my hood.

-Mike

[bongomania]

FWIW in my area if the package is large it comes on a separate truck (either earlier or later than the regular mail). I suspect the difference is if you're in an urban or high-residential-density area vs. if you're out in the burbs or the sticks. In dense areas with more packages to drop off daily, it's no biggie to have vans running back and forth all the time; but with farther to travel between stops, obviously they'd want to avoid that.

As far as time vs. distance, I wouldn't try applying any logic or sense to it. I've had Priority Mail packages cross the continent in two days, and I've had parcel-post packages take two days just to go across town.

[Staccato]

Parcel post and media mail are carried on tired donkeys for most of the trip, then your local mail carrier grabs all your letters/boxes & delivers...

[BluesWalker]

My understanding of Priority vs. Parcel vs. Media is the order they are loaded on a truck when being prepared to transport to the next destination in the delivery chain. They are loaded in the above order. If there is no room on the truck for a Parcel package, it stays behind until the next truck is loaded. Media, being the lowest priority, can remain at a destination for a few days before it is loaded.

I ship all my e-bay and TalkBass sales via the USPS. I have never had a problem: I have shipped from books through basses this way. UPS is not convenient for me: the UPS Store add about a 50% surcharge to the shipping cost (they are not part of UPS shipping chain) and the UPS site is too far from my house to make it convenient for shipment of routine packages. FedEX is even more expensive.

[MJ5150]

What I don't get is my mailman will walk the package to my door and hand it to me. Then he goes back to his truck and puts my mail in my mailbox.

Dude....you were just standing at my front door. Why not bring it all with you?

-Mike

[DerHoggz]

My package was sent Priority Mail, and I live in a borough of a borough so it isn't that populous. I'm gonna give the post office a call and see whats going on.

[Gard]

USPS tracking?



You actually TRUST that???

...where's the ROFL smiley when you need it...

Ever hear the phrase "tits on a boar hog"? They're about as useful as the USPS tracking "system".

...FWIW, I despise the USPS, especially for how they handle packages, so take what I say with a grain of salt...and click the little "USPS?" link in my sig for a taste of why.

I predict that the USPS will cease to exist in its present form within 5 years, due to it's own incompetence and lack of anything resembling "good service".

(...puts soap box away...)

[taquitos43]

Originally Posted by Stacatto

Parcel post and media mail are carried on tired donkeys for most of the trip, then your local mail carrier grabs all your letters/boxes & delivers...

The donkey would be more reliable in my neighborhood. At least 3 to 4 times a month, I get mail that belongs to my neighbor's. Not necessarily the same neighbor either. One day, I had 3 different addresses of mail in my mailbox. I take it to the USPS office and what do they say? "There's nothing we can do about it.". I better stop before I really get on the ol' soapbox.

[anomynous]

Speaking of USPS, it looks like they might have lost 2 packages I mailed out.

[Bongolation]

What may be confusing is that your mail carrier may deliver your package, but unless it's a small package he can conveniently carry, he won't do it until after he's delivered your regular mail. Larger parcels are delivered from the truck on his way out after having finished his route.

I had some gear from Amazon come by USPS about four hours after my mail was delivered last week.

[DerHoggz]

The post office says there isn't anything that missed the truck out today for me, so maybe they'll drop it off at the end. But I was walking towards my mailbox just as he pulled away so he could have given it to me then if he does have it.

Their tracking is a joke and very vague. It seems to skip steps and everything. FedEx tracking seems much better.

[Staccato]

Here's a reason to include confirmation delivery from the post office, it will keep most BG's (bad guys) from hassling you by saying it wasn't delivered-when they actually received it. Take my word for it!

And, conf. del. is FREE, and therefore cheaper-if you are willing/able to print the shipping label on paper at-home or otherwise through the USPS website.

Originally Posted by DerHoggz

The post office says there isn't anything that missed the truck out today for me, so maybe they'll drop it off at the end. But I was walking towards my mailbox just as he pulled away so he could have given it to me then if he does have it.

Their tracking is a joke and very vague. It seems to skip steps and everything. FedEx tracking seems much better.

[MJ5150]

Well, it happened again yesterday. Mailman knocks on my door, hands me a box, then walks to his truck and puts the rest of my mail in our mailbox and drives away.

What is the deal???

-Mike