Rant on shipping

[Jstpssng]

If you're holding the door for the "thank you" response, you are doing it for the wrong reason.

Bruce

I hold it out of common courtesy whether male, female, or in between. For some though, I seem to be doing it for the "*++* you" response.

 

[newbury]

<snip> I've always been around strong independent women who aren't going to wait for a man to open a door or throw his coat over a puddle for them,<snip>

I don't think I've ever seen a person throw their coat over a puddle for ANYONE.

 

[Jstpssng]

I don't think I've ever seen a person throw their coat over a puddle for ANYONE.

I've known a few people who would throw YOUR coat into a puddle for somebody though...

 

[Jstpssng]

My mother, sisters, first (RIP) and current wife are all this way. Not women's-libby but just strong and capable. I find those traits quite attractive.

Yet a woman can be strong and capable and still appreciate a simple courtesy. If you are going through a door do you hold it open for the person behind you or slam it in their face? Man, woman or child, I used to hold it open out of common courtesy. That was before my "enlightened" days, when I spent too much time with "independent women"...

Fortunately my poet's days are over and I'm back to being me.

 

[Dftodd]

I don't think I've ever seen a person throw their coat over a puddle for ANYONE.

Sorry.... your on your own with that one.

 

[tallyho8]

And now.............Back to a rant on shipping. I went on a cruise from Vancouver to Alaska and back in June. Celebrity lost my 2 suitcases and I had to return without them. On July 1 they found them and shipped them both under one tracking number on July 7. They had to go through US and Canada customs and headed home. On July 13 I received one of them. I've been waiting for the other one since. Here is their tracking report:

Thursday, 7/7/2022	1:39 PM Picked up RICHMOND, BC 5:01 PM Left FedEx origin facility RICHMOND, BC 5:05 PM In transit VANCOUVER, BC 6:21 PM Operational Delay VANCOUVER, BC
Friday, 7/8/2022	5:51 PM In transit VANCOUVER, BC 6:13 PM In transit VANCOUVER, BC 6:26 PM In transit VANCOUVER, BC
Saturday, 7/9/2022	12:10 AM Arrived at FedEx hub MEMPHIS, TN 12:24 AM Shipment arriving On-Time MEMPHIS, TN 3:45 AM In transit MEMPHIS, TN 8:37 AM In transitPackage available for clearance MEMPHIS, TN
Sunday, 7/10/2022	12:34 PM Clearance delay - Import HARAHAN, LA

It says they have been in Harahan since July 10. I go to Harahan and they look it up and say it is still in Memphis to call the 1-800 number for info. I call the 1-800 number which is a computer and it says to give them my number and they will check on it and notify me. Three days later still no notification and I can find no number with a human being answering the phone to give me info.

We have another trip coming up shortly and if I don't get it soon I have to buy new luggage and my wife all new clothes. (she doesn't mind) How do you deal with a company like this?

 

[tallyho8]

Here is a follow-up on the last post I posted here right above this one: We went on our next trip and got back on August 21. I still had not received my lost suitcase so we had to buy another one and new clothes for my wife. After many phone calls, emails and a certified letter I still had no more info on it. It isn't like it is hard to recognize. I never get a black suitcase and I always put lots of identifying marks on it.

Today, Fed Ex pulls up and unloads it. Here is the tracking info on it:

Travel History

Date	Time, Status and Location
Thursday, 7/7/2022	1:39 PM Picked up RICHMOND, BC 5:01 PM Left FedEx origin facility RICHMOND, BC 5:05 PM In transit VANCOUVER, BC 6:21 PM Operational Delay VANCOUVER, BC
Friday, 7/8/2022	5:51 PM In transit VANCOUVER, BC 6:13 PM In transit VANCOUVER, BC 6:26 PM In transit VANCOUVER, BC
Saturday, 7/9/2022	12:10 AM Arrived at FedEx hub MEMPHIS, TN 12:24 AM Shipment arriving On-Time MEMPHIS, TN 3:45 AM In transit MEMPHIS, TN 8:37 AM In transitPackage available for clearance MEMPHIS, TN
Sunday, 7/10/2022	12:34 PM Clearance delay - Import HARAHAN, LA
Thursday, 8/25/2022	3:55 AM International shipment release - Import MEMPHIS, TN 10:22 PM International shipment release - Import MEMPHIS, TN 10:22 PM International shipment release - Import MEMPHIS, TN
Friday, 8/26/2022	3:31 AM Departed FedEx hub MEMPHIS, TN 3:48 AM DelayPackage delayed MEMPHIS, TN 4:24 AM At destination sort facility KENNER, LA 7:44 AM At local FedEx facility HARAHAN, LA 7:46 AM On FedEx vehicle for delivery HARAHAN, LA 1:58 PM DeliveredPackage delivered to recipient address - release authorized WAGGAMAN, LA

 

[3Ts]

Looks like it spent 6 weeks in US Customs.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

It probably sat in a container, until Customs were ready to receive it. Which makes it look like the shipper is the issue instead of Customs.

 

[scootr]

Moral of the story > Buy cheap suitcases and clothes when you travel...or stay home. lol

I have an online store. I ship a few thousand pkgs each year. I can tell you stuff just disappears. There are black holes out there where pkgs land and sit for days before moving again or they just suddenly show delivered after being MIA for 2 weeks. USPS is the worst but UPS and Fedup are getting worse. Saw a news story today about Fedex ground contracting all of their ground deliveries out. These 6k independent contractors wear Fedex uniforms and drive Fedex trucks. Anyway Fedex is accused of withholding supplemental fuel payments to these contractors that are losing big $ daily. It's a mess. I print and ship the same day and have UPS scan in the pkgs so the customer can see the pkg in the system. Worst was I had a UPS overnight take 7 days to deliver.

 

[ljjhouser]

Moral of the story > Buy cheap suitcases and clothes when you travel...or stay home. lol

I have an online store. I ship a few thousand pkgs each year. I can tell you stuff just disappears. There are black holes out there where pkgs land and sit for days before moving again or they just suddenly show delivered after being MIA for 2 weeks. USPS is the worst but UPS and Fedup are getting worse. Saw a news story today about Fedex ground contracting all of their ground deliveries out. These 6k independent contractors wear Fedex uniforms and drive Fedex trucks. Anyway Fedex is accused of withholding supplemental fuel payments to these contractors that are losing big $ daily. It's a mess. I print and ship the same day and have UPS scan in the pkgs so the customer can see the pkg in the system. Worst was I had a UPS overnight take 7 days to deliver.

You are right. Their is no reason or way to figure how the UPSP ships. Or when. Then UPS (in order to cut costs- which I understand) began using what they call SurePost. They ship and UPSP delivers. The minute USPS gets it, the delivery times and locations become invalid. I try very hard to avoid USPS delivery.
My worst experience with this - I orderd a box of printed circuit boards - from Canada - guarenteed overnight. Canada Post shipped. Turned over to USPS. Lost immediately somewhere in Chicago. USPS looked for for 2 weeks. Never saw the package. Ordered again - USPS refunded the $28 shipping. Shipper and I ate the cost of product. We agreed to split cost and he reshiped, charging me half. The USPS told me they knew where it was. It was in Chicago. They just couldn't find it.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Worst shipping experiences I have had were a Rock Bucket I ordered which came from Missouri by truck freight, about 150 to 200-miles at a time. The trucking companies would move it from one depot to the next one, sort of headed west and north. took two months to get here. Oh well it was free shipping.

The ones which get my goat are the sellers on eBay, who say their product is in the US, and then I get the product seven weeks later, and it shipped by China Post, from China.

 

[tallyho8]

Looks like it spent 6 weeks in US Customs.

The strange part is there were 2 suitcases, shipped together, at the same time. They took 3 days to get to Harahan LA which is right across the river from where I live. One was delivered the next day. The other one was shipped back to Memphis TN. where it stayed for 6 1/2 weeks before being shipped back to Harahan. Both suitcases had the same customs papers on them from Canada.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Everybody get ready to pucker. UPS is negotiating with the Teamsters for a new contract, and they may go on strike. We may also be looking at a rail strike at the same time. Those two on strike would shut down the entire US economy. It would load inflation onto a skyrocket. Stock up.

I think the prez can mandate arbitration, but there's usually a big work slowdown when that happens. I haven't seen it happen for decades.

 

[ultrarunner]

Last time UPS went on Strike the Post Office showed a profit and FedEx was busier than ever but now we have multiple Amazon and other trucks in and out all day…

Typically at least three UPS and two FedEx per day here.

If the just in time medical deliveries delayed patient care is impacted.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

When I worked for UPS in the late seventies, the fist national contract was up for a vote. I was a manager and we had enough money in the bank, to pay all of the management salaries, and minimal upkeep on the trucks and equipment for 9-months longer than the union‘s strike fund would last. Luckily the Teamsters accepted the contract offer with just a few simple modifications.

UPS, move around 6 to 7% of the economy, eitehr as parts or finished product, and is now heavily involved warehousing things for just in time delivery.

If they go out, things will get really interesting.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Last time UPS went on Strike the Post Office showed a profit and FedEx was busier than ever but now we have multiple Amazon and other trucks in and out all day…

Typically at least three UPS and two FedEx per day here.

If the just in time medical deliveries delayed patient care is impacted.

I think the last time UPS went on strike was in the '90s. It was a different civilization back then.

 

[ultrarunner]

I think nearly 2 weeks back in 1997?

The new clinic had only been open a short time and I was shuffling packages to the nearby post office and FedEx became my new best friend...

 

[JethroB]

Everybody get ready to pucker. UPS is negotiating with the Teamsters for a new contract, and they may go on strike. We may also be looking at a rail strike at the same time. Those two on strike would shut down the entire US economy. It would load inflation onto a skyrocket. Stock up.

I think the prez can mandate arbitration, but there's usually a big work slowdown when that happens. I haven't seen it happen for decades.

A good time now to short Amazon’s stock?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Amazon does most of their own deliveries now.