US Mail Still Lagging

[pdub]

An editorial piece.

About a week ago I ordered a still shot camera for use at the Gear Head gig. Mine's old and antique. I got one handed to me at work that's sooooo cool and easy to use, I wanted one like it at home. So I Googled it and ordered it. From somewhere, didn't have to find one at a store. Instant gratification in this day and age. They messed around for a week and finally sent me an email yesterday saying it has shipped with a US Postal Service tracking number. That's just fine, no emergency.

Well, from my own experience with it so far, and I could be way wrong, but I think USPS doesn't track packages unless they already have a special designation, like sign for it or something. It's all good, the mail gets here when it does, always has. Unlike FedEx or UPS, the USPS tracking site is really not up to speed. They're losing tons of flow and ginzillions of dollars due to competition. In this day of instant gratification and information flow. And it sure is all of that. Has anybody else noticed that?

[studemax]

WTH do you expect, P? It's run by the idiot goddamn government!

[oletrux4evr]

Twice in 6 months we have paid for 2-day service from KC to Wichita for our grandson's holiday gifts. 8 days, each time. I could deliver them myself cheaper.

[pdub]

OK, sorry to rile ire.....do we see a poor business model here, or am I missing something?

[DanStokes]

In the past year or so Ive had EXCELLENT luck with USPS. I don't know what class of shipping I used but stuff was promptly delivered and the tracking worked just like it should. No gripe here.

Dan

[tardis454]

You're a good guy PW, but you're mistaken on a few points. I have several friends who work in the post office that I've consulted over the years, and they've heard all of the things you're complaining about. I learned a lot about USPS, FedEx and UPS selling cars/parts online for the salvage yard, and running my own online stores. I've had my share of problems with USPS, but nothing like the problems I've encountered with FedEx/UPS damaging items, or delivering to the wrong address.

I think USPS doesn't track packages unless they already have a special designation, like sign for it or something.

If the package has a tracking number it's tracked like any other package with a tracking number.

Signature confirmation has no special designation unless it's 1 day or overnight.

In some cases sellers create a shipping label, but don't ship the item for 1-?? days causing the parcel to arrive late according to the tracking info. <(this happens all the time)

In other cases your local distribution center, post office, and/or mail carrier is not processing parcels/mail efficiently enough to deliver it on time. <(there are plenty of crappy dist centers/offices/carriers)

Unlike FedEx or UPS, the USPS tracking site is really not up to speed.

That statement is partially true...

The clerks, carriers and sorters have always wanted a better way to sort and track mail and parcels.

Over the past year USPS has been upgrading their tracking system to a system that's similar to what FedEx/UPS uses.

They needed a new tracking system to deal with the huge increase in parcels flooding their offices from internet sellers.

They're losing tons of flow and ginzillions of dollars due to competition.

You're comparing apples to aardvarks. They're not losing 'ginzillions' of dollars to anyone. Technically speaking, there's no competition even remotely in their league.

USPS is "an independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States" "controlled by Presidential appointees and the Postmaster General." "USPS is legally obligated to serve all Americans, regardless of geography, at uniform price and quality."

They have the largest civilian fleet in the world to deliver parcels and mail to 'every single address' in the United States.

Fed/Ex and UPS operate in the private sector, both companies are for profit, and both companies are publicly traded.

FedEx/UPS doesn't have the fleet or the manpower USPS has, and they often sublet mailers and packages to USPS during peak times of the year.

Why did Jeff Bezos of Amazon make a deal with USPS for Sunday deliveries? Because he knows they have the fleet and manpower to service every address in the United States...

USPS has it's flaws, but they're making progress. Would you trust FedEx or UPS to hand deliver your mail? I wouldn't.

[Deaf Bob]

I had something we needed for a derby on a Sunday, supposed to be delivered on a thursday by USPS.. I was tracking it, it went from Salem, the distribution center EAST 30 or so miles instead of WEST 15 miles.. Then it went back to Salem, then NORTH to Portland some 45-50 miles to be rerouted, back to Salem then WEST to Dallas (my town) Since Dallas is a small town I talked to the postmaster and my carrier, they brought it to me after 5 pm saturday, straight off the truck.

[pdub]

Again, and too many times, it's the life of instant gratification. If I place an order, and the sender sends me a USPS tracking number, and I click on it and it says, "We can't track this package," I'm deflated. That's the only thing I'm harping about. It's the amplified life of instant gratification, and in any competitive market I don't think USPS is keeping up.

And the US mail really really still always does get here, or there, just like it has in all of my years, it's reliable. I'm only saying they're getting out glitzed in the era of instant gratification. Getting beat that way.

[Scott Liggett]

I am not the slightest bit surprised they are losing billions a year. Staffed by people that cannot get fired for being idiots or lazy.

Ordered parts from Ebay. Seller put it in Priority Mail box and sent it from Moline, IL. The package on their tracking system went back and fourth four times each from the sort facilities in Moline and Joliet before finally getting on a truck to California.

My mother sent me a certified letter that I needed to sign 2nd Day Air. Only the third day it was sitting in Oakland, CA before getting trucked three more days to Nebraska. When she sent me Christmas cards regular first class mail, they got here in on the 3rd day. The failed to deliver on time, so mom got her money back.

They are paving the dirt road I live on, closed the street a section at a time as the concrete dried. For 6 days we parked around the corner about two blocks away. Mail was not delivered at all during that time. Nor did the mail get picked up, including rent checks for landlord. Too bad for him. I get pissed and go to the post office on my lunch hour to collect the mail the lazy shit of a mail person would not deliver because she would have to walk a whole block to deliver. I get told that rural delivery do not have to get out of their cars. I tell them to give me my mail. I get told that this bozo keeps taking it with her even though she won't deliver it.

[mlcraven]

My experience with USPS over the past 5 years has been a darn site better than pre-2010 with Canada Post. And the local postie who makes the deliveries is a friendly sort. But I make no effort to link the word 'mail' with the expression ''timely delivery'.

[RockJustRock]

From my all too often E-Bay purchases USPS rocks. If something has to go across country USPS puts it in the air while FedEx or UPS Ground INSISTS on living up to that name by stuffing it in a truck for 4-5 days. Many times the tracking number thing is the seller's fault. The number is generated when they print the label, on E-Bay that also releases payment to them. Then they have to actually pack the item and get it into the PO's hands. But yeah, clicking on that tracking is too much fun. Funny thing I noticed some deals on digital cameras so I HAD to have one, errr, a few. Most new ones are 35 mm looking so anything that looks like a bar of soap is cheap used no matter now capable. I got a Nikon and an Olympus with box and accessories for less than $25 each. 14 megapixels.