Tracking A Shipment

[crokett]

Sometimes you gotta wonder...

From UPS's website. The package is going to Indianapolis. So they drive it clear across the state, then back.

Dec 8 2008 Processed at UPS Mail Innovations Origin RPF Carol Stream, IL
Dec 9 2008 Transferred to UPS Mail Innovations Destination RPF Groveport, OH

[LCHIEN]

Sometimes you gotta wonder...

From UPS's website. The package is going to Indianapolis. So they drive it clear across the state, then back.

Dec 8 2008 Processed at UPS Mail Innovations Origin RPF Carol Stream, IL
Dec 9 2008 Transferred to UPS Mail Innovations Destination RPF Groveport, OH

Fedex uses a hub system. Some years ago when they were pretty new it was documented that a company located on the 2nd and 8th floor of a major office building in San francisco, some secy used Fedex to send a package from the 8th floor to the 2nd.

Fed ex picked it up and took it to their SFO facility, flew it to Memphis Tennessee overnight, sorted it, flew it back to SFO the same night and then put it on a truck where it was delivered to the 2nd floor the next morning. All for $20.

In this sort of system there's no facility to shortcut the sorting operation in the hub... All parcels are treated the same way no matter how close to the destination the origin is.

[Kristofor]

I don't seem to have many issues with FedEx or UPS 1-2Day service. But UPS ground I avoid like the plague. There's apparently an office in Eagan (southern MPLS suburb) and another one in Glencoe (West of the cities by maybe 60 miles). I'm closer to Eagan, but normally packages are delivered from Glencoe. However some times those offices will send the packages from one to the other and then deliver them. In one case they did this 4 times over 3 days back and forth between Eagan and Glencoe. I don't know why this would happen (drivers out sick? extra routes over the holidays?), but it's annoying so now I use alternative shipping choices.

[Ed62]

I bought am mp3 player last year. Don't remember the shipping company they used, but it came within 30 miles or so of my house, then went around the country! About 4 days later, it finally arrived.

Ed

[Uncle Cracker]

You can't get there from here...

[jonmulzer]

I don't seem to have many issues with FedEx or UPS 1-2Day service. But UPS ground I avoid like the plague. There's apparently an office in Eagan (southern MPLS suburb) and another one in Glencoe (West of the cities by maybe 60 miles). I'm closer to Eagan, but normally packages are delivered from Glencoe. However some times those offices will send the packages from one to the other and then deliver them. In one case they did this 4 times over 3 days back and forth between Eagan and Glencoe. I don't know why this would happen (drivers out sick? extra routes over the holidays?), but it's annoying so now I use alternative shipping choices.

I don't use UPS PERIOD because I don't get my packages at all 60%+ of the time. Somehow they always find my house when I have to sign the form to get the reimbursement for whatever was shipped. Once they even left a box marked "Electronics: Fragile!" on my doorstep in a thunderstorm. It had a few laptop hard drives in it and had I not been home that day they would have been ruined. No bag, not even set inside the door.

David, if you had sent it via FedEx it would have been here a lot more quickly. We are a hub for them!

[crokett]

Loring, I know about the hub system. It was just wonderment that sometimes packages are more well traveled than they should be.

jon, maybe, maybe not. Last year a package was delivered via FedEx from a wharehouse in Ohio to the same address. It went somewhere else before going to Indy, then I watched for 4 days as it was checked out for delivery, then checked back in at night. I guess the driver finally decided to deliver it on Day 5. Or maybe he had enough packages to go that far or something.

[just started]

Well, whatever you do, don't use FedEx "SmartPost"! I've never had worse service.

[chopnhack]

I will say that FedEx sucks for us. Never a good experience and their customer service stinks. The people are usually really nice and want to help, but it seems that technologically speaking they have no way of helping you. For instance, on many occasions, I would have a pickup scheduled and a confirmation #, my window would come and go and no driver appeared. I would call and they would tell me that we should wait another hour after the window to allow for a late driver. Fine, wait, call back, then they usually would say that it is too late to call the driver back out and we would have to reschedule for the next day. Many instances of this occurring......if so, then what the hel ls the point of having a confirmation number if you wont use it or make good on it?

[mmcduffie]

Sometimes you gotta wonder...

From UPS's website. The package is going to Indianapolis. So they drive it clear across the state, then back.

Dec 8 2008 Processed at UPS Mail Innovations Origin RPF Carol Stream, IL
Dec 9 2008 Transferred to UPS Mail Innovations Destination RPF Groveport, OH

That sounds like the shipper uses an intermediary rather than shipping directly with UPS.

I've ordered model train goodies a few times from Walthers.com and although I've selected USPS as the shipper, it goes by some third party all the way to Kent and then via USPS to my PO Box. Makes it wicked hard to track as USPS has no record of it until it hits my box.

Michael

[crokett]

Yeah Michael, after a few days of bouncing around it was put into the USPS system. Tracking it then was impossible. The good news I guess is whenever I've had problems with a package not being delivered it was one of the commercial carriers and not USPS.

[jonmulzer]

That sounds like the shipper uses an intermediary rather than shipping directly with UPS.

I've ordered model train goodies a few times from Walthers.com and although I've selected USPS as the shipper, it goes by some third party all the way to Kent and then via USPS to my PO Box. Makes it wicked hard to track as USPS has no record of it until it hits my box.

Michael

That is just the way they do things. There is nothing in this world more worthless than a USPS "Tracking Number". In most cases you will only see that an item has been "scheduled for pickup" and then you will get the rest of the story a day or two after it arrives at its destination.....most of the time. If your package is lost, no one can help you. No one has any access to updated tracking information and you can only hope that someday it bounces out of government limbo and makes it to where you intended.

[dkerfoot]

Even crazier...

This is what always amazes me. Read the progress from the bottom up, especially the Dec 17th entries...

Dec 18, 2008
9:25 AM Delivered Holland, MI
6:51 AM On FedEx vehicle for delivery GRAND RAPIDS, MI
4:55 AM At local FedEx facility GRAND RAPIDS, MI

Dec 17, 2008
8:44 PM Arrived at FedEx location MEMPHIS, TN
6:24 PM Arrived at FedEx location TOLEDO, OH
3:40 AM Departed FedEx location MEMPHIS, TN

Dec 16, 2008
8:43 PM Arrived at FedEx location MEMPHIS, TN
3:15 PM Picked up MEMPHIS, TN
11:43 AM In FedEx possession MEMPHIS, TN


Now the really odd thing is that the Dec 17th 8:44 Memphis update appeared BEFORE the Toledo update. The Toledo update was inserted later...

[dkerfoot]

That is just the way they do things. There is nothing in this world more worthless than a USPS "Tracking Number". In most cases you will only see that an item has been "scheduled for pickup" and then you will get the rest of the story a day or two after it arrives at its destination.....most of the time.

We have had this discussion in another thread before I think. USPS has two types of numbers:

TRACKING Numbers for Express Mail. They are updated each step of the way as the package travels, just like FedEx, etc...

DELIVERY CONFIRMATION Numbers are included with Priority Mail and can be added to many other delivery options for a small fee. They are not intended as a tracking number. They are there for the SHIPPER to receive confirmation of delivery (as the name implies).

If you understand the difference, the two different services work well. If you expect the delivery confirmation number to provide tracking, you will be frustrated. The USPS site doesn't help differentiate the two because they use one box labeled Track & Confirm for both types of numbers.

I ship on average around 100 total Express Mail, Priority Mail and 1st Class Mail with Delivery Confirmation packages each week and absolutely love the USPS. It is an amazing value compared to UPS/FedEx and in 5 years of shipping with them, I have only had one (domestic) package that wasn't delivered and I am pretty sure that guy was scamming me.

It is true they are ugly to deal with at the central government level. BUT - the individuals at the local Post Office are usually very knowledgeable, helpful and empowered. Something FedEx and UPS do not have the equivalent of. Twice now I have had local Post Offices intercept and return packages after orders were placed with a stolen credit card.


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