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Problems with our countries shipping companies? #2758552
04/01/20 06:43 PM
04/01/20 06:43 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,422
Warren, MI
71TA Offline OP
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Warren, MI

FedEx - have heard many complaints that they've have become a black hole. Wife and I get Hello Fresh meals. They were 3 days late. SIX DAYS TOTAL for meat/meals on ice. I was supposed to receive 5 large boxes from PRP, a windshield seal supplier. 4 boxes came over 3 days. 1 is missing in action for a week now. I wouldn't ship ANYTHING with them at this point. I'll have to stop my Hello Fresh meals. Thought that would save the wife and I from having to go to the grocery store.

USPS - stopped by our local post office to drop off 100 packages. Was unusually quiet. Usually busting at the end of the day. The manager, that I've gotten to know, came out and said he had sent everyone home early. Said first tine in 27 years a semi didnt come in to drop off mail!?!?! My mid day mail pickup guy said yesterday and today have been eerily quite with little mail.

UPS - I made a stop at a main UPS hub in Detroit. Again usually busy with hundreds of boxes strewn everywhere. Today like 30 boxes in a small area. Odd. I didn't go into the lobby to talk to the 2 guys I've gotten to know over the years to ask whats up.

Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: 71TA] #2758556
04/01/20 06:47 PM
04/01/20 06:47 PM
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Posts: 43,458
Round Lake Beach, Illinoisy
Rhinodart Offline
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I just shipped a grille to a Moparts member by UPS and it got there on time, of course it was bent. The people at the UPS store told me since it was steel the packaging I had it in would be fine, I should have known better. frown


The funny thing about science is that if you change one miniscule parameter you change the entire outcome to the way you want it.

JB Rhinehart, Realist

A-Body's RULE!
Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: Rhinodart] #2758562
04/01/20 06:57 PM
04/01/20 06:57 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,422
Warren, MI
71TA Offline OP
I Live Here
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Warren, MI
That sucks but at least it got there smile

I have a $1500 package lost in the postal system. That'll cost me probably $1000 out of my pocket to replace. Before someone asks about insurance, I ship 30,000 packages a year so I have some basic understanding how this works and what I have learned is ALL these shipping companies run you ragged till you throw in the towel. They know if they can get me to spend more of my time with phone calls, paper work and BS than the lost package is worth you'll give up. I have never been able to get these thieves to pay out more than a $30 loss. Like medical insurance companies who pay workers bonuses to deny insurance claims that knowingly will kill people.

Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: 71TA] #2758577
04/01/20 07:31 PM
04/01/20 07:31 PM
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Posts: 3,122
Auburn WA
Dave_J Offline
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Auburn WA
Two weeks ago I ordered a part off Ebag and paid $7.65 shipping. I am just south of Seattle WA, Vendor was in Lincoln NE, I'd asked the vendor to ship USPS and NOT FedEx.
After three work days getting "Shipping Label has been printed, awaiting..... " FedEx SmartPost picked it up late on Friday. Then no updates for 5 days.

From there it went to Nashville TN, Dallas TX, Phoenix AZ, City of Industry CA, Sacramento CA, Troutdale OR, Seattle WA where it was handed off to USPS for home delivery. Got it yesterday, 5 days late. Vendors response was blah shruggy
I am waiting for a few days so I can give Vendor a Neutral Feedback and 1 star ping them on shipping and communication.


Retired, US ARMY 1973-1994
ASE mechanic, Electrical 1994-1997
Retired GTE/VERIZON/FRONTIER 1997-2015


Posting cheap tech help (CRAP) here since Nov 97, 1000's of posts, some may be good.

03 Suzuki Burgman 650(Burger King) Scooter
65 Formula S Cuda
78 Little Red Express Truck
98 Buick Regal (wifes car)
Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: Dave_J] #2758590
04/01/20 08:00 PM
04/01/20 08:00 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,644
So Near, Yet So Far
topside Online content
Too Many Posts
topside  Online Content
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Posts: 20,644
So Near, Yet So Far
Shipped a box USPS to a buyer on East Coast, after UPS & FedEx wanted twice as much.
Tracked it, and it sat in Seattle for days.
I stayed in contact with Buyer with daily updates.
He finally got it 5 days late.
I was just trying to do business, not take on a new hobby.

My guess is this virus deal has screwed up shipping, don't know.

Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: topside] #2758603
04/01/20 08:28 PM
04/01/20 08:28 PM
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Posts: 8,390
Highland, MI.
Sunroofcuda Offline
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So far my FedEx shipments have all been on time - knock on wood. Also, I never put on the value of the contents anymore - stopped doing that probably 4 years ago after noticing they charge you $3.00 on every package when you do that. Reason why I did that was after filing a claim on 4 damaged Cobra mufflers that got dented badly - (about a $340.00 claim) I sent photos & explained my triple-wall protection when I ship those, FedEx simply came back with their typical "improper packaging" statement & denied the claim. So why pay for insurance when they will NOT make good on any claim of over $100.00? Google it - they do this to everybody on a claim for over $100.00.

They are too big & too powerful. *Also, 2 weeks ago I shipped a pair of mufflers to a customer in the UK through the USPS - both the customer & I were a bit leery of it ever getting there because of the pandemic, but they made it there no problems yesterday. I've NEVER had anything lost internationally shipping through the USPS since I've been shipping with them 18 years ago. I admit, I'm a bit surprised.


No Man With A Good Car Needs To Be Justified
Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: Sunroofcuda] #2758611
04/01/20 08:47 PM
04/01/20 08:47 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,422
Warren, MI
71TA Offline OP
I Live Here
71TA  Offline OP
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Warren, MI
Consider yourself VERY, VERY LUCKY shipping internationally. Last year we shipped 1500 international packages. 5% of our 30,000 shipments. In the fall we had a spike of lost packages and customers complaining that THEY WANTED ME TO LOOK INTO IT like I have a special hotline to the inner workings of every postal system around the world. Do people say that out loud to themselves while looking in the mirror. I mean how crazy does that sound saying out loud? After 5 lost (STOLEN) packages to Germany so far this year, no more to Germany. Same with France, Spain. Package shows it arrived in the country or customs or even delivered but still I get that "it never arrived". Then UK. Then countries that were always "safe"; northern Europe, New Zealand, Australia. No more after thousands of dollars in losses. I get calls every day requesting international shipments. One repeat customer in New Zealand I told him I'll ship but I never want to hear about that shipment again. Ever. He agreed. That was a $500 package of Superbird parts. Others I tell them to use a forwarding company. I get signature confirmation at the forwarding company and I'm off the hook. Any problems and I'll stop doing that.

Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: 71TA] #2758617
04/01/20 08:59 PM
04/01/20 08:59 PM
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Posts: 4,696
North Central USA (MN-WI area)
MuscleMopars Offline
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I have a success story... I shipped a '69 Charger Grill and bezels in one box by Greyhound Bus. I was REALLY nervous that it wouldn't go well, especially since they would only insure it for $300. It got from here in WI to Oregon in 5 days and in perfect condition. And price was relatively reasonable!
The box was extremely nice for shipping grills!!! up

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Last edited by MuscleMopars; 04/01/20 09:01 PM.

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Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: MuscleMopars] #2758620
04/01/20 09:07 PM
04/01/20 09:07 PM
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nowhere
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Being on the receiving end I don't have near the volume some of you have. I get stuff for my personal use and for work purposes, UPS, FedEx, USPS, various freight lines. Zero issues to speak of with any of them. The closest I come to an issue is that the USPS' tracking system is very dated. I did have one freight shipment show up with a hole in the box, the driver told me to inspect it before I signed for anything and I could refuse delivery if I wanted to. Being that there was moisture inside the box and a very high dollar chunk of electronics, work related part, I refused delivery. For the life of me the name of the freight company eludes me and we use them all the time for truck freight. Anyway, that's how it ought to work, it's called customer service.

Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: Sniper] #2758622
04/01/20 09:15 PM
04/01/20 09:15 PM
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Posts: 29,648
Hamtramck, PA
Alaskan_TA Offline
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There is a pandemic going on right now.

Lots of things are delayed.

Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: Alaskan_TA] #2758636
04/01/20 10:08 PM
04/01/20 10:08 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,422
Warren, MI
71TA Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Alaskan_TA
There is a pandemic going on right now.

Lots of things are delayed.


You dont say smile

I told a customer that there's a very bad flu/virus going around right now and it may be affecting deliveries when he that asked the crazy question "DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY PACKAGE IS?!?!" He said "you'd have to be living under an effin rock not to know that!" I hadn't laughed that hard in a while. I'm still laughing. Then BUDDY maybe thats why the package is late and I have no idea exactly, to GPS coordinates, where its located.

Another customer emailed today and asked "if I buy when will my package arrive?". I told him to NOT BUY because there is a serious virus going around, if you haven't heard, and its affecting deliveries. That's such a red flag. Setup questions. Like how black is that or is that JUST like the color used in 1970? What do you mean but "just like"? Who would know without a time machine what the color was like in 1970. I lived in 1970 and I don't remember? Or like, and I get all the time "how well does this fit?" How do you respond to stuff like this!?!?! Do I say good? Do I say that I personally make most of the stuff and try to make it the way I would want it to fit if I were the customer. Or is it a setup like the guy today that wanted to return a Ram 3rd Brake Light Gasket cause it didn't fit his DURANGO! And he was honestly insinuating it was somehow my fault instead of admitting to himself he knowingly bought it for the wrong application, took the chance and now throw it in the trash. But to actually call and waste another adults time. Unbelievable. I honestly may stop selling gaskets and write a Dilbert like comic strip.

Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: 71TA] #2758642
04/01/20 10:22 PM
04/01/20 10:22 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,802
Between Houston & Galveston TX
SattyNoCar Offline
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Between Houston & Galveston TX

I oversee shipping and receiving at my job, 90% of what we ship/receive is thru UPS or FED EX.

Haven't really seen a change in service as far as time is concerned, but have seen a change in the condition a package shows up. As of late, UPS packages look like they fell off the truck or got run over by the truck on the way to us. It used to be the occasional package, now its almost all of them.

That being said though, I'm VERY surprised we don't have more issues with FED EX. A lot of times they'll show up in rental truck, meaning there are no shelves in back. Our location is usually picked up late in the day. I made the mistake of looking into one of those rentals when the driver slid the door up just enough to toss our package in, there was just one huge pile You're wasting time marking your package 'FRAGILE'.

hammer


John

The dream is dead, long live the dream.......😥
Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: SattyNoCar] #2758685
04/02/20 12:55 AM
04/02/20 12:55 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,122
Auburn WA
Dave_J Offline
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I was told for sipping in USA to go to your local Fastenal and ask. They have trucks deadheading all the time and will handle some outside shipments.


Retired, US ARMY 1973-1994
ASE mechanic, Electrical 1994-1997
Retired GTE/VERIZON/FRONTIER 1997-2015


Posting cheap tech help (CRAP) here since Nov 97, 1000's of posts, some may be good.

03 Suzuki Burgman 650(Burger King) Scooter
65 Formula S Cuda
78 Little Red Express Truck
98 Buick Regal (wifes car)
Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: SattyNoCar] #2758686
04/02/20 12:57 AM
04/02/20 12:57 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,436
Blair County,PA
62maxwgn Offline
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They all have issues,this has been discussed many times.I used UPS up to about 5 yrs ago,when to FedEx and
have had O problems,for smaller items I use USPS but never for anything large and heavy,anything over 25 lbs. or so is twice what FedEx charges.

Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: Rhinodart] #2758695
04/02/20 03:46 AM
04/02/20 03:46 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,599
San Jose,CA
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Originally Posted by Rhinodart
I just shipped a grille to a Moparts member by UPS and it got there on time, of course it was bent. The people at the UPS store told me since it was steel the packaging I had it in would be fine, I should have known better. frown


Never trust them. Stopped using them over 10 years now, never had a part that either didn't show up or wasn't damaged enough to be repairable. I turn down sales if the buyer/seller insists on using them. FedEx on the other hand, over 200 packages, only once did a part not show up and that was because the receiver left it out all day in a busy travel area. FedEX station is better than UPS all day long out here. But regardless of the package, if it's long, package it to withstand a tractor driving over it (that's another UPS story for a different day).

Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: Dave_J] #2758740
04/02/20 08:48 AM
04/02/20 08:48 AM

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Originally Posted by Dave_J
I was told for sipping in USA to go to your local Fastenal and ask. They have trucks deadheading all the time and will handle some outside shipments.

The way I follow it that was a pretty good option like 10 years ago. Any revenue from 3rd party freight was better than running trucks less than full so they had cheap rates. Eventually word got around, the freight biz picked up and a couple years ago they started running it as a stand alone shipping company. As in: capitol investment in rigs, real estate, bodies and let's try to elbow in to the 3rd party logistics market. Last time I looked they were more expensive than FedEx Freight.

Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: MuscleMopars] #2758751
04/02/20 09:17 AM
04/02/20 09:17 AM

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Originally Posted by MuscleMopars
I have a success story... I shipped a '69 Charger Grill and bezels in one box by Greyhound Bus. I was REALLY nervous that it wouldn't go well, especially since they would only insure it for $300. It got from here in WI to Oregon in 5 days and in perfect condition. And price was relatively reasonable!
The box was extremely nice for shipping grills!!! up

Had my first experience with Greyhound last December and I'd try it again. If you're considering it don't read the google reviews as they are overwhelmingly negative and filled with horror stories about lost and damaged packages. The positive ones often mention the obvious "intelligent shipper" tips like pack it to survive a nuclear holocaust and double label every box.

I had a pick up radiator support travel from New Mexico to PA during Christmas peak travel. Maybe 8 days end to end and changed buses at least 4 or 5 times that I know of and arrived with only a small tear in the box. The cost was about 1/2 of FedEx Freight but there are trade offs. One being that it's bus station to bus station only unless you want to pay extra for door to door which entirely kills the cost saving. Not every station in the network handles packages and sometimes the nearest one is 200 miles away.

The online tracking system is pretty horrible. My best guess is that it only updates when the box changes buses and then only if the baggage handler remembers to scan it. It clearly doesn't update every time the bus its on enters / leaves a station - ya know, like UPS trucks do. With my shipment they failed to scan it when it got to destination station and the bums at the station wouldn't answer their phone. The customer service rep managed to get through and in the end it was all good.

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Re: Problems with our countries shipping companies? [Re: Dave_J] #2758753
04/02/20 09:23 AM
04/02/20 09:23 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 43,458
Round Lake Beach, Illinoisy
Rhinodart Offline
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Originally Posted by Dave_J
I was told for sipping in USA to go to your local Fastenal and ask. They have trucks deadheading all the time and will handle some outside shipments.


Fastenal has topped shipping a couple weeks ago due to the virus...


The funny thing about science is that if you change one miniscule parameter you change the entire outcome to the way you want it.

JB Rhinehart, Realist

A-Body's RULE!






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