UPS vs. US Postal Service

[Monkeyleg]

I ship everything from my online store USPS Priority Mail, unless I absolutely have to use UPS. I've found Priority Mail to be more reliable than UPS, faster, and less expensive. This runs counter to conventional wisdom about government-run entities, and most people don't believe it, either.

Here's an example, though. On Saturday 12/22, I ordered at new stylus for my turntable. It was shipped UPS. But UPS was closed on Monday and Tuesday for Christmas, so it didn't ship from Nevada until Wednesday the 26th. The estimated shipping time is 4 days, which puts delivery at Thursday, January 3rd, since UPS is closed Monday and Tuesday for New Year's. So, the time from placing my order until delivery will be 12 days.

I placed an order for speaker parts from one online store on Christmas day (Tuesday), and another order at another place on Wednesday the 26th. One place was in Florida, the other in Oregon. Both shipped Priority Mail, and both arrived yesterday (Friday). Time from order until delivery was 3 and 2 days respectively.

The postal service was working Christmas Eve day and will be working New Year's Eve day. Thanks to the union, UPS will not.

It's no wonder UPS is trying to force FedEx to unionize.

[slingshot]

I ship most of the things I need to get there quickly FedEx and it is expensive.  I am a small timer and my FedEx costs for 2012 are right at $2800 (40 shipments).  They keep raising their prices and I have started to do two-day and standard next day afternoon rather than next day morning or the higher priority 8:00AM delivery.  Most of my stuff is refrigerated and some of it absolutely has to be there within 24 hours.

I use USPS for less important things and I agree with you.  I do not have a UPS account, hence I never ship UPS.  I expect FedEx to raise their prices again in January and I am going to shift to USPS for as much as I can get away with.

[Tallpine]

FedEx left a package leaning against our neighbor's mailbox post on the county road instead of driving 1/2 mile up to her house to deliver it 

We forgot to check our mailbox yesterday and we spotted it this morning.  So it was there overnight and I'm amazed that someone didn't just take it.  There is a fair amount of traffic up and down the road anymore and not all of the people in this area are exactly scrupulous.

[lee n. field]

I ship everything from my online store USPS Priority Mail, unless I absolutely have to use UPS. I've found Priority Mail to be more reliable than UPS, faster, and less expensive. This runs counter to conventional wisdom about government-run entities, and most people don't believe it, either.

Back in the late70s when I started to read libertarian propaganda, one of the big things they wanted to break was the post office monopoly.

That old postal monopoly is pretty much dead and gone.  They may still have a monopoly of "first class mail", but that almost doesn't matter.  That being the case, why not use the USPS?

And whenever I get around to ordering in casting lead, it will probably come in a USPS flat rate box.  80 lbs. of lead wheelweights.....

[slingshot]

Lee, how do you feel about the USPS now?  I personally like their service.  Try mailing letter via FedEx and see what it costs you.

[mtnbkr]

It has been my experience over the last few years that USPS service and pricing beats UPS and FedEx handily.  Even the workers are more pleasant and more motivated.  When I go to the Post Office, the people working there hustle and are friendly, while at the FedEx depot (not a 3rd party location), the only person at the counter was indifferent and moved at a glacial pace. 

Once, when picking up a bunch of mail held at the local post office (we had been out of town), the lady who fetched my mail helped me carry it to my vehicle when she noticed I had a toddler with me.  Our local mail delivery person brought a heavy package into our house, voluntarily, for my very pregnant wife.  When we happen to meet our mail carrier at the mailbox, they're always pleasant and friendly.

The USPS seems to earn and appreciate my business.

Chris

[lupinus]

When I can, I like USPS. From an organizational perspective, it could be smaller and leaner, but overall it does what it does and it does it fairly well. FedEx is nice when I want something fast, USPS is nice when I want something at a reasonable cost and bulk deliveries, like my usual mail delivery. Even without the crap and adds I would hate to see what FedEx or something similar would charge for a similar service. USPS is one of those government things that could use updating, but it's one of the ones that stays when I become king.

[slingshot]

Folks like to condemn the US Postal Service.  But they provide a very valuable service and I don't think UPS or FedEx could match their service dollar for dollar.  I guess they are still going to dump saturday residential deliveries, that's okay with me.

[SteveS]

The postal service was working Christmas Eve day and will be working New Year's Eve day. Thanks to the union, UPS will not.

It's no wonder UPS is trying to force FedEx to unionize.

USPS workers are union.

[Monkeyleg]

I know they are, Steve, but obviously not the same union.

I forget how they're trying to do it, but UPS is trying to use .gov to force FedEx to unionize. That would drag down the efficiency and profits at FedEx, making UPS more competitive. If you can't do something better, force your competitor to do it worse. :(

[Scout26]

The USPS has had cut backs and layoffs, their employees are "running scared" to coin a phrase.  They know that there is a chance that they could be "Privatized" or simply sold to UPS or more likely Fedex, so they are definitely trying harder to keep customers and their jobs.  They've gone from the bitter, surly union drones, to friendly and helpful.

Doesn't mean I've changed my mind.

[Doggy Daddy]

FedEx left a package leaning against our neighbor's mailbox post on the county road instead of driving 1/2 mile up to her house to deliver it 

We live in the 'burbs 2 blocks straight and 1/2 block to the left from a main crosstown street.  Last night, FedEx left a new Epiphone acoustic guitar leaning against the wall beside the door.  We get a decent amount of foot traffic, bike riders, skateboarders....

[RoadKingLarry]

For all of it's flaws USPS can still be a pretty good deal. Where else can you have a service that comes to your location, picks up a letter and will deliver it anywhere in the US or to any APO/FPO for 45 cents*.




* or whatever the current price of a stamp is today.

[Perd Hapley]

Just how much of a government operation is the USPS, though? I've never been quite clear on their status.

[RoadKingLarry]

Just how much of a government operation is the USPS, though? I've never been quite clear on their status.

It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Postal_Service

[Perd Hapley]

The current Post Office is not at all the same animal it was, as when the Constitution was ratified. The Wiki article drops a couple of hints about that, but doesn't really explain it. For example, it says that the Post Office gets no tax money for most of its operations. That makes it quite a bit different from your average govt. program. It has to earn its money.

Stuff like that might explain why the USPS supposedly has better service than the private companies.

I've usually found the USPS to be quite lacking in friendly, helpful service. But then, I could say the same for most of the fast food joints and retail stores in this big-city atmosphere. I've gotta move back to the real world, one day.

[Monkeyleg]

The post office I go to is a franchise, and the young lady behind the counter is extremely friendly and efficient. I'm not accustomed to that, having waited in line at the post office in Milwaukee for half an hour while surly people read magazines behind the counter.

I've been told that FedEx handles Priority Mail shipping for the post office, which may explain how a package can get from California to my small town in Alabama in two days.

[SteveS]

I know they are, Steve, but obviously not the same union.

I forget how they're trying to do it, but UPS is trying to use .gov to force FedEx to unionize. That would drag down the efficiency and profits at FedEx, making UPS more competitive. If you can't do something better, force your competitor to do it worse. :(

Gotcha.  I was just trying to point out that since they are both union (though different unions), one can't assume that is the source of all inefficiency. 

FWIW, I agree with your OP.  I don't do a ton of shipping, but I prefer to use USPS when I do. 

[Jamisjockey]

The post office I go to is a franchise, and the young lady behind the counter is extremely friendly and efficient. I'm not accustomed to that, having waited in line at the post office in Milwaukee for half an hour while surly people read magazines behind the counter.

I've been told that FedEx handles Priority Mail shipping for the post office, which may explain how a package can get from California to my small town in Alabama in two days.

Most of the employees I've dealt with at our PO are friendly and efficient. 

[Tallpine]

Most of the employees I've dealt with at our PO are friendly and efficient. 

I dunno if it's changed in the last 15 years, but the post office folks in Montana are almost always friendly and helpful, but back in Colorado they went out of their way to be rude and unhelpful.  Of course, that is more or less a comparison between the two states (and Colorado is friendly compared to say Michigan). 

The USPS is talking about shutting down most of the small town PO's in Montana, after spending I don't know how many millions building fancy brand new PO's in those same small town within the past twenty years 

Back then a lot of the PO's were a contracted corner of some little store, which was often what kept the store in business.  Then they ripped away those contracts and built fancy new dedicated PO buildings.  Now one of the "options" is contracting the PO out to some local business (you know ... the ones that don't exist anymore). 

[KD5NRH]

And whenever I get around to ordering in casting lead, it will probably come in a USPS flat rate box.  80 lbs. of lead wheelweights.....

70lbs is the flat rate limit per box...and also, IIRC, exactly the weight of a block of lead cast to perfectly fill the medium box.

[slingshot]

I always liked the small town post offices housed often in general stores or what has become convenience stores.  Seemed to be a great way for the store to make a buck and stay in business.  Basically the owner is an employee of the USPS and he gets most of his time paid for... good deal for them and practical.

[Tallpine]

I always liked the small town post offices housed often in general stores or what has become convenience stores.  Seemed to be a great way for the store to make a buck and stay in business.  Basically the owner is an employee of the USPS and he gets most of his time paid for... good deal for them and practical.

Yeah, except in Montana they did away with most of those back in the 1990s.

And the stores are now gone 

We lived for a while at a little crossroads in Colorado that had a store, gas pump, PO, and some cabins to rent, also a little trailer park and we were renting an old mobile home there from the same guy that owned everything.  His elderly mom and dad lived in a house next door, and there was a ranchhand with his wife and kids that lived in another rented mobile home.  That was the sum total of the population of the "town" if you didn't count the ranches all around.

I dunno what is left there now... 

[MillCreek]

70lbs is the flat rate limit per box...and also, IIRC, exactly the weight of a block of lead cast to perfectly fill the medium box.

With a little bit of squishing down, you can get 15 pounds of green coffee beans to fit in a medium flat rate box.  The coffee co-op that I am a member of uses this method to mail each other green coffee beans.

[wmenorr67]

My problem with all three is that they don't seem to want to bother ringing a doorbell and getting a signature for packages and/or certified mail.  The postman will just drop a note in the box saying we have a certified letter to pick up at the Post Office and of course we all know about FedEx and/or UPS just leaving packages at the door.