Why UPS!?! (a rant)

[NicJimBass]

A) Shipping by airplane is far more expensive than shipping by rail, hence the higher prices for air service v. ground service levels. There is a financial disincentive in providing the service level you've just described (east to west coast overnight) when the standard alternative is far more cost effective.

B) The additional costs of itemizing all packages by delivery guarantees and resorting, reloading, retaining and storing those deliveries is far less efficient than simply sorting them the first time, delivering them and getting them out of your system.

C) With multiple shipping providers operating domestically, the incentive to provide competitive time frames is crucial. Why would a company intentionally inhibit their ability to provide competitive transit times when the last leg (final delivery) is readily available?

Your strategy is not a viable one in the shipping world.

If I'm reading your post correctly, you're essentially making my point.

I understand the fact that I paid for ground service, and ground service is what I got. I'm not expecting a package to come to me early simply because I think I'm important or because I'm impatient. To me, it makes no sense to sit on a package for the sole purpose of meeting the original arrival date. Instead, if a package is near it's destination, it makes more sense to simply deliver it, and, as you say, get it out of the system. That is my whole point.

Please let me be clear, I am in no way asking UPS to treat my package as special. I do not expect UPS or anyone to drop my package early because I feel I am entitled to it. Far from it. Once UPS has my package, I know, based on their track record with me, it will get to me when they say it will get to me, and it will come in one piece. I am happy with them and their service. Yes, I get impatient when I get a new piece of gear... who doesn't? I am simply trying to look at this and other deliveries in a logical perspective and that's it.

BTW, I have had USPS, and I believe FedEx both quote delivery dates at the beginning of the shipment, but as that date drew near, it changed, because they were able to get it to me early. In fact, I had a package come yesterday, a day early, from USPS. If it's possible to deliver early, with no extra strain on their end, I don't see why they don't/won't do it. Do I expect it? No. Would it be cool? Absolutely.

 

[Unrepresented]

If I'm reading your post correctly, you're essentially making my point.

I understand the fact that I paid for ground service, and ground service is what I got. I'm not expecting a package to come to me early simply because I think I'm important or because I'm impatient. To me, it makes no sense to sit on a package for the sole purpose of meeting the original arrival date. Instead, if a package is near it's destination, it makes more sense to simply deliver it, and, as you say, get it out of the system. That is my whole point.

Please let me be clear, I am in no way asking UPS to treat my package as special. I do not expect UPS or anyone to drop my package early because I feel I am entitled to it. Far from it. Once UPS has my package, I know, based on their track record with me, it will get to me when they say it will get to me, and it will come in one piece. I am happy with them and their service. Yes, I get impatient when I get a new piece of gear... who doesn't? I am simply trying to look at this and other deliveries in a logical perspective and that's it.

BTW, I have had USPS, and I believe FedEx both quote delivery dates at the beginning of the shipment, but as that date drew near, it changed, because they were able to get it to me early. In fact, I had a package come yesterday, a day early, from USPS. If it's possible to deliver early, with no extra strain on their end, I don't see why they don't/won't do it. Do I expect it? No. Would it be cool? Absolutely.

No one is "sitting on" on your package, but it may seem like it until you realize that all of the following steps need to be taken once your package has arrived in your region:

a) your package has to be routed to the hub that delivers to your area, which as you've discovered, may not always be the geographically closest to your actual residence.

b) your package has to be sorted out from all of the other packages in that building that also will be delivered that same day.

c) your package has to be loaded onto the delivery vehicle that will be delivering the area that includes your residence.

d) your delivery driver will have to be working that day, typically Monday through Friday.

Those are a lot of criteria that all have to be met in order for you to receive your package. You can't skip any. It may give the illusion that no progress is being made until all those are met, but that's the reality of efficiency. It's one of tens of thousands of packages being sorted by that facility every day. It's not selected for, nor selected against with the exception of how it's initially dispatched (ground v. air transport).

 

[NicJimBass]

No one is "sitting on" on your package, but it may seem like it until you realize that all of the following steps need to be taken once your package has arrived in your region:

a) your package has to be routed to the hub that delivers to your area, which as you've discovered, may not always be the geographically closest to your actual residence.

b) your package has to be sorted out from all of the other packages in that building that also will be delivered that same day.

c) your package has to be loaded onto the delivery vehicle that will be delivering the area that includes your residence.

d) your delivery driver will have to be working that day, typically Monday through Friday.

Those are a lot of criteria that all have to be met in order for you to receive your package. You can't skip any. It may give the illusion that no progress is being made until all those are met, but that's the reality of efficiency. It's one of tens of thousands of packages being sorted by that facility every day. It's not selected for, nor selected against with the exception of how it's initially dispatched (ground v. air transport).

I understand the points your making, and have seen them in person. Here is what I don't understand. Take a look at the maps below:

This is the route the bass took:

Notice there are 2 major highways going into Columbus that they passed.

Assuming that there is at least one daily delivery between Cincy and Columbus, which is easy to do, considering both are major cities connected by a major highway, this is the route it could've/ should've taken:

How does this make sense?

 

[guy n. cognito]

Again, weren't the three days you package sat over a weekend?

 

[NicJimBass]

Again, weren't the three days you package sat over a weekend?

It arrived at point B on a Saturday morning, then left on a Monday evening, so yes, 2 of the 3 were weekend days. Based on other packages I've tracked, I seen them move packages between hubs on Sat and Sun, they just don't deliver. So, despite being the weekend, the package sat for 3 days.

 

[Unrepresented]

I understand the points your making, and have seen them in person. Here is what I don't understand. Take a look at the maps below:

This is the route the bass took:

Notice there are 2 major highways going into Columbus that they passed.

Assuming that there is at least one daily delivery between Cincy and Columbus, which is easy to do, considering both are major cities connected by a major highway, this is the route it could've/ should've taken:

How does this make sense?

As much as my genius in all fields, is unparalleled, I can't give you specifics about the way that UPS processes packages in the greater Ohio region, but in general there are different hubs and different shifts that perform different tasks, some process local packages, some process regional, some process national. Likely, your package was sent to a regional processing center so it could be grouped with packages bound for the same local hubs --such as yours where it ultimately arrived.

UPS was in the news a while ago for planning delivery routes with only right turns to improve efficiency. I suspect that if they are focusing on that level of planning, they have thought through the logistics of getting your package to you without unnecessary delays.

 

[Passinwind]

As much as my genius in all fields, is unparalleled, I can't give you specifics about the way that UPS processes packages in the greater Ohio region, but in general there are different hubs and different shifts that perform different tasks, some process local packages, some process regional, some process national. Likely, your package was sent to a regional processing center so it could be grouped with packages bound for the same local hubs --such as yours where it ultimately arrived.

The big companies tend to sort depending on delivery priority as well, so if your package is due for a Tuesday delivery they may not want it taking up space on that once a day truck on the busiest days, Fridays and Mondays.

 

[Unrepresented]

The big companies tend to sort depending on delivery priority as well, so if your package is due for a Tuesday delivery they may not want it taking up space on that once a day truck on the busiest days, Fridays and Mondays.

This may be true with USPS but to my knowledge this doesn't occur with regularity with the other major domestic shippers.

 

[Passinwind]

This may be true with USPS but to my knowledge this doesn't occur with regularity with the other major domestic shippers.

It did routinely when I worked at FedEx, but that was over a decade ago.

 

[Alkali Ike]

A) Shipping by airplane is far more expensive than shipping by rail, hence the higher prices for air service v. ground service levels. There is a financial disincentive in providing the service level you've just described (east to west coast overnight) when the standard alternative is far more cost effective.

B) The additional costs of itemizing all packages by delivery guarantees and resorting, reloading, retaining and storing those deliveries is far less efficient than simply sorting them the first time, delivering them and getting them out of your system.

C) With multiple shipping providers operating domestically, the incentive to provide competitive time frames is crucial. Why would a company intentionally inhibit their ability to provide competitive transit times when the last leg (final delivery) is readily available?

Your strategy is not a viable one in the shipping world.

You seem to be saying that what I've observed can't possibly happen. OK.

 

[6stringpanda]

Any delays I've experienced with UPS (which are very few in number) have been the result of inclement weather.

I've always had good experiences - both shipping and receiving - with UPS.

+1

I actually have nothing but good to say about UPS-

FedEx is the worse in my opinion.

 

[Unrepresented]

It did routinely when I worked at FedEx, but that was over a decade ago.

Perhaps at the initial hub this could be done, but further into the system (the accusation being discussed) loads have been commingled to the point that keeping tabs on each package's running transit time would add significant complication.

You seem to be saying that what I've observed can't possibly happen. OK.

I am saying the description you've presented is unlikely to occur. You're either including non-transit days (weekends, holidays) into your "sitting around" time or there's some other variant.

 

[Passinwind]

I am saying the description you've presented is unlikely to occur. You're either including non-transit days (weekends, holidays) into your "sitting around" time or there's some other variant.

There's also the variant of management wanting to preserve the value of the higher priority services, which was explicitly communicated to me numerous times.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Thank you.

 

[ggunn]

This may be true with USPS but to my knowledge this doesn't occur with regularity with the other major domestic shippers.

Gotta love that disclaimer, right?

 

[Unrepresented]

Gotta love that disclaimer, right?

Not claiming to be an expert.

 

[Alkali Ike]

It seems clear that sometimes ground packages are transported over the longest leg of their journey by air, hence the tracking updates showing east coast to west coast travel overnight. Maybe they had a half-empty cargo plane? Maybe there was a storm causing road problems and air was the only outbound option?

I'm aware that when using standard shipping, packages may not move on weekends or holidays.

 

[JB36]

Two possible reasons: The package was flat out miss-sorted by an employee or it's destined load was full and the package was intentionally miss-flowed to another destination, but still can make service time.

 

[BawanaRik]

I used to work in Industrial Engineer, I think that was the department in UPS years ago.

The fact the direct route isn't always the most efficient.

The fact that discussion is even happening is a reflection on the fact that too many people have too much time.

Or less out it this way . You think you can do better then do better.

Open your version of UPS and do door to with no stops in between and see how long you stay in business. UPS is there because they deliver.

 

[Desirsar]

No one in the industry has any advantage in stockpiling processed freight. What you're describing doesn't happen. The major shippers using comparable service types will have equivalent transit times.

I'm in Kansas City on the Kansas side. If you use 7-day service and check the tracking, if it hits the Fedex center in Lenexa overnight, three days early, it will be out for delivery the next morning. If it hits the UPS center in Lenexa overnight, three days early, it will be out for delivery on the scheduled date and not one day before.

There may not be an advantage to it, but it *does* happen.