USPS sucks

[Patient_Cero]

Without saying to much given it's a public forum, let's just say that the USPS may say "they" are delivering the package. However, "they" don't actual move the actual package for a majority of it journey in many cases. The work is farmed out to others that do the heavy lifting because their network doesn't support the volume if they do it exclusively on their own. This is why you're seeing such scattered feedback and inconsistency with times and distances delivered.

For the rest of the shipping industry, I'll paint you a picture of what's going on. Imagine these statistics:
"E-commerce sales this year made up 14.6% of total retail and rose 18.8% from the 2018 period, according to Mastercard’s data tracking retail sales from Nov. 1 through Christmas Eve. "

Record online sales give US holiday shopping season a boost

This year, Thanksgiving was a week later than last year's, leaving retailers with six fewer days to drive sales before Christmas.

www.cnbc.com

"In 2018, holiday season retail e-commerce spending in the United States amounted to 119.54 billion U.S. dollars, with the most money being spent online on Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday 2019 became the biggest online shopping day in U.S. history, hitting record online sales of over 9.4 billion U.S. dollars. That year, total holiday season e-commerce spending was projected to surpass 135 billion U.S. dollars. As the main contributor to the soaring sales figures, the five-day period from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, also known as Cyber 5, saw an estimated sales revenue of 28.5 billion U.S. dollars during the 2019 holiday season. "

Topic: Holiday season e-commerce in the United States

Find the most up-to-date statistics and facts on holiday season e-commerce in the United States

www.statista.com

Now picture how many packages that translates to on a daily basis in that short amount of time. The shipping industry as a whole is meeting and EXCEEDING those numbers on a daily basis on volume processed and moved with the majority of the country and the world on pause. It has been for over a month, and it will take another month IF the world goes online and people actually get stuff from stores in person before it starts to clear; provided it doesn't get worse as people have income again.

Anyone you know who is bitching about a job or no money right now, send the to Amazon, UPS or a Fedex warehouse. You'll see who truly wants to work, because there is no shortage of openings if they're are willing to apply and get their hands dirty.

 

[TheDukeOfIce]

Without saying to much given it's a public forum, let's just say that the USPS may say "they" are delivering the package. However, "they" don't actual move the actual package for a majority of it journey in many cases. The work is farmed out to others that do the heavy lifting because their network doesn't support the volume if they do it exclusively on their own. This is why you're seeing such scattered feedback and inconsistency with times and distances delivered.

For the rest of the shipping industry, I'll paint you a picture of what's going on. Imagine these statistics:
"E-commerce sales this year made up 14.6% of total retail and rose 18.8% from the 2018 period, according to Mastercard’s data tracking retail sales from Nov. 1 through Christmas Eve. "

Record online sales give US holiday shopping season a boost

This year, Thanksgiving was a week later than last year's, leaving retailers with six fewer days to drive sales before Christmas.

www.cnbc.com

"In 2018, holiday season retail e-commerce spending in the United States amounted to 119.54 billion U.S. dollars, with the most money being spent online on Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday 2019 became the biggest online shopping day in U.S. history, hitting record online sales of over 9.4 billion U.S. dollars. That year, total holiday season e-commerce spending was projected to surpass 135 billion U.S. dollars. As the main contributor to the soaring sales figures, the five-day period from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, also known as Cyber 5, saw an estimated sales revenue of 28.5 billion U.S. dollars during the 2019 holiday season. "

Topic: Holiday season e-commerce in the United States

Find the most up-to-date statistics and facts on holiday season e-commerce in the United States

www.statista.com

Now picture how many packages that translates to on a daily basis in that short amount of time. The shipping industry as a whole is meeting and EXCEEDING those numbers on a daily basis on volume processed and moved with the majority of the country and the world on pause. It has been for over a month, and it will take another month IF the world goes online and people actually get stuff from stores in person before it starts to clear; provided it doesn't get worse as people have income again.

Anyone you know who is bitching about a job or no money right now, send the to Amazon, UPS or a Fedex warehouse. You'll see who truly wants to work, because there is no shortage of openings if they're are willing to apply and get their hands dirty.

Good points and details here.

Do you have listed stats for how much FedEx and UPS sub-contract USPS (and thus their delivery infrastructure)?

This was shocking to me, the first hand accounts I heard from over the holidays were incredible. It’s almost as if the other carriers just use USPS as elastic, on demand delivery scaling.
They have their run-rate they plan, and everything extra gets sub contracted to USPS.

 

[Patient_Cero]

Good points and details here.

Do you have listed stats for how much FedEx and UPS sub-contract USPS (and thus their delivery infrastructure)?

This was shocking to me, the first hand accounts I heard from over the holidays were incredible. It’s almost as if the other carriers just use USPS as elastic, on demand delivery scaling.
They have their run-rate they plan, and everything extra gets sub contracted to USPS.

I don’t have exact numbers but here is some reading on how the post office uses other services. For context in this article, FedEx Grounds owns Smartpost.

What is SmartPost? — Route Consultant

Historically, USPS completed the last mile delivery of SmartPost packages. However, USPS and FedEx Ground modified their agreement in 2019, and FedEx Ground began serving the last mile delivery of SmartPost across the United States.

www.routeconsultant.com

 

[QLR1]

I don’t have exact numbers but here is some reading on how the post office uses other services. For context in this article, FedEx Grounds owns Smartpost.

What is SmartPost? — Route Consultant

Historically, USPS completed the last mile delivery of SmartPost packages. However, USPS and FedEx Ground modified their agreement in 2019, and FedEx Ground began serving the last mile delivery of SmartPost across the United States.

www.routeconsultant.com

FedEx is actually bringing more of the SmartPost deliveries in house. It is actually an initiative they started up within the last year or two. The last few SmartPost packages were delivered by FedEx. SmartPost is almost indistinguishable from ground in many areas

 

[Patient_Cero]

I’m aware, “we” own them. . Their employees are part of the ground network.

 

[BoostBear]

Without saying to much given it's a public forum, let's just say that the USPS may say "they" are delivering the package. However, "they" don't actual move the actual package for a majority of it journey in many cases. The work is farmed out to others that do the heavy lifting because their network doesn't support the volume if they do it exclusively on their own. This is why you're seeing such scattered feedback and inconsistency with times and distances delivered.

So are there instances where it doesn't even touch USPS hands, yet from the customer's point of view it was delivered by 'them'? Or rather that UPS or Fedex would be doing the primary long distance moving of said packages (why you see updates like package is in transit to the next facility), like from the Amazon warehouse to whatever USPS sorting facility is closest to the package destination. Where it's then picked up by the USPS who does the final drop off?

 

[QLR1]

So are there instances where it doesn't even touch USPS hands, yet from the customer's point of view it was delivered by 'them'? Or rather that UPS or Fedex would be doing the primary long distance moving of said packages (why you see updates like package is in transit to the next facility), like from the Amazon warehouse to whatever USPS sorting facility is closest to the package destination. Where it's then picked up by the USPS who does the final drop off?

I can't speak for Cero, but FedEx and UPS transport more than we are aware of.

The SmartPost thing is a FedEx thing where packages are shipped within the FedEx network and is dropped off at the Post Office. FedEx is taking over the last leg of delivery, making it like Ground or Home Delivery.

The UPS equivalent is Surepost. I'm not sure whether UPS is planning on doing the same things as FedEx.

Hell, AMAZON is doing it all in larger markets.

 

[Mike.vanderkoon]

I spoke with post office because a couple of my domestic packages mailed priority was still not delivered after several weeks. They mentioned areas that are getting hit with covid are being more delayed than others.

I have also noticed international packages have been taking very long. It took over month to get two packages from Europe. I’m Seeing similar delay from japan (not recieved yet) atleast 3 weeks later.

shipping is heavily impacted right now.

 

[BoostBear]

I can't speak for Cero, but FedEx and UPS transport more than we are aware of.

The SmartPost thing is a FedEx thing where packages are shipped within the FedEx network and is dropped off at the Post Office. FedEx is taking over the last leg of delivery, making it like Ground or Home Delivery.

The UPS equivalent is Surepost. I'm not sure whether UPS is planning on doing the same things as FedEx.

Hell, AMAZON is doing it all in larger markets.

Hmm, you are correct. I do not feel like I'm truly aware of who is doing what for whom.

Did you mean USPS is taking over the last leg once dropped off at the Post Office facilities?
If not, are the post office facilities just like part of the "package highway route" so to speak and all shipping services utilize them?

 

[Patient_Cero]

I can't speak for Cero, but FedEx and UPS transport more than we are aware of.

The SmartPost thing is a FedEx thing where packages are shipped within the FedEx network and is dropped off at the Post Office. FedEx is taking over the last leg of delivery, making it like Ground or Home Delivery.

The UPS equivalent is Surepost. I'm not sure whether UPS is planning on doing the same things as FedEx.

Hell, AMAZON is doing it all in larger markets.

Correct. They also move mail that originated within the post office, and via smart most makes the middle part of the journey. Then either being delivered by ground or back to the post office.