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

[two fingers]

Simplicity saves money. Companies have always tried to source from fewer vendors. That is nothing knew. It's the business model of Grainger etc. If you have the choice getting all your supplies from one store or 5 stores, where are you going to drive to on the weekend?

Simplicity does NOT always save money. And that was my point. Simplicity is "a brand new Nissan for no money down and only $400 a month with your trade in. No credit check. Just sign here." Simple, right?

What they never read in that "just sign here" document is that they just traded a $20K vehicle and agreed to pay $28K more for a $30K car.

Economies of scale saves money. And that's what you were really talking about.

 

[Minimalist]

Simplicity does NOT always save money. And that was my point. Simplicity is "a brand new Nissan for no money down and only $400 a month with your trade in. No credit check. Just sign here." Simple, right?

What they never read in that "just sign here" document is that they just traded a $20K vehicle and agreed to pay $28K more for a $30K car.

Economies of scale saves money. And that's what you were really talking about.

For consumers you are correct but I was talking about business and there simplicity almost always is cheaper. Either directly buy saving costs or indirectly because now you have time to focus on your actually tasks that make you money. Should have made that clearer. Sorry!

Oh, and a Nissan will never save you money.

Edit: And I have never paid more than 20k for a vehicle. Last one was close though. 19,800 or so.

 

[Chad Michael]

Oh, and a Nissan will never save you money.

I look at my 95 Pathfinder in the driveway, and I laugh... it may not save money but it certainly has prevented me from spending it!!!

Does anyone remember when Hartke introduced the 410 XL bass cabinet? Then, they introduced the "Transporter" version? Do you remember why?

 

[smtp4me]

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.

I worked at UPS for about 8 years from the age of 21 to 29. First as a dock worker, unloading and loading trucks, then as a delivery driver for the final 5.5 to 6 years. I can tell you from experience, that picking up and carrying heavy packages all day is hard, even on a 20 something year old body, let alone an older one. Granted, not every package weighs between 50 and 70 pounds, but it doesn't take that many to have an effect. It is a physically demanding job, and at the age of 54 now, it would be challenging.

 

[TerenceE]

I worked at UPS for about 8 years from the age of 21 to 29. First as a dock worker, unloading and loading trucks, then as a delivery driver for the final 5.5 to 6 years. I can tell you from experience, that picking up and carrying heavy packages all day is hard, even on a 20 something year old body, let alone an older one. Granted, not every package weighs between 50 and 70 pounds, but it doesn't take that many to have an effect. It is a physically demanding job, and at the age of 54 now, it would be challenging.

Amen man. I've worked as a courier/dock hand for 20 years. Management tries to push your pace and load your truck to the max so much more in the last 5 years. And it's mostly the fault of amazon. The company makes virtually nothing per piece delivered so they want us to deliver more freight faster. Sounds like a management problem to me lol. I'm not a robot. I have one pace....the one that makes sure I retire healthy and enjoy it.

15 more years....its not a race....it's a marathon. Management hates me hahaha

 

[jnewmark]

Usually, when I want to buy something new, I look at several different businesses that sell it, or Ebay. I'm not a frequent shopaholic, but I notice that prices don't vary much until you get to Ebay. A new widget can be for sale on Ebay for all kinds of prices, free shipping or not. What really puzzles me is the shipping rates they come up with when it isn't free: a new blue widget ships for $5.99 from one seller to 10.99 from another, some times even in the same state.

 

[agedhorse]

How about free shipping from China or Hong Kong on a $3 item that weighs 1 pound? I can't even ship it to the next state within the US for that!!!

 

[DrMole]

I buy quite a bit on Amazon and I like their services. You can give specific delivery instructions which is great. UPS has left several packages in my car port where I cannot see them when I get home. Already drove over two packages. With Amazon, I can tell them where to leave the package and they follow those instructions. I also like USPS but that is very dependent on your delivery person. Some are great and some are not so great.
At work we ship mostly UPS. We get huge discounts on express shipping like overnight and 2nd day. Up to 70% and we don't ship that much.

Amazon will ultimately be split up just like other big companies before. Their is no way around that. I'm sure Jeff Bezo knows that. But then he has created a viable competitor to UPS and Fedex which others have tried but failed (DHL tried a few years back, didn't they?).

Link Removed

It is fairly easy to get a free UPS delivery option account- you can specify where, how and when your packages are delivered, get text updates, etc.

Personally have never had any issues but I probably receive only 5-6 UPS deliveries annually- service may vary by locale.

 

[96Brigadier]

Amen man. I've worked as a courier/dock hand for 20 years. Management tries to push your pace and load your truck to the max so much more in the last 5 years. And it's mostly the fault of amazon. The company makes virtually nothing per piece delivered so they want us to deliver more freight faster. Sounds like a management problem to me lol. I'm not a robot. I have one pace....the one that makes sure I retire healthy and enjoy it.

15 more years....its not a race....it's a marathon. Management hates me hahaha

Management will ultimately solve this problem, which will result in less jobs such as yours. 15 years from now there will be way less dock hands doing work as the movement of goods, unloading, and loading in warehouses becomes fully automated (look at pictures of an Amazon warehouse today, or how luggage is moved around in newer airports). It's also only a matter of time before we have legal automation of delivery vehicles, they just have to figure out how to get goods from the truck to the house (I'm not convinced drones are going to be the answer, as much as Amazon messes around with them).

Any time repetitive labour is involved it's a candidate to be eliminated through automation.

 

[Jim C]

How about free shipping from China or Hong Kong on a $3 item that weighs 1 pound? I can't even ship it to the next state within the US for that!!!

This is about to change.
My partner has been an attorney with the USPS for 27 years and retires at the end of January.
She says the free ride is just about over although I don't think an actual date has been set.

Here's a great example.
I bought this PC board from Amazon for $2.79 delivered from China just to see what it was.
Part looks legit; not sure that the US could source the components and build the part much let alone build, ship, and make a small profit.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R6QC89J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here's an excerpt regarding USPS shipping to and from China:
"Did you know that it costs significantly more to mail a package to Boise from Boston than it does from Beijing?

According to the U.S. Postal Service, it costs around $20 to mail a small parcel weighing 4.4 pounds from one U.S. state to another, yet mailing the same package from China only costs about $5. Millions of Americans who have purchased consumer goods online from Chinese sellers for a few bucks, shipping included, have likely noticed this disparity first-hand.

This shipping differential is the product of the U.S. government subsidizing Chinese shipments. The government estimates USPS delivers Chinese goods at a 40% to 70% discount, losing money on each package it delivers.

This unfair dynamic hurts U.S. small businesses, whose bottom lines are increasingly reliant on e-commerce, because it allows China to dump its often-counterfeit products in the U.S. market at an artificially low cost. And it sticks taxpayers with the tab because they are on the hook for bailing out the government-funded USPS. Yes, you read that right. Uncle Sam allows this to happen and is ultimately to blame. With a friend like this, who needs enemies?

The Universal Postal Union, a United Nations agency that sets postal rates among its 192-member countries, dictates USPS's artificially low rates. It bizarrely [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] China – the world's second-largest economy – with developing nations like Gabon and Fiji into its third tier of shipping rates, which are just a fraction of what the developed world must pay.

 

[96Brigadier]

This is about to change.
My partner has been an attorney with the USPS for 27 years and retires at the end of January.
She says the free ride is just about over although I don't think an actual date has been set.

Here's a great example.
I bought this PC board from Amazon for $2.79 delivered from China just to see what it was.
Part looks legit; not sure that the US could source the components and build the part much let alone build, ship, and make a small profit.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R6QC89J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here's an excerpt regarding USPS shipping to and from China:
"Did you know that it costs significantly more to mail a package to Boise from Boston than it does from Beijing?

According to the U.S. Postal Service, it costs around $20 to mail a small parcel weighing 4.4 pounds from one U.S. state to another, yet mailing the same package from China only costs about $5. Millions of Americans who have purchased consumer goods online from Chinese sellers for a few bucks, shipping included, have likely noticed this disparity first-hand.

This shipping differential is the product of the U.S. government subsidizing Chinese shipments. The government estimates USPS delivers Chinese goods at a 40% to 70% discount, losing money on each package it delivers.

This unfair dynamic hurts U.S. small businesses, whose bottom lines are increasingly reliant on e-commerce, because it allows China to dump its often-counterfeit products in the U.S. market at an artificially low cost. And it sticks taxpayers with the tab because they are on the hook for bailing out the government-funded USPS. Yes, you read that right. Uncle Sam allows this to happen and is ultimately to blame. With a friend like this, who needs enemies?

The Universal Postal Union, a United Nations agency that sets postal rates among its 192-member countries, dictates USPS's artificially low rates. It bizarrely [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] China – the world's second-largest economy – with developing nations like Gabon and Fiji into its third tier of shipping rates, which are just a fraction of what the developed world must pay.

Curious, what do they intend to do about this disparity then? Free ride is almost over, but how so?

 

[agedhorse]

How about that it costs me ~$30 to ship a 1 pound package to or from Canada, or to China, but it can ship for free from China to the US?

That's an unfairness that's a non-starter for any competitive business.

 

[Jim Bergantino]

When Amazon starts wagging all their manufactures' tails and those manufactures finally wise up (or go out of business) and realize you can't make up losses on volume, maybe things will turn around. I'll never forget the Amazon rep's facial expression at Namm when I told him Amazon was the evil empire and he can go pound sand! Of course I told him nothing personal!;-)

 

[Jim C]

Curious, what do they intend to do about this disparity then? Free ride is almost over, but how so?

As I understand it, there will be a price increase for China with the USPS.

 

[96Brigadier]

As I understand it, there will be a price increase for China with the USPS.

Interesting... if it's the International Postal Union that dictates prices as you said in your post, and prices will go up with USPS, that suggests it is the IPU that will be changing the rates from China? That would be a good thing, but I'm not holding my breath at a UN agency doing anything that actually makes sense.

 

[DrMole]

My bank was just sold and my payment method to Amazon Prime needs to be updated- I have chosen to not provide any new info.

We don't use any Amazon music or movie streaming- I have other options for that and certainly don't need Amazon-specific shows.

90% of my online purchase are from American Musical, Sweetwater or Musician's Friend- Reverb once or twice annually.

Can live without free shipping for a few musical-related items( weird straps for my daughter's uke, clarinet stands, etc.)

 

[jnewmark]

How about free shipping from China or Hong Kong on a $3 item that weighs 1 pound? I can't even ship it to the next state within the US for that!!!

Just curious, how long did it take the item from China to get delivered to you ?

 

[seamonkey]

Find the local independent stores near you. Work up a good relationship with them. It may cost more, but once you know the people and where the money goes a few dollars is worth it.

Here's a sampling
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[agedhorse]

Just curious, how long did it take the item from China to get delivered to you ?

A week or less

 

[beans-on-toast]

Just curious, how long did it take the item from China to get delivered to you ?

As an example, I recently bought some radio frequency preamps for test equipment sensors via ebay. It's a small circuit board with surface mounted components and two nice gold connectors. Cost was $4 each board delivered from Taiwan. Delivery is typically 2 weeks to a month via the post. They ship same day. Service is slow but orders always arrive. There are never any additional charges at the door. The exact same product was available from US sellers in the $40-$50 range. It is manufactured in China.