UPS/FedEx reduce heavy package fee threshold from 70 lbs to 50 lbs

Thanks for this.
Game changer for shipping cabinets and heavy amps.

 

This is nothing but a money grab.

Large items are often shipped ground, not air. It isn’t down to fuel prices. Companies like Fedex and airlines negotiate long term jet fuel contracts. They pay more than the current rates but hedge it over the length. When the contracts need to be renewed, rates go way up.

Shipping costs have been out of control for several years. At the same time, large companies get VERY favorable rates, that’s why there’s free shipping.

 

I think we will see petroleum based transportation prices increase on a regular basis from here on out as the environmental impacts start demanding more attention (as if they hadn’t before, but let’s not digress). Possibly, they are starting to adjust for the inevitable carbon taxes and fees that will be coming around.

 

It looks it, but it could be real and health and safety driven (OSHA for you guys I guess). In the UK, the "safe weight" for a single person lift is 25 kg (50 lbs). Anything above that needs 2 people or lifting gear, which makes the job more complex and time consuming and may mean special delivery trucks are needed for the carriers.

 

Could be.

I used to lift and carry for a living. Life is different today.

The drivers and postal workers that I encounter all use carts these days. The warehouses are automated, no lifting involved. OSHA numbers are 23 kg for lifting and lowering for 75% of females and 90% of males.

 

It’s probably cost them millions in back or lifting related injuries to their employees.

 

Might be they’re aligning with international standards. When I worked for UPS 20 years ago, they required two people to lift anything over 70 pounds. If they drop that down to 50, that will add up to many more two-person packages, which will cost them.

 

+1.

Also returned packages for dropped items that were heavier than someone thought. It seems heavy items (like a speaker cabinet) can do more damage to themselves when they hit the ground, versus , say.. a microphone stand or a 6 pack of strings.


Just my thought.
T$

 

UPS used to (maybe still does) require that handguns had to be shipped overnight from a UPS hub. Nothing other than a way to jack prices way up.

 

someone has to pay for "free" shipping. that would be us regular folks. as the great texan philosopher mr. vaughan once stated, "money's tight; ain't nothing free."

 

I ship heavy, used auto parts, mostly sold through eBay. I'm on the east coast and the whole idea of "FREE SHIPPING" is nothing short of reprehensible. It divorces the buyer from any concept of cost to the retailer. Is anything but a "green" policy because for the saving of a penny people will gladly have a 35 pound item travel 3000 miles across the country. Finally, it puts an undue pressure on smaller sellers who don't have the benefit of multiple shipping points or national distribution. If you're on eBay and you don't offer "FREE SHIPPING" and "FREE RETURNS" your listings get buried by their algorithm.

This notion of "FREE SHIPPING" was really popularized by Jeff Bezo's and Amazon. Initially, it was available to those who paid for "Prime" membership but evolved into the vast majority of items sold on Amazon being shipped with no additional shipping charge. Bezo's stated, back in the 1990's that he didn't care about profits. All he wanted was market share. He's shown that, over and over again. He has forced every online retailer or online marketplace to follow his lead first, with, "FREE SHIPPING" and then, with "FREE RETURNS." These features singlehandedly drove many smaller online retailers out of business. They continue to do so to this very day.

Now, Bezo's and Amazon have created their own shipping company by hiring "independent contractors" to collect packages at their regional distribution centers to be deliver for a fee. Right now, Amazon delivers more packages a year than FedEx and are closing in on UPS. FedEx recently stopped working with Amazon because they simply could not afford to provide the logistics for the price Amazon was willing to pay. Do you think the "independent contractors" picking up carloads of boxes at the Amazon distribution center are in a better bargaining position than FedEx was?

Frankly, if there was ever a need/time for Amazon to be broken up to prevent any further monopolization, it's now, as they are catapulting towards becoming the largest shipping company in the US.

 

Amen brother, imo Amazon will be studied by business school students for decades to come.

 

Amazon is great until all retail jobs dry up. Between “free” shipping and “self checkout” the future is bleak for storefront retail chains.

as for the change from 70-50lb for an additional handling fee

it’s a $$ grab period. Ive been a courier for 20 years and every day I deliver 100lb plus packages by myself. The companies don’t care about their employees. All they care about is profit NOW. Amazon doesn’t even require signatures for their stuff. Every amazon box is a mystery Xmas present to would be thieves.

 

And then they add useless features to Prime (well useless for Herrick) like their crappy selection of streaming movies, music, & other stuff which raises the price.

I think before Prime, shipping was free if one bought at least $25 worth of stuff.

 

Buy and sell local.

If shipping prices go up you have a better chance of selling or buying locally for a fair price in your local economy.

Ask manufacturers to include shipping on their warranty service.
Better yet, ask them to support "Right to repair" so local shops can get parts and documentation so you don't have to ship it.

 

My little brother is going to need a normal plane ticket from now on. Waste of a seat if you ask me!

 

I totally agree. Big companies could give a **** about there employees getting injured lifting. On a similar note, I recently had a bass delivered and UPS just left it in my hallway. I'm glad I had the delivery alert text to me. I was at work and had my GF go get it and put it in my house. A $1700 bass and they left it without a sig for delivery #@!!.

 

next time put in an item not received claim and see if dude leaves it without a signature again lol

 

USPS has always been the cheapest way for me...