shipping during covid, companies not being throrough.

[JohnRoberts]

I don't want to draw broad sweeping generalizations from a few personal anecdotes but why not...?

Fedex sux for west coast shipments to here, 0-2 both way late.

USPS did much better 2x once in each direction over same terminus.

Another observation, the last two fedex deliveries to me were made by drivers using their own cars, unless fedex stopped using panel trucks for local delivery. I don't much care what they drive when they are on time.

JR

 

[cyrano]

There's a lack of drivers everywhere, so Fedex probably had some 3rd party involved that's good at "arranging" solutions.

Over here, communal services like household waste collection still run well. The private sector seems more affected by driver shortage. Especially waste collection and supermarket distribution.

 

[JohnRoberts]

There's a lack of drivers everywhere, so Fedex probably had some 3rd party involved that's good at "arranging" solutions.

Fedex is known for making drivers independent subcontractors, as compared to UPS who's drivers are members of the teamsters union.

If I was living somewhere other than nowhere (small town) MS, I'd suspect Fedex was farming out some last mile delivery to gig workers like Uber or Lyft but that is not my speculation (we don't even have taxi service). I have seen Fedex use rented trucks but this may be a subcontractor's personal decision. These two recent deliveries looked like a personal vehicle, while it was late model and a compact car, not a logical choice for a dedicated delivery vehicle. They were in and out before I realized so I didn't get a good look at the drivers.

From looking at the tracking scans the breakdown in timely Fedex delivery appeared to happen in the middle states away from the origins and destinations.

Over here, communal services like household waste collection still run well. The private sector seems more affected by driver shortage. Especially waste collection and supermarket distribution.

The media spotlight is currently on driver/truck shortages at the larger container ports (worried about Christmas inventory). There are a number of regulations that could be relaxed to make it easier to increase the pool of drivers, but the arm waving politicians haven't gone there yet.

It still doesn't seem like a good long term career choice (IMO), but maybe drive a truck for several years to help pay down student loans.

JR

PS: We had to drive trucks in the Army but that was not considered a job specialty. The biggest truck I drove was a 20T tractor trailer cab. My captain wanted to drive it himself (he served as a transportation officer in Nam after he washed out of helicopter flight school). But since we were picking up the XO (a major) he made me drive it, since I was his "jeep driver". I noticed the major getting a little nervous when I asked the captain what the transmission's gear shift pattern was. The major asked me if I had ever driven one of these trucks before and I answered no sir. It got quiet in that truck cab for the next several minutes, but if I could drive a huge forklift backwards as a teenager, this was easy. I'd be less confident with a 40' trailer attached. Forklifts with the steering wheels in the back are unstable going forward. You can drive them faster safely going backwards. IIRC the old forklift had only one speed forward, and several speeds in reverse.

 

[JohnRoberts]

after months of my newspaper showing up in my PO box on time, today's issue was missing..... I hope this is an outlier, it was nice getting my daily paper on the correct day.

JR

 

[cyrano]

The Dutch "Post NL" in Belgium was effectively closed down today by Belgian police for having many people employed without the necessary paperwork. Needless to say Post NL is also accused of cheating by not paying social security for these workers.

It's not clear when packages in transit will be on their way again, as one of the nine operational centers remains closed. That one depot handles about 5% of total Post NL shipments to Belgium.

In Dutch:
https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/11/2...e-gesloten-na-inval-arbeidsinspectie-a4066415
It's not the first time they've been fined. It just gets worse and Post NL keeps blaming it on subcontractors.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I was confused about who was delivering packages with a car... today I was out in my yard working when the car pulled up with a delivery and the woman driving had a UPS vest on.

I was more expecting such flexibility from Fedex but this was UPS taking care of business.

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

I'm not sure if this is COVID related, Christmas related, or larger supply chain issue.

I recently ordered a larger bowl for my kitchenaide mixer (5 qt to replace standard 4.5 qt) to accommodate a Christmas recipe I was planning to make. They said to order right away because they only had 8 in stock. I dutifully ordered and delivery is scheduled for 16 days*** from now... It must have been in stock at the north pole.

JR

*** I could pay for premium rush delivery to get it quicker but I am too cheap to do that. it looks like I will celebrate the recipe for new years.

 

[gyraf]

There's something really messy around fedex to the US currently - my last three shipments eu>us has averaged around 21 days, should have taken three max. And it's not like the service gets cheaper..

/Jakob E.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I don't know if Fedex is to blame or Amazon (who just had a warehouse/distribution center flattened by tornado), but I just had two different delivery times swapped, one from on time delivery to late, and the other delayed delivery to early.

One cheap repair part (toilet flush handle) changed from arriving this weekend, to arriving early next year. This was cheap enough that I just ordered a second one with estimated delivery early next week.

The item scheduled for two weeks from now, changed to arriving this week is a little christmas magic. I will use it cooking my christmas meal.

I took apart the toilet flush handle to see if I could repair it but the threaded nylon bushing is broken. I put it back together with some hot melt but I don't feel lucky for that holding very long. It only has to hold until next week.

The original flush handle that got delayed was shipped using a fedex/USPS joint delivery. The scan number says the item has not yet been handed to the USPS, and Fedex likewise has no scan record.

JR

 

[scott2000]

https://www.reformer.com/local-news...cle_ab092504-6443-11ec-9f03-73cf84329e30.html

 

[pucho812]

Most unusual, parts I ordered arrived early then the estimated arrival time. This included some parts from an Italian company. Made it’s way to California in less then 5 days.

 

[Whoops]

I'm still having a lot of problems with deliveries at the present.
Everything takes a long time, independently of where it comes from.
Also shipping companies are working much worse than before, there's more mistakes in the deliveries, they try to deliver it to the wrong address or they don't leave a card when I'm not at home.
It has been a mess dealing with shipping companies in the last 2 years and a half

 

[JohnRoberts]

I don't know if Fedex is to blame or Amazon (who just had a warehouse/distribution center flattened by tornado), but I just had two different delivery times swapped, one from on time delivery to late, and the other delayed delivery to early.

One cheap repair part (toilet flush handle) changed from arriving this weekend, to arriving early next year. This was cheap enough that I just ordered a second one with estimated delivery early next week.

The item scheduled for two weeks from now, changed to arriving this week is a little christmas magic. I will use it cooking my christmas meal.

I took apart the toilet flush handle to see if I could repair it but the threaded nylon bushing is broken. I put it back together with some hot melt but I don't feel lucky for that holding very long. It only has to hold until next week.

The original flush handle that got delayed was shipped using a fedex/USPS joint delivery. The scan number says the item has not yet been handed to the USPS, and Fedex likewise has no scan record.

JR

Coincidentally that toilet flush handle broke again (cheap chinese crap), luckily I still had two spares laying around.. zero shipping time /cost, for JIC spare parts.
===
My WSJ newspaper delivered into my PO box is back to flaky random days late at a time. Yesterday's paper happened to arrive on time along with a second paper that was a day late.

JR

 

[gyraf]

justpages, are you a bot?

 

[scott2000]

justpages, are you a bot?

Awe . Can we keep it if so? Could be a newer model with some interesting features...

 

[JohnRoberts]

Awe . Can we keep it if so? Could be a newer model with some interesting features...

Be careful what you wish for.... Our forum spam filters catch multiple spammers trying to set up new accounts every day. I have been actively rooting out old sleeper accounts and a whack a few more almost every day.

If you see members online at bottom of main page with a slash through their name they are already banned, but still hanging around online.

JR

ps; You favorite bot buddy has a clean IP so far...