USPS inefficiency with a simple shipment

Evan B said:
On larger items, especially nearby, UPS is almost always better. Definitely way more than $8. I think the current rates are closer to $18-20 for a typical rod tube. Also once you go a few states over, the time competition gets a lot closer.

Now ask UPS to deliver a typical envelope and price shop. Better yet, price shop some very remote locations, especially Alaska or rural areas. The need and strengths of USPS become a lot more apparent.

In the age of the private equity race to the bottom in so many industries, I'm glad we have something that keeps the competition trying to do an actual good job.
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Shipped two rods to Sage ,and Redington in the last couple years in round rod tubes , both were right at $20 USPS , and took less than a week to get there, when notified they had the rods ,they could of had them sooner ,and just not got back to me yet . No complaints here with USPS sending or receiving .
 
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I've had good luck with Pirateship for finding the best rates. I was surprised with the variability in cost between shippers.

Watching your package status sit or backtrack is always frustrating. Buying stuff from Japan and having it arrive in 3 days with standard shipping continues to make USA based shippers look sub par.
 
Snopro said:
I've had good luck with Pirateship for finding the best rates. I was surprised with the variability in cost between shippers.

Watching your package status sit or backtrack is always frustrating. Buying stuff from Japan and having it arrive in 3 days with standard shipping continues to make USA based shippers look sub par.
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PirateShip is awesome.
 
More locally, as in western U.S., are the 2 black holes of shipping , Ferndale, WA, and Troutdale, OR.

I've had packages that were supposed to be 1-3 day delivery take as long as 11 days when passing through Troutdale, (Ryobi, from SC factory) and 2-9 days for overnight via Ferndale (Amazon and USPS).

Didn't matter who the carrier was, FedEx, UPS, USPS, apparently they are all consolidated at those locations, and cross pollination between warehouses is extremely slow.
 
I share Dustin's experience... some towns are great, but some are not.
The USPS here in Covtown was terrible for a 10 year span. The post office was terrible, the mail carriers were terrible. Like not good and not nice. Unfortunately, no other way to say it.
The good part is all of us neighbors got to know each other since we were all getting each other's mail ALL the time. 😁 I would get a neighbor's (or some other rando) mail at least once a week. There were several weeks when it happened 2 or more times.

Now, the last 2 years they've actually improved! The carriers are WAY better. I rarely get someone else's mail. The people at the office are better. And they're nice! Not sure who was managing our office for those 10 years, but hopefully they found other work.
 
wanderingrichard said:
More locally, as in western U.S., are the 2 black holes of shipping , Ferndale, WA, and Troutdale, OR.

I've had packages that were supposed to be 1-3 day delivery take as long as 11 days when passing through Troutdale, (Ryobi, from SC factory) and 2-9 days for overnight via Ferndale (Amazon and USPS).

Didn't matter who the carrier was, FedEx, UPS, USPS, apparently they are all consolidated at those locations, and cross pollination between warehouses is extremely slow.
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I live a couple miles from that black hole - it's very much a recurring theme even for those of us that live next to it.
 
We have good luck at our place, all 3 seem to deliver in 1-2 days from WA, OR, 2-3 days from Midwest.
IF it comes from New England though, USPS is 3 days longer than the others.
 
The USPS used to be the best shipping option for receiving items in a timely manner for me. It has been hit or miss lately. I placed an online order on Saturday. It was shipped USPS Ground Advantage and was coming from New Jersey. It was delivered to me in Sammamish today at 11:46am. Impressive
 
My Ballot was in the outgoing mail on Thursday @ 4pm, probably picked up on Friday. All day Friday, Saturday and Monday, still not at the Election Office by Tuesday evening. Grrr! All my meds are delivered USPS. Gotta have that generic Pradaxa!
 
Awww darn . . . . USPS is delivering my order a day early again today . . .
 
My nemesis consistently seems to be FedEx deliveries.
I realize that I'm kinda in the sticks but my Thursday delivery was pushed to Friday, updated to today, and now is scheduled for Monday.:confused:
 
Old406Kid said:
My nemesis consistently seems to be FedEx deliveries.
I realize that I'm kinda in the sticks but my Thursday delivery was pushed to Friday, updated to today, and now is scheduled for Monday.:confused:
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So it is being delivered on time ---> FedEx time!
 
RCF said:
So it is being delivered on time ---> FedEx time!
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Yup, two 2 piece rod cases from Scheels that are getting a tour of the western U.S.
I hope they are decent as good quality two piece rod cases are getting hard to find.
On the plus side the shipping was free and no sales tax being delivered to MT.:)
 
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I got the same piece of mail with the incorrect address three times in the last ten days.
First time I put a sticky on it with “wrong address”.
Second time I paper clipped a note stating the address was wrong (SW vs NW) and the zip code was wrong. I also noted the person it was addressed to didn’t live at my address.
Received it again on Thursday and happened to be outside when the mailman showed up on Friday
Explained the situation to him. He took a sharpie and blacked out the bar code on the back. I bet I would have gotten it a fourth time if I hadn’t spoke with him. That piece of mail was trapped in a vicious cycle. Hopefully the guy in Burien receives it soon. 😂
SF
 
Overall USPS and UPS have been very reliable and on time. Very satisfied with both.

Now, FEDEX and Troutdale location especially, suck! Delivery trucks do not stay on our driveway. Our gardens are driven through routinely, We put rocks and wood along the edges to no avail. We have had FEDEX management out to show them the issue. Think that helped? NOPE!
 
Sometimes USPS tracking is just annoying because there’s absolutely no explanation for what you are seeing. A recent used book purchase from a dealer in Ashland, OR made some unusual twists in its journey to Bozeman, MT. Sometimes whoever or whatever within the USPS is reading the address, they just don’t make the right connections. Book was mailed media mail on May 27th in Ashland, OR and arrived Jun 6th here in Bozeman, albeit by a confusing at best route as documented by USPS tracking.

May 27th - Ashland, OR
May 27th - Medford, OR
May 27th - Eugene, OR
May 27th/28th - Portland, OR
May 28th - Boise, ID
May 29th - Billings, MT
May 30th - Bozeman, MT (ultimate destination)
May 30th - Three Forks, MT (30 miles west)
June 1st - Billings, MT (140 miles east)
June 2nd - Bozeman, MT
June 3rd - Three Forks, MT
June 4/5 - Billings, MT
June 6th - Bozeman, MT

If the USPS got paid by the mile, this one would have generated some extra $$.
 
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