How Do The Shipping Companies Do It???

We work very hard to make that magic happen.  

I ship stuff with FED/EX at work.  I usually drop it at the hub and it's delivered the next day.  Maryland to Arkansas.

Please allow me to relate a similar experience. I purchased a Polar Express LionChief set from Mario's late this past Sunday night. I received a FEDEX notification that it was picked-up Monday afternoon and it will be delivered to my Parma, OH location on Tuesday between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM by my terrific FEDEX delivery Gal.   All I can say is WOW!  Thank You FEDEX for Speedy Delivery and Thank You Mario for Outstanding Customer Service, Very Attractive Pricing and FREE Shipping!  BTW, I like the fact that Mario accepts Pay Pal for payment as well.

Chief Bob (Retired)

Most of the better tinplate sellers are in the east, I'm on the Left Coast. Usually takes about a week, and cost can be a killer on heavy items. My last shipment of Std track, the shipping was about $280.00. On the plus side, on more expensive items, some sellers will pay the shipping.

Steve

Speedy shipping along with low prices are the reason local hobby shops are dying so fast.

I don't get the variance in the costs however, $280 to ship track?

My wife ordered me a table saw that was on sale for half price from Lowes as a surprise fathers day gift, the box weighed over 90 lbs, and the shipping was free. I don't understand how they can afford to absorb those costs. It too came 2 days after being ordered. I did not like the saw and returned it to the local Lowes and a full refund was made with no questions asked.  

And now we read that Amazon is starting to handle it's own delivery service. Omitting FedEx, UPS, & Postal service. 

Check the story. http://www.bizjournals.com/phi...-pilot-delivery.html

Bob

My wife ordered me a table saw that was on sale for half price from Lowes as a surprise fathers day gift, the box weighed over 90 lbs, and the shipping was free. I don't understand how they can afford to absorb those costs. It too came 2 days after being ordered. I did not like the saw and returned it to the local Lowes and a full refund was made with no questions asked.  

Large businesses get very significant discounts on shipping.

Folks love to complain about shipping companies.
I know UPS has a tremendous, carefully engineered shipping network. I am certain that the Post Office, and FedEx must have them as well.
If Amazon is large enough to create their own shipping company, good for them. I wonder whether they will be relying on passing packages off to the USPS or another company for final delivery, in a similar fashion to "Fedex Smartpost".  My experience with United Parcel's similar service has not been positive.

While "slightly" higher west of the Rockies has been the story for decades,  $280.00 for track shipping implies a heck of a lot of track?

Sometimes, it's amazing anything gets anywhere.  Imagine having to do this job every day:

(BTW, my last two Amazon orders came a day earlier than scheduled...)

Rusty

I have had all positive results with RC airplane electronics items shipped to central Texas via UPS "Smartpost" from Colorado, Florida and Illinois.

Pete

I worked in the FedEx hub in college.  You really should look into Fred Smith's revolutionizing the shipping industry.  He wrote a paper in college about having ONE MASSIVE HUB and EVERYTHING goes to it no matter where it's going.  Then the same plane that brought everything coming out of that area also returns with everything coming to that area.  BOOM!  You've eliminated the complicated logistics of getting a package from point A to Z.     People said it wouldn't work due to the nightmare of getting all the packages from the correct inbound plane to the correct outbound plane.... but thats where the superhub in Memphis TN comes in where I worked.  Starting in early evening plane after plane from every part of the US and world fly in and put their packages into the HUB.  Then hours later those planes are loaded with the packages meant for their general area and they start lining up to take off around 2am.    

I had 2 packages shipped to my daughter in Sicily, 1 from Bed, Bath, & Beyond and 1 from Amazon, both free shipping and she got them in less than 10 days.  I bought a non-contact digital tachometer (to check the rpms on a box load of dc motors) on Amazon from a place in NJ and it took 2 weeks to get down here to VA.  Of course they used DHL (who in turned handed it over to USPS).  I dread seeing stuff shipped by DHL, their tracking system never works.

I worked for UPS and the picture posted earlier begins to explain how they and USPS do it; there's a lot of people working late nights and behind the scenes moving packages.

I'm with you guys on fast shipping.  Ordered a NPR NKP Berk from Pats trains on 12/20/15 @ 12:41 pm.  The unit was at my door before 12 noon on 12/22/15.

Hard to believe this at the Christmas rush season

Tommy

PUFFRBELLY posted:

Please allow me to relate a similar experience. I purchased a Polar Express LionChief set from Mario's late this past Sunday night. I received a FEDEX notification that it was picked-up Monday afternoon and it will be delivered to my Parma, OH location on Tuesday between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM by my terrific FEDEX delivery Gal.   All I can say is WOW!  Thank You FEDEX for Speedy Delivery and Thank You Mario for Outstanding Customer Service, Very Attractive Pricing and FREE Shipping!  BTW, I like the fact that Mario accepts Pay Pal for payment as well.

Chief Bob (Retired)

My fedex girl makes me want to buy more stuff too)

Whenever I won't be around to receive a delivery, I usually request the package be held at a local shipping hub/office.  For Fed-Ex packages, they'll actually deliver them to a local Fed-Ex printing/shipping store just a mile down the road.  Very convenient.  

With UPS, the most convenient "hold" location for me is one of their hubs in Ft. Washington, PA... about 10-15 minutes away.  That place is located in a nice office park.  But once you arrive, it feels like you've entered a little city unto its own.  Between all the 18-wheeler trucks and brown delivery vehicles arriving/leaving, you can easily get run over if you're not careful.    Really a sight to see... All hours of the day too.  The activity never stops, and the raw infrastructure behind the scenes is quite impressive.

David

David,

This sounds like a paid endorsement for Fed-ex…!!!!     If your on the take, just say so…!!!

Rocky Mountaineer posted:

But once you arrive, it feels like you've entered a little city unto its own.  Between all the 18-wheeler trucks and brown delivery vehicles arriving/leaving, you can easily get run over if you're not careful.    Really a sight to see... All hours of the day too.  The activity never stops, and the raw infrastructure behind the scenes is quite impressive.

David

 

My facility is one of the largest on the East Coast.  We are rated to move 60,000 packages/hour and push that most days.  It is a very impressive sight to see.  While I am not allowed to take video on property NatGeo did a show on our Worldport located in Louisville, KY.  It is amazing.

Watched a show on TV about delivery / shipping companies, I think it was modern marvels or something like that.  After you watch that show it all becomes clear.  Very organized, motivated and well documented.  Gosh, I love capitalism.  Heck, they even drug the USPS into the 20th century.

Add me to the list of satisfied customers,  I ordered the Lionel Polar Express Train Set with CW-80 Transformer from Charles Ro, shipping charge for sets are $9.00 and it was delivered by UPS 2 days later to my door just before Christmas.  Amazing & Thanks! 

I usually ship FedEx and as far a recieving packages I usually have theem held at Fed Ex Office or UPS Store. You need to become a UPS choice member or they will charge you $5.00 per parcel to hold at a UPS Store. The only problem I had out of hundreds of Parcels shipped to me was about 5 years ago I had a locomovite shipped to me from Nicholas Smith from Broomall PA the Tampa FL via California lol. It was during the Christmas holidays and evidently UPS just loaded it on the wrong pallet but it arrive safe and sound.

It takes a lot of hard work by dedicated people who do this every day. Sure there are the mishaps from time to time but when we consider the amount of packages that get moved on a daily basses the service we get for our money is very dependable.

This past year saw a huge increase for Fedex. UPS started dimensional rates that brought their prices up significantly. We use all 3 services and have software that manages and compares all 3. Fedex did have some problems right before Christmas but they did a great job. Plus both USPS and Fedex worked extra days and weekends to deliver packages. UPS was good for the oversize and large packages to some destinations but Fedex got the lions share. Rates go up each year and we will have our meetings with our rep. soon to examine our options. Kudos to Adam in shipping for doing a great job with his team for us!

Gentlemen,

   I hate to throw cold water on all this praise but here goes, for the most part I have had positive dealings with FEDEX however their newer carriers are now delivering to the wrong place at our mountain home, and I never got a call. If I had not been checking on the other log cabin, the package would have been there all winter.  UPS delivered my new Toro-Blower to my mail box out on the main road, instead of bringing it up the 100 yard lane to my log cabin home, what really angers me about this is we have a local UPS driver that is fantastic, but instead of using him, they delivered the package with the Williamsport, Pa driver, who knows nothing about our mountains, you guessed it the package was damaged by both our pouring down rain, and the Gaines Township Road maintence driver with the big Road Scraper. Again no call by UPS.   Deliveries here around Pittsburgh, Pa have also taken a nose dive, Guns shipped me my Lionel Tin Plate 249 ERR upgraded Engine & Tender and who ever delivered it, tossed it up on the front porch, instead of walking it up, the ERR unit is now damaged in the 249, it had to be shipped back to John.  I have to admit this just started in the past few months, prior to that the older UPS & FEDEX drivers have always been great, in IMO it's the newer young drivers, who do not care about doing their jobs correctly.  The tap dance by the one of these companies now when you call to complain is amazing also, the female Reps have become artists at it on the phone, "UPS"  The FEDEX guy actually advised me that he would make sure the situation was corrected, which I appreciated happening on my very next delivery.  Have to admit USPS is my best Carrier at the moment, the Mail Route lady knows her business in our mountain community, and I am friends with the Wellsboro, Pa Post Master, both people are professional at their jobs.  The down sizing of our Gaines Post Office has hurt our mountain community however.

What do they want our Phone numbers for, if they no longer call, when there is a problem delivering.

PCRR/Dave

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Gentlemen,

   I hate to throw cold water on all this praise but here goes, for the most part I have had positive dealings with FEDEX however their newer carriers are now delivering to the wrong place at our mountain home, and I never got a call. If I had not been checking on the other log cabin, the package would have been there all winter.  UPS delivered my new Toro-Blower to my mail box out on the main road, instead of bringing it up the 100 yard lane to my log cabin home, what really angers me about this is we have a local UPS driver that is fantastic, but instead of using him, they delivered the package with the Williamsport, Pa driver, who knows nothing about our mountains, you guessed it the package was damaged by both our pouring down rain, and the Gaines Township Road maintence driver with the big Road Scraper. Again no call by UPS.   Deliveries here around Pittsburgh, Pa have also taken a nose dive, Guns shipped me my Lionel Tin Plate 249 ERR upgraded Engine & Tender and who ever delivered it, tossed it up on the front porch, instead of walking it up, the ERR unit is now damaged in the 249, it had to be shipped back to John.  I have to admit this just started in the past few months, prior to that the older UPS & FEDEX drivers have always been great, in IMO it's the newer young drivers, who do not care about doing their jobs correctly.  The tap dance by the one of these companies now when you call to complain is amazing also, the female Reps have become artists at it on the phone, "UPS"  The FEDEX guy actually advised me that he would make sure the situation was corrected, which I appreciated happening on my very next delivery.  Have to admit USPS is my best Carrier at the moment, the Mail Route lady knows her business in our mountain community, and I am friends with the Wellsboro, Pa Post Master, both people are professional at their jobs.  The down sizing of our Gaines Post Office has hurt our mountain community however.

What do they want our Phone numbers for, if they no longer call, when there is a problem delivering.

PCRR/Dave

Dave where do you live?

LShark21,

    Sorry I was gone all day, I have 2 homes one outside of Pittsburgh, Pa the other a Log Cabin Home in the mountains of Potter/Tioga County, outside of Gaines, Pa.  My e-mail is Pine-Creek@live.com if you would like to talk more.   Not trying to bad mouth these businesses, just stating facts.

PCRR/Dave

USPS - the best, they have "stores" all over, if you miss it, just drive and get it the next day. The handling seems superior.

UPS/FedEx (and is DHL back?) - pretty much OK; the thing that I like is that, at least in my area around Mobile (coastal Alabama), most of my "UPS" and "FedEx" shipments are delivered to the Post Office, which brings them to me. 

Let's not forget that the Post Office has been being the Post Office a long, long time. There are certainly horror stories connected with it (and all the rest), but most of the whining is just that. Most - honestly - of my shipping problems have been caused by the shipper's packing techniques, not the carrier.

(Now, just watch my little "OO" scale cabooses that are due this week get delivered flat as pancakes. Opened my big mouth...)

D500,

   Yep I was bragging to my wife about how the UPS & FEDEX were really on the ball this year, then they both messed up, better to keep the praise on low volume.

PCRR/Dave

Saw this thread last week and didn't reply but now that the holiday season is wrapping up thought I'd mention my experiences. Overall, I give a lot of kudos to the various shippers that I've used -- as a buyer and seller --  throughout the last year. Sure, everybody has their "war stories," but my experiences with USPS, UPS, Fedex have been generally very good to excellent.

Thumbs up and hoping for more of the same in 2016 and beyond.

My new locomotives was due to arrive by FedEx Saturday January 2, 2016.

Now the scheduled delivery listed as "Pending" with "No scheduled delivery date available at this time."

I am neither enamored nor impressed with FedEx right now.