UPS v FedEx v Airborne Express

[Texas Diesel]

We live rural, FedEx has on several occasions said "customer not home" when we were home waiting on the package. We knew it was out for delievery because of online tracking. Fedex and DHL have both also simply skipped us for a day or two with no explination, "out for delievery" for 2 days in a row.
UPS ALWAYS comes by even if it is 6:30PM.

USPS should be spelled USP(O)S, for the POS tracking system they have. EVERY time I get something delievered by USPS and track online, the package arrives BEFORE the shipment ever shows up on the tracking page.

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

I do mostly UPS around here with some Fed EX and once in awhile Airborne EX.

All have done good by me, however UPS has always been easier for me to ship thru. So UPS it is.

Airborne is fast as a thief, but pricey.

Just my two cents.

 

[FatDog]

Paul

i ship 20-50 packages a day.
i have nightly pickups from Fed-Ex, California Overnight, and Golden State Overnite. I mimic your frustration with the FedEx folk, (maybe when that movie had him stranded on a island for a year it effected their morale.)
When something goes amiss with Cal O'Nite or GSO it seems I can talk with someone at their company who can do something about it, but at FedEx it is 'So Sorry - Bad Luck Mister'.

 

[ndurbin]

I seem to get everything I order UPS, which is okay b/c the have a daily run out here in the sticks. But I ship everything USPS and have had pretty good luck with it. And USPS is cheaper the UPS here lately.

Nathan

 

[BJS]

UPS is my first choice b/c fed ex no matter how many times i sign the darn form and tell the moron to leave it in the garage they insist on leaving a piece of paper for me to sign. Well the UPS has on a routine basis messed with the shipments of live frogs coming to work for some reason a box with arrows and live frogs on the side and then holes in the top doesnt' trigger any reaction other than turn the box on it's side.. then it gets wet and what do we do with wet boxes???? we put them in a plastic bag and then inside another box. So I get dead frogs that have suffocated to death. They don't smell since it's next day air early AM delivery.

 

[redneckhouston]

i try to only use ups, fed ex wont come to my house they come up with every excuse in the book and i end up having to drive 50 miles to their hub and pick up my own pakage and thats always a hassle. UPS rocks tho, they have one driver who always delivers my area, he knows where my house is and aint afraid to come down my mile long dirt road thats sometimes impasable with out 4 wd. and yes i can here that truck screaming coming thru the mud holes on my road........ya ever seen a ups truck with big mud tires on those rear duals????? i have its

george

 

[rkbrown]

UPS has always been good here. My wife designs, makes and sells stuff in our home. She uses UPS extensively and has had no problems (that I have heard of, at least).

 

[Dr.EVIL]

I've been buying parts for Manufacturing for just a little over 26 years now. The number of Shipments made to Me by UPS, Fed-Ex, Airborne, USPS, DHL, Roadway Package Express (remember them) numbers into the 100's of thousands.
Of course UPS is most frequently used. And normally does a real good job except when they really screw up, which they do for Me about once a year.. And UPS Red is sometime not delivered next day, but has anyone ever gotten their $$$$ back? Doubtful. Fed-Ex is the ONLY company that has never burned Me. Once they delivered a hot package to a company a block down the street but two hours later sent a Driver back to retrieve it. UPS would never do that! DHL is good for over-seas shipments. But I don't buy much from off-shore. USPS is sheaper on small packages by far than UPS, and delivery really isn't that much worse. Roadway stopped using their line-haul trucks for moving package shipments many years ago because their service sucked. Anything UPS could deliver in two days took them a WEEK. And normally it was damaged when delivered.

 

[thetonka]

UPS has pissed me off on too many occasions. I have had problems because of laziness, incompetance, ignorance, and stupid Union crap. I don't use them if I can help it. Unfortunately most of my suppliers only use UPS.

For me its FedEx or the USPS. Surprisingly the USPS has been the most reliable, most affordable, and the easiest to use. FedEx comes in second.

 

[2500cummins]

Fedex sucks
They showed my brothers latest package "loaded for delivery" on the 20th, still nothing today, the 25th this is completely normal for fedex here, it will probably end up shipped back as "address not found" or "package refused" Even the UPS relief drivers can find us but it seems to be impossible for fedex

 

[PackRat]

Around here, the UPS drop point molests you for a "handling fee" of $3.00. Big damned deal, they weigh it, look at their weight chart, and peel a little sticky barcode note, to stick on it. Most of the time their weight chart isn't even close to what the website shows. The local pickup point is at the CO-OP Station, and I've driven by, only to see my package standing out in the rain, in front of the office.

Fedex is a pain to ship. You have to weigh your package, call Salina, get a pickup confirmation, have a cashier's check or money order, and be home whenever the route guy decides to show up. They won't leave a package, even after I signed the release form. They have never damaged my cigars, shipped from Florida, yet.

USPS is usually the cheapest of the 3, if it is something that falls under ther "Consumer Shipping Guidlines". When you figure those out, write a book, it will be a best seller. Around here, you know everyone in the PO, personally, so they take care of your stuff. after it leaves Oz, who knows.

Never heard of Airborne. The only airborne around here, is the cropduster, at our paved 5000' municipal waste of funds, er... I mean airport.

Basically, no preference. Wherever I'll get molested the least, on a per item basis.

 

[thetonka]

Fedex sucks
They showed my brothers latest package "loaded for delivery" on the 20th, still nothing today, the 25th this is completely normal for fedex here, it will probably end up shipped back as "address not found" or "package refused" Even the UPS relief drivers can find us but it seems to be impossible for fedex

I have had the same exact problems with UPS over the last couple of years, and I have lived in very easy to find apartments and condos.

I have found that for me it is easier to pick up my packages at the UPS depot, thats if the tracking information is right. The last alarm I had shipped from a supplier about 120 miles away ended up missing me at home then taking a 200 mile round trip to another depot for some reason that the UPS people can't even explain to me.

 

[MudHog]

For receiving packages, I prefer UPS. I personally know my driver and that helps greatly with leaving packages on the porch.

Fedex is iffy, but never had a issue with them.

For my sign shop, I do all my shipping using USPS Priority Mail. If someone needs the graphics sooner, then I go with UPS.

 

[Bubba]

Fedex sucks
They showed my brothers latest package "loaded for delivery" on the 20th, still nothing today, the 25th this is completely normal for fedex here, it will probably end up shipped back as "address not found" or "package refused" Even the UPS relief drivers can find us but it seems to be impossible for fedex

Been there, done that. I live in the stix and I think Fedex drives around with my stuff in their truck until they get enough packages for the area to make their trip worthwhile. In fact I am supposed to receive a package via Fedex today. I prolly won't see it until Friday. I never ship anything Fedex because the closest office is about 50 miles away. USPS is my second (and only) choice. USPS is often cheaper shipping heavy items than UPS. I have shipped many Ford V8 heads through them.
Bubba

 

[Dieselmaster]

I saw this thread pop up and figured I would add another comment to it.

I recently ordered some stereo stuff for my truck. One place was in Florida and the other San Diego. I ordered the items on the same day... within minutes of each other.

The one in Forida was shipped UPS ground service. The other Fed-x 2-day. I recieved the package from Florida 2 days begore I got the package from San Diego.

Even shipping UPS ground from California I normally get things next day, and never more than 2 days. Fed-Ex took seven days to get me the package from San Diego. I had a tracking number and everything... All it did for me was to let me see it sitting in one of their hubs....

I also have to comment on USPS... I usually don't want anything shipped via USPS... but I ordered some stuff from Bob at DS and he ships via USPS... I was pleasently suprised and how quickly the stuff arrived.. actually faster than UPS ground... and they now have a tracking service kind of like the other big names... though it's more of a, expect it on this day kind of thing and not a see where it currently is...