INSANE SHIPPING DELAYS!

[jr1959]

I shipped a bow USPS Priority from Illinois to Pennsylvania on February 5th and it arrived today March 2. It was  “in transit” with no additional information from February 6 until March 1st.  I had dealt with the buyer before and he was incredibly understanding and patient.  May try FedEx next time.

[Jim Wright]

Terry, if you want to come to love UPS, try FedEx for a while.

[Sam McMichael]

A lot of reasons exist for delays, but I think one of the major problems is simply a lack of concern on the part of the deliverers for providing good customer service.

[George Vernon]

Just a thought why COVID may be impacting so many folks.  My local post office tells me the protocol they have been asked to follow for screening employees creates real staffing problems.  I may not have all the details right, but this is my current understanding.

Each day each employee must be screened.  They check several 'symptoms', including temperature.  As an example, if a person has an elevated temperature, they are not allowed to report to work.  They are sent home.  If temperature remains elevated for two more days, they are asked to see a physician and get a COVID test with results coming back in 1-2 days.  So at a minimum, a high temperature and a negative COVID test would keep the person out of work for 3-4 days.  If they have been exposed to a person with COVID, they have to self quarantine for two weeks and have a negative COVID test before being allowed to come back to work.

There are several other elements, but I think you get the idea.  Local postmaster tells me in late 2020 they were trying to run the business with 35-40% of the staff out due to failed screening.  Since the first of the new year, things have improved.  Now, the typical shift staffing is down about 20%.

First class mail is top priority.  Packages, regardless of shipping method are lowest priority.  So the 'new' normal really does mess up shipments.  The 'old' normal may not be back until early Summer.  I suspect similar issues are impacting UPS and FedEx.

[Trenton G.]

Everything that I've ordered has been showing up right on time. Haven't had any delays.

[Ray Lyon]

I’ve been using UPS or FedEx for last 6 months.  USPS has you at there mercy and I have looked at tracking for USPS and it boggles my mind where package goes.  FedEx and UPS have been on time

[Steelhead]

Everything I have shipped/received UPS since covid hit a year ago has arrived with  good tracking in 2 or 3 days.Quite a few packages.

I started using them when I ship.I had bad experiences with USPS.I had one bow take 2 weeks,one take 5 weeks and another take a whopping 7 weeks.With no tracking essentially.Some did arrive close to on time USPS recently sent to me as customer wanted to ship USPS.

Hopefully it clears up in the not too distant future.I never had issues with USPS before Covid.I do prefer to use them to support them.Thier typically cheaper than UPS,FED-X.I am waiting for things to get better with USPS and will resume using them.

[Killdeer]

Oh THIS is motivational!
Thanks for the bashing. Gotta be asleep in 20 minutes so I can get up at 4:30 to go to work as your beloved mailma’am. 

Nobody screening me.
Red-headed stepchild of America.

[Tom]

Where the heck is "in Transit"- been there for the last 4 days, must be a popular resort or something.

[DV of WI]

If you think its bad on the outside try it from the inside. No,  its not good but I am no longer in the small package world and deal with larger shipments. Kind of like constipation from the weather it is all backed up. Everyone sitting at home on their computers basically has made it like peak season Oct to Nov 31 every day for small package. At least it has kept the economy alive and the FedEx and UPS are making significant returns for the investors. Seems we must be way more productive working from home since we have that much more time to shop on line.

[Bisch]

Yes!

Bisch

[Terry Green]

Killdeer, seems I recall you deliver mail to residential mail boxes... is that correct?

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I work for a truck load carrier and get my ass chewed daily because drivers are running an hour late.

 But had a 2 day priority Christmas package of banana bread show up 60 days late and moldy. I guess I should have ruined someone's day instead of laughed

[ozy clint]

About a year ago I bought a weld mask from a US welding supplies company. They wouldn't ship to Australia and it was the only place I could find that particular mask so I had them ship it to a friend in OH who would then send it to me.
It made it to my friend no problems but then took 8 weeks to leave the US. Once it left it seemed to take the normal time it takes for stuff from the US.

Australia post is no different. I sent a parcel express to Brisbane which is 3hrs drive away. It took 2 weeks and went via Melbourne. Like sending something from LA to San Fran and it goes via Houston TX.

[InFamousElGuapo]

I just shipped a bow from Texas to Kansas via UPS. It made it in 2 days but cost me 92 dollars with insurance...WTH???

[woodchucker]

Well Folks, I gotta say.....

Friday, I called Big Jim's to check on my new Mag-handle that I was on the "list" for since last Sept.
A very pleasant young lady (who's name evades me) informed me that she "was just about to call me" and if I was ready to make the payment, she would "hurry up and get it ready cuz the guy hasn't made the pickup yet".
Now, this was about 1:30pm Friday afternoon...

At 12:40 Monday afternoon, the mailman was dropping the box on my porch!!
That's pretty darn quick in my book! Then again.... Maybe I just got lucky?? 

[Killdeer]

Delivering mail to mail boxes sounds easy. Yesterday I delivered a “kitchen island with iron handle.” And the flimsy boxes with the slidey forty-five pounds of dog food. And all the bed frames that Amazon doesn’t want to trouble their drivers with.

Now, I am not saying that everybody in the industry has a stellar work ethic. But most of us are humans like you, and get their feeling of self worth by looking back at a day’s job well done.

Threads like this shouldn’t be allowed under the skin. They are honest gripes being launched at faceless entities. It is easy to sit at your computers and complain about how a job is being done or not done. Especially if you have never done it.

But I admit, I take them personally, and now, with my attitude duly jaundiced, I prepare to go serve my adoring public.

Unless you park close to the mail box. So there!
Killdeer

[woodchucker]

Kathryn, my dear sister.... You can be my mailma'am anytime!!!! 

[Terry Green]

That's not what I meant.... that being said, YOU are not the problem with the USPO, neither is my mail man.  You are taking it personal and its not directed at you or those employees at all.  It may be faceless to you,  but its FACT to many that the post office is a disaster and has been for months.  Again, my mail man is great.  And I'm sure you are too.

I never blame the waitress for the screw ups in the kitchen.... so don't be offended by my post cause I'm not griping at mail box deliverers.

[Mike Bolin]

Having shipped too many archery related items to count over the last 30 years, I have to say that I have had better luck with the USPS than I have with UPS or FEDEX. The only lost or damaged items that I've dealt with were with FEDEX. I sold a couple of longbows in PVC pipe with end caps that arrived at their destination with the pipe broken and the bows damage beyond repair. This was schedule 40 PVC, not the light weight drainage pipe!
 
As far as the shipping situation with the USPS now, I have no idea if this happened all over the US, but 2-3 years ago there was a "restructure" for better efficiency of the USPS here in Indiana. The government closed several of the "hubs", one was here in Terre Haute. Before this was done, if you mailed a letter or any item to a local address, it went to the Terre Haute hub and it usually arrived in one day. Now, if I choose to mail a birthday card to my neighbor across town, it goes to Indianapolis and then back to Terre Haute. At Christmas, packages mailed to local addresses took 5-7 days to reach their destination and packages mailed to my son in Tennessee arrived in 2-3 days. So much for better efficiency!