Never trust the U.S. Post Office

[lyman]

Like I stated before, there is NO accountability. Misdirected mail is almost as bad as stolen mail. Usually you will get your letters if delivered to someone else but you are at their mercy. Some mail is confidential and may be opened and read by others before they realize the letter wasn't intended for them.

Human error is going to happen. A few years back our carriers knew everyone. Now, they know no one and no one knows the carrier. The PO needs to come up with a better, more secure form of tracking. Perhaps one day we will have a scanner on our mail box?

I have had the same carrier for my shop for a few years (maybe 8?),

he is about fed up,

the job changes he said he could handle (used to come in , grab the mail, and go out on the road, now he says the drivers help sort it etc before they hit the road, big mail load means later deliveries)

he said the kicker for him is the changes in structure, management and policies,

I was chatting with him one day and asked why he had an orange zip tie on the rod holding his left side mirror,,

he said someone up the chain decided that all the mail trucks had to have that to increase safety and awareness of traffic trying to pass as they left a mailbox,,,

yep,, an orange zip tie on the left mirror support,,

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Email has done most of that already but there is still the case of packages. In my area sending something by UPS is a real pain. The office is only open Mon--Fri @ 4:00pm till 6:00pm. Also, it is in another town with only one office in the entire county. The "UPS Store" (no affiliation with the real UPS) will ship for you but charge for this service and they prefer to package the items. In fact, it may be a requirement because there are many things they won't ship, like guns.

FedEx has no offices in my county. The closest one being 30 miles away.

The PO has flat rate boxes that can be used in many cases. You know in advance what the charge will be. With FedEx and UPS you haven't a clue.

I for one still have to use the USPS. Just wish they would become more responsible.

not sure how much you are mailing, but you can go online and create an account with both FedEx and UPS,
package and print your label , they charge a CC,

all you need are the packing materials and a scale,
and will pick up at your door, (for a fee, UPS is $4)

you can do all that for USPS as well, and they will also schedule a pickup,, for free, (you select a day, and the website lets you know if they can that day, it is very easy, I use it sometimes)


I mail a schload of packages, 90-95% thru USPS, and rarely have to visit a counter for anything other than dropoff,

[Gun Smoke]

If you have to be at home when they pick up you may as well travel to the office. If you don't have to be at home there is the chance of someone stealing from your porch.

The mail carriers we have now are all female from other towns/states/or WTF. While the USPS has size and weight limits of 70# on packages to compete with the other companies the women can not begin to pick up anything over 15-20#. They will pull up in my driveway and lay on the horn till I go out and carry the package in.

Some of these "heavy" packages are in small boxes and will easily fit into my large mail box.

I realize the postal employees have it hard in regards to job duties and time limits but something needs to change or improve if they are to stay competitive. FedEx, DHL and UPS seem to be doing well and operate their own planes.

[Roadkingtrax]

The USPS is FedEx's largest customer, and they are contracted to move all Priority and Express mail packages.

[Gun Smoke]

So?

[Roadkingtrax]

So?

FedEx, DHL and UPS seem to be doing well and operate their own planes.

What, So? Part of that FedEx revenue is servicing the USPS contract through its subcontracted and leased assets. The Post Office can't bring mail back "en vogue" for postage revenue, and they can't afford the pension. Operating it's own planes won't make up the shortfall.

[togor]

Flat rate service to rural areas is a money loser for USPS.

[Roadkingtrax]

Flat rate service to rural areas is a money loser for USPS.

Have to admit, same day Amazon deliveries are pretty damn nice.

[lyman]

If you have to be at home when they pick up you may as well travel to the office. If you don't have to be at home there is the chance of someone stealing from your porch.

The mail carriers we have now are all female from other towns/states/or WTF. While the USPS has size and weight limits of 70# on packages to compete with the other companies the women can not begin to pick up anything over 15-20#. They will pull up in my driveway and lay on the horn till I go out and carry the package in.

Some of these "heavy" packages are in small boxes and will easily fit into my large mail box.

I realize the postal employees have it hard in regards to job duties and time limits but something needs to change or improve if they are to stay competitive. FedEx, DHL and UPS seem to be doing well and operate their own planes.

I had a Fed Ex driver pull in my driveway, stopped 1\2 way down and then called me to 'come get my xxxxe or it was going back'

fortunately for me, I was there, went and got my xxxxe, and then had a long conversation with her boss,,,,


never had that issue with the post office or ups,

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Flat rate service to rural areas is a money loser for USPS.

smart post is the tactic they use,

delivered by UPS, USPS or FedEx depending on the area,

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FedEx, DHL and UPS seem to be doing well and operate their own planes.

What, So? Part of that FedEx revenue is servicing the USPS contract through its subcontracted and leased assets. The Post Office can't bring mail back "en vogue" for postage revenue, and they can't afford the pension. Operating it's own planes won't make up the shortfall.

USPS does not transport all it's own mail by ground either, there are several companies that run mail from hub to hub by truck, by contract,


I was using USPS Click N Ship, they were giving me a discount for my business , then stopped the discount,

a year goes by, (w\o discount, they are still cheaper than the others) and a post master from SC comes to see me,

sets me up with another shipping company, (XPS) that gives me a discount and integrates with Ebay and other shippers as well,,,

and a healthy discount, (tied in with Endicia somehow)

[dryheat]

I do a lot of shipping and I retired from the USPS, but all that kind of put me to sleep.

[lyman]

I do a lot of shipping and I retired from the USPS, but all that kind of put me to sleep.

well then,


you have the greatest insight into postal workings,

you should make is a quest to find RED's missing paperwork so his $500 lawyer will be happy

[RED]

well then,

you should make is a quest to find RED's missing paperwork so his $500 lawyer will be happy

My envelope was delivered sometime between Nov. 28 and Dec. 2. Apparently whoever the P.O. delivered it to stopped by the lawyer's office and left it leaning on the door.

Fed Ex once left a package at my house between the storm door and the entry door. The storm door could not latch because of the package. A thunder storm came through and destroyed the unlatched storm door. I called them and asked them to repair the door and they said "No way..." I explained that the package contained an Argentine issued 1911 (a C&R pistol) and the driver committed a serious crime when he didn't get a signature. They fixed the door the next day.

[lyman]

My envelope was delivered sometime between Nov. 28 and Dec. 2. Apparently whoever the P.O. delivered it to stopped by the lawyer's office and left it leaning on the door.

Fed Ex once left a package at my house between the storm door and the entry door. The storm door could not latch because of the package. A thunder storm came through and destroyed the unlatched storm door. I called them and asked them to repair the door and they said "No way..." I explained that the package contained an Argentine issued 1911 (a C&R pistol) and the driver committed a serious crime when he didn't get a signature. They fixed the door the next day.

glad you package was found,

[Vern Humphrey]

I had a Fed Ex driver pull in my driveway, stopped 1\2 way down and then called me to 'come get my xxxxe or it was going back'

I had a FedEx driver "deliver" a package to me -- the tracking information said it had been delivered. Calls to FedEx brought no joy.

A couple of days later, I was driving into town -- I live 3/4s of a mile off the county road -- and saw a strange thing in the woods. I stopped, got out and walked into the woods to inspect this thing -- it was a plastic bag knotted around a limb. Inside was my package.

[Gun Smoke]

UPS packages have been found in the middle of the hwy due to the driver leaving the rear door open.

[lyman]

I had a FedEx driver "deliver" a package to me -- the tracking information said it had been delivered. Calls to FedEx brought no joy.

A couple of days later, I was driving into town -- I live 3/4s of a mile off the county road -- and saw a strange thing in the woods. I stopped, got out and walked into the woods to inspect this thing -- it was a plastic bag knotted around a limb. Inside was my package.

placed an order with the CMP
was off the day it was supposed to be delivered,

working around the house and yard, stopped every now and then to pop the refresh on the computer to check status,

then, after the 3rd of 4th time, it said delivery attempted, no one home,,,


funny, since I live on a culdesac, and did not leave sight of the house, never saw a delivery,,

so I called,

seems the driver never made my street, and since it was delivered express , someone else brought it to me an hour later,


ground in this area is a separate division of fedex, and mostly delivered by contractors,

had a customer in my shop, waiting for the delivery (he was there for something else, but was planning on picking up his firearm while he was there,

same thing, showed delivery attempted, no one there,,

but since it was ground, I was told, tough, sorry, we will deliver tomorrow,,