We have been ordering a lot due to Covid but all within the US. Everything has arrived on time. Maybe we're just lucky. But I've heard that international stuff from China is taking an additional 2-4 weeks from the usual 4-6 weeks, which is a very long time! Note that if the warehouse is slow, it's not just a matter of "hiring more people". They could be having staff shortages due to the virus, like (for example) 50% occupancy in a building due to mandated government rules. Or their employees are actually sick because they are in hot zone. Many reasons and permutations in these trying times.
Thanks George, I always forget about the Train boards views on non advertisers, that makes sense now.
In other words, when people at Day Jobs go to drop off mail... their lunchtimes. I already know to avoid my local branches at lunchtime for this very reason. On the other hand, the really small offices staffed by exactly one person do close for lunch and have for some time. My last package from "woo woo" also came via SurePost. The total cycle time was longer than usual but that wasn't entirely shipping related. However, the tracking map had more stopping points along the way than I expected and the package sat locally for two days before being delivered.
Two weeks ago I had a package arrive from Japan. DHL, took only four days. Now I am awaiting a USPS package from the Seattle area, which is taking a few days longer than usual. Tracking is showing some intermediate stops which mail from there usually does not incorporate.
I just checked on my package. It supposedly left a postal facility two and one half hours drive to my south, just after 6am, yesterday morning. Showing now still in transit, with a slight delay, or some similar words. Really? In 32 plus hours, they can't make a 125 mile drive.... Disgraceful.
Back in March I mailed a Kato Train Set to a friend in Billings, Montana. I used 3 day priority. After I got home from the post office I noticed that I forgot to put the cardboard sleeve over the Kato plastic snap case that contained the train. I put the sleeve in a box and went back and mailed it first class. It got there in two days. The priority package took over a week. I was tracking it and it was going back and forth between St Paul and Minneapolis. March 16, 2020, 5:31 pm Arrived at USPS Facility SAINT PAUL, MN 55131 Your item arrived at our USPS facility in SAINT PAUL, MN 55131 on March 16, 2020 at 5:31 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination. March 16, 2020 In Transit to Next Facility March 14, 2020, 8:58 pm Departed USPS Regional Facility MINNEAPOLIS MN DISTRIBUTION CENTER March 14, 2020, 5:58 am Arrived at Post Office MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55401 March 14, 2020, 2:43 am Arrived at USPS Regional Facility MINNEAPOLIS MN DISTRIBUTION CENTER March 13, 2020, 7:02 pm Arrived at USPS Facility SAINT PAUL, MN 55131
I am aware, these past few months, people have resorted to using Internet orders, etc. This has added commerce to USPS and the other package carriers. However, they should have long ago now bounced back from the initial hit. And all of them, if actually run in a business-like fashion, (wanting to grow!), should have some amount of excess capacity built in, to handle any surge in traffic. If not, they need better leadership, period.
Well if you really want to know- around the planet in 10 weeks- a small box from England, unfortunately sent just 1 week into their airlines shutdown. Another- a book order from US- hugely expensive postage USPS and took nearly 5 weeks to arrive in New Zealand. And because the 'service' no longer incudes international tracking* (despite charging the full clip for post)- no guarantee of seeing stuff adequately. * Literally the registered number is 'unavailable' when I checked. So for both reasons, high cost retail shipping ($50 US for 3, yes 3 boxcars) and expensive inefficient postal recognition, there won't be any meagre sales to me any more. I doubt the economy will crash without me, but it's a bitter way to end a relationship that's lasted 20 odd years. Still reading tho, cheers dave
Atlas created a USPS shipping label a week ago Monday to return a repaired locomotive to me in Chicago. After receiving no tracking updates, I called Atlas on Thursday and asked if package had been picked up by USPS. They said my package was picked up that date but USPS has been very slow to scan new shipments into their system. The first tracking update received on Saturday said package was received at 1 a.m. and delivery was expected to be on Tuesday. Following an updated delivery notice, I received the package a day earlier on Monday with my regular mail delivery.
I bought a few model train things on ebay about a week and a half ago, all on different days. The third thing I bought came to Texas via USPS from Illinois and it arrived first. The second thing I bought came from Washington and it arrived second, both within a few days of placing the order. The first thing I bought is nowhere to be found. Here's what ebay shows: Jul 31, 2020 12:00am In Transit, Arriving Late Jul 27, 2020 10:10pm Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility LANCASTER PA DISTRIBUTION CENTER Jul 27, 2020 8:55pm Accepted at USPS Origin Facility VALLEY VIEW, PA 17983 Jul 27, 2020 3:54pm Shipment Received, Package Acceptance Pending VALLEY VIEW, PA 17983 Jul 27, 2020 11:59am Tracking number provided No telling when this will show up at my door. I keep checking but it still remains the same: In Transit, Arriving Late. I guess it's still in Pennsylvania. I certainly can't fault the seller who shipped it shortly after I placed my order, but it sure is frustrating to not know when or if I'll get it.
I've been doing some trading with a friend in California. I send packages to him from Missouri and he gets them in 2 days. He sends packages to me and I get them in 3 weeks. Bob
I put four packages in the mail yesterday and not a single one of them was scanned. They are all Priority Mail. This has not happened before, and now I'm beginning to wonder if there are new regulations regarding scanning.... A package I sent on the 3rd has full scanning history and will be delivered today - I could drive it in one seven hour trip. The lack of scanning bothers me. As does the cost these days. IMHO the USPS could be shooting itself in the foot. They are not the ONLY carrier.
This morning I received a package from Japan. It only took three months to get here. The box looks like an accordion. Contents are fine.
I had Buster Brown lose a color laser copier, I had got off of FeeBay. This was NOT a small box either 50+ pounds. Came from NYC area to Indianapolis and disappeared. About 100 miles from where I am. Tracking number showed it at Indy. Somebody got a nice top of the line color copier. Shipper replace lost unit and filed claim. I now buy LOCAL.
Order was made to a Japanese firm yesterday and order expected to be shipped by DHL today. Another order made to another Japanese firm over two months ago. Changed shipping from EMS to DHL two weeks ago. Order still sitting in warehouse.
Excess capacity in the transportation industry? Worked in it 20 years and rarely seen it. Everyday the only thing you know is how much you have to deliver. You have generally have no idea who is going to call and how much to pick up. Even when I worked in a segment of the small package where we had outbound projections to staff off of they were wrong about half of the time. It wasn't so bad when we used temporary staffing to make up for labor shortages. But when the upper mgmt decided to go all part time labor it was quite the challenge. I can't imagine trying to get folks to work on a part time basis for who knows how long in this environment. It was hard enough to get folks to load and unload trailers 15 years ago. Being retired has it's privileges.
An update - of the four packages taken to the post office Wednesday, three of them - after waiting a full day - began their journey and were scanned in Nashville (30 miles away). The fourth - and by far largest, one of those triangle shaped 38" long boxes - has not yet entered the system. They're probably using it as a wheel chock and by the time the buyer gets his (when they left) like new DI Maxi IIIs they'll be in pieces. Grrrr.