UPS makes me LOL

[Influencer]

Let me start off by saying I understand UPS has been doing this a long time, and I know all their employees love the color Brown and sing the logistics jingle all day long, but atleast for where I live their shipping patterns make no sense to me and it makes me laugh everytime I track a package.

 

I ordered a new htpc setup last Friday, scheduled to be here tomorrow. This I have no problem with as it hits the 3 business day deadline. What makes me laugh is the list of destinations:

 

08/14/2012 16:51:00	DEPARTURE SCAN[i]	WEST COLUMBIA, SC, US	
08/13/2012 04:49:00	ARRIVAL SCAN[i]	WEST COLUMBIA, SC, US	
08/12/2012 11:03:00	DEPARTURE SCAN[i]	DALLAS/FT. WORTH A/P, TX, US	
08/12/2012 08:58:00	ARRIVAL SCAN[i]	DALLAS/FT. WORTH A/P, TX, US	
08/11/2012 06:55:00	DEPARTURE SCAN[i]	ONTARIO, CA, US	
08/10/2012 22:32:00	ARRIVAL SCAN[i]	ONTARIO, CA, US	
08/10/2012 22:01:00	DEPARTURE SCAN[i]	BALDWIN PARK, CA, US	
08/10/2012 10:24:00	ORIGIN SCAN[i]	BALDWIN PARK, CA, US

 

So it leaves CA and is flown to Texas, I can buy that. Rarely happens but oh well.

From there it is shipped to west Columbia sc, about an hour and a half from me. Sits there for over a day (again, fine and makes sense because it was Sunday) then it gets shipped to charlotte, nc, which is about 45 minutes in the other direction from me than West Columbia. Starts to not make as much since as almost dead center between those two cities is another major sorting facility, about 10 minutes from here. But whatever, ill bite.

 

It leaves charlotte going to Greensboro nc, which is another hour and a half in that direction, putting the package about 3.5-4 hours away from me now. This is what gets me laughing. And to boot, when it leaves to go to my nearest facility to be loaded for delivery(the one 10 minutes away), the only sensible direction brings it down the exact same interstate it has traveled from west Columbia to Greensboro, any other roads will be back roads and city roads. So it will effectively be backtracking 4 hours down the same road.

 

I know ups isn't obligated to get it to me any quicker, and packages that were paid to ship quicker will take priority, but it seems they go out of their way to make sure it takes all 3 business days.

 

Just seems funny, 'tis all. Any one else frequently experience packages circling their house for days before delivery? Newegg also has a warehouse in Tennessee, and i have had items in the same order ship from both places, the package from CA beating the one from TN.

[Joe L.]

Sounds like it passed within 20 miles of me on its way to your home.  I'm sure they just love to maximize the density of the packages in the trucks (anybody will tell you it is very wasteful to have a truck with only a few packages drive down the highway  )  They just wanted your package to get its money's worth.

 

It is no worse than a package for me that arrived at the local UPS distribution center within 24 hours of being ordered, put on a truck for delivery that same morning, then sent back to the distribution center at the end of the day because it was not yet due for delivery.  It sat there for two more days, since the shipper had not paid for 1 or 2 day delivery.

 

 

[StevenD]

I know ups isn't obligated to get it to me any quicker, and packages that were paid to ship quicker will take priority, but it seems they go out of their way to make sure it takes all 3 business days.

 

 

Yes, they do.  AT&T has a warehouse in DFW. I live in DFW.  I have seen a package from them (phone, cable, whatever) get picked up by UPS or FedEx, then sit in their warehouse for two full days before going out for delivery.  When they say "Guaranteed 3 day service", they mean it!

[aptalca]

It makes sense, they are guaranteeing exactly 3 days, no more and certainly no less :-)

 

They keep their promise of 3 days no matter what 

[Influencer]

I've gotten a few early, and understand the package density, but its hilarious.

 

At work now, package was delivered today, upon checking the tracking, the drivers note was "left with woman". I want to take a moment to thank him, now I know if its not at my house I only have to suspect roughly half the population.

 

I'm just poking fun at ups, I know their logistics is far more complicated than it seems, and money wise the shipment went the way that saved them money in the long run. I use to work shipping & receiving at a big home maker, ups would make 4 stops there a day, and happened to be the same driver who's route went to my house. He'd drop my packages off at my work for me, but couldnt do it until after 2 pm, usually on his third stop. It wouldnt let him.confirm delivery until then as my house was towards the end of his route.

[mrow]

I know ups isn't obligated to get it to me any quicker, and packages that were paid to ship quicker will take priority, but it seems they go out of their way to make sure it takes all 3 business days.

 

 

Yes, they do.  AT&T has a warehouse in DFW. I live in DFW.  I have seen a package from them (phone, cable, whatever) get picked up by UPS or FedEx, then sit in their warehouse for two full days before going out for delivery.  When they say "Guaranteed 3 day service", they mean it!

 

I live in Delaware and when I order stuff from Newegg, 95% of the time it comes from their warehouse in Edison, NJ. Their shipping says 3 days but if I order in the morning I almost always get the item the next day.

[lainie]

Just be careful of selecting "UPS Mail Innovations". I ordered from NewEgg using this about 1-2 years ago. The package was shipped pretty quick from the originating location to a USPS facility near me (took about 3 days, I think to arrive at the Post Office)... where it sat for over a week before they delivered it to my house.  I was trying to find out if there was some way I could pick it up from them myself by that point. When I order things directly through USPS it never sits for that long.

 

I read up on "UPS Mail Innovations" & found others having it sit at their local Post Office for over 2 weeks.

 

I tried to not use them again, but ended up having to about 3 months ago. Package took 3 days through USPS again, but was delivered the next day by USPS. So not sure if they have their act together now or if it is just chance.  Neither time was near a holiday.

[Influencer]

mrow, I wish this was the case for me! Seems the closest warehouse(Tennessee) only carries small items, case fans, cables, etc. Most big items seem to ship from CA, I've never gotten anything from NJ.

 

lainie, I've used the Mail innovations a couple times due to free shipping, but never had an issue with it. Usually takes a day longer than shipping UPS directly. Actually just got something the other week using mail innovations.

 

I try to stay away from it as I have a crackpot USPS worker that delivers to my house. Got to know my neighbors quite well as we ALWAYS get each others mail. She has even stuffed a package I ordered in an unused mailbox, if someone hadn't been walking up to check their mail I probably would have never gotten that package. We all call and complain, but as far as I can tell she doesn't even get reprimanded. So I usually pay the extra $$ to get it sent UPS if for no other reason, the mail lady doesn't handle it!

[mrow]

I'm thinking it might be that the NJ warehouse might be for the Northeast only since it is such a densely populated area and they therefore keep a big inventory but don't ship outside of that area.

 

I just looked through some of my Newegg order history and I can't find anything that shipped from someplace other than NJ over the last year or so, including big items like a case I bought.

 

Here is an example of typical shipping times for me. http://www.newegg.com/Info/TrackOrder.aspx?TrackingNumber=1ZX799470380512594

[graywolf]

Sounds like it passed within 20 miles of me on its way to your home.  I'm sure they just love to maximize the density of the packages in the trucks (anybody will tell you it is very wasteful to have a truck with only a few packages drive down the highway  )  They just wanted your package to get its money's worth.

 

It is no worse than a package for me that arrived at the local UPS distribution center within 24 hours of being ordered, put on a truck for delivery that same morning, then sent back to the distribution center at the end of the day because it was not yet due for delivery.  It sat there for two more days, since the shipper had not paid for 1 or 2 day delivery.

 

Definitely passed within 5 miles of my home as it went up/down I-85

 

I've gotten items for CA, TN, and NJ so NJ isn't just a NE deal since I'm in NC

 

[Influencer]

Didn't realize there were so many locals to NC on here, .

 

I find most of NC is very....dead...technologically.

 

Graywolf, have you ever noticed the items you get from TN tend to be the smaller, less expensive items?

[graywolf]

Didn't realize there were so many locals to NC on here, .

 

I find most of NC is very....dead...technologically.

 

Graywolf, have you ever noticed the items you get from TN tend to be the smaller, less expensive items?

 

Yes. I've only gotten a few of the smaller items from TN.  Most were from NJ or CA.

 

Not a native to NC but after I retired from USMC and did a few years as contract worker, decided I wanted a Full Time position and thats what brought me to the Charlotte area.

 

Since I work in IT (database administrator), most the folks I know are technological. But agree, a bit of the exception. But have found it to be that way in many areas I've worked/lived in.

 

 

 

 

[Influencer]

Charlotte area, your about 20 min away then.

 

I wish the TN warehouse had more of the larger items,

[Joe L.]

Didn't realize there were so many locals to NC on here, .

We tend to blend in with the other NC residents 

I find most of NC is very....dead...technologically.

I hope I'm not dead, technologically, or otherwise...  (about 100miles NE of Charlotte) but... I do know people who have never used the internet, or their turn signals, but that is a whole other issue.

 

Joe L.

[Influencer]

I've lived all around nc and it seems most can't fathom YouTube much else setting up a media server. I know a few people who still record their shows on a VCR.

 

And don't get started on the use of turn signals, we're lucky if they start braking before they turn without waiting til the last second, or the opposite, start braking 2 miles before the turn, .

 

Guess it surprises me to see people from nc on here because I currently live in a very rural area. Closest mall is 30 minutes away. Hell, closest Walmart is 20, lol. I tend to forget nc has become a popular spot for tech related companies in the last few years

[graywolf]

Charlotte area, your about 20 min away then.

 

I wish the TN warehouse had more of the larger items,

 

Work in Charlotte area (when I go into the office), live (work remotely most days) in Salisbury area

[marcusone]

I REFUSE to use UPS. I've seen everything you guys have and worse because I live in Canada. On more than one occation I've had packages waiting to clear customs more than once as it crosses the border a couple time. Likely why their brokerage fee is 40 to often 80% of the value of the item. Unless you ship express. Then its $10 plus still some high %. 

 

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[JustinChase]

They always leave packages on my front porch.  Even if I'm sitting on the other side of the window watching them, they don't knock, they just set it on the porch and leave.  Okay.

 

One day they left a package on the porch, and left a note that said "on porch".

 

The next day, he left another package, and that note said "same place as yesterday".  I spit out my drink when I read that one