usps tracking no. a joke

They are a government agency right?...;D

 

not going to go there, but i do think we need a new deck of cards to play with. ;D

 

LOL exactly. I'm in Texas, and usps doesn't update the packages status until I already have it. I definitely prefer fedex.

 

Well said...most of the time it really boils down to "you get what you pay for"...you're not going to get the same type of tracking and service for a $7 USPS packages as you'll get for a $20 FedEx/UPS one. I've owned several companies that shipped fragile or perishable items for many years. The shipping companies are what they are and it really has to be the responsibly of the shipper to make sure they package things to withstand handling in transit. Ground shipments typically have to be packaged better...when you look at the numbers that USPS or UPS handle for ground it's amazing. With those kinds of numbers you're not going to get careful handling...again I put this on the shipper more than the shipping company...sure sometimes the shipping company is to blame, but shippers who put a 60lbs object in a cardboard box are just asking for trouble. We learned very quickly when shipping large expensive artwork via ground service that cardboard just didn't cut it and started shipping everything in custom made wooden crates. Our damage claims went to almost zero overnight. As for shipping livestock I've found UPS and FedEx overnight services to be about the same in the long run. I would never use USPS for livestock...not only is the time in transit potentially longer but in most cases mail is moved on a "space available" basis via the airlines. That means the Post Office hands large amounts of mail over to an airline to move it from airport to airport...once the airline gets it they move it when they can...if a specific flight it was planned for is too full it gets bumped to the next one. If a shipment of corals happens to be mixed in with that lot of mail it could potentially be sitting in a cart for hours and hours outside in whatever weather conditions are present. The few extra $$$ for FedEx or UPS overnight is worth every single penny IMO.

 

I've had issues with all three, Packages from FedEx have said handle with care or fragile and they look like Zinedine Zidane smashed his face in to it. USPS has literally stolen mail coming and leaving from my house. (there was a nice big federal investigation) and UPS likes to make sure things will take longer the 5-7 business days by holding a package in another town for two days. (I ordered two items not the same day they went through the same location at the same time but one arrived two days before the other) LoL So in my book it's all give and take but the practices of taking a 60lb box of rocks and putting it on top of a box that is clearly labeled fragile is no good.

 

Yea, i sent something to the virgin islands about a month ago and the tracking number still hasn't changed. I have no idea if it got to the house or if its still siting at my post office. Go figure!

 

That's my point, LOL! Take UPS for example, with an average of around 15 million packages delivered globally per day there really is no such thing as "Fragile" for them. While I don't think they purposely "mistreat" packages labeled as fragile, with those kinds of volumes it's virtually impossible to give some boxes "preferential treatment". That's why I say companies that ship products have be aware of this and package things so they can withstand the amount of handling they will get in transit. FedEx has a much, much smaller market share of the ground business and I've actually found them to be better when it comes to handling. They also contract almost all of the deliveries and their contractors get penalized if they have higher percentages of damages or late arrivals, so they have an initiative to get their on time and in one piece. When it comes to overnight shipments I have to give both companies props...yes you pay a premium for overnight, but if you're shipping something like livestock the time is obviously the big factor...but I find the handling to be much better too, maybe just because there is less handling overall. USPS doesn't even factor in...the services they offer are apples vs. oranges here...but we still keep trying to compare them to UPS/FedEx.

 

I have had all kinds of issues with all 3 shipping services, but like everyone says, USPS is meant for delivery confirmation and nothing more, I dont think anyone should peg it as a tracking system

 

Ugh USPS fails again! I just got my CuC from reefcleaners.com. and on the side it says handle with care and keep out of heat. So what happens the box looks trashed, and instead of knocking on the door or leaving it on the step they put it in the metal mail box on the street in the blistering 100 degree weather in the full sun. Luckily I checked the mail early and it was there. it wasn't too hot but the box was warm. So far the little critters inside are alive. So hurray!

 

To chime in here and add my 2 cents, I ordered some base rock from petsolutions, and they used UPS. I got my tracking page to click on, and it showed every stop that rock made from texas to florida, it even had the delivery time in the pm and it was exactly on. Now, this wasn't something that needed to be overnight-ed, so, it's hard to compare on the two different shipping types.