Rant on shipping

[user.69169]

We back to Sears & Roebuck & Put on de shopping list times way I see it. Amazoom got whole bunch of addicts, don't matter to me. I still got list on ice box door, ice box electric now, take something out I want to replace I put on list for when I go to Wegman store. Store is bigger den town where I grew up, I get der bout once every 10 days.
Now over der on SummerComer Acres its whole different world. Dey got ruts from delivery trucks and 4 x 4 vehicles to get thru ruts fer dem 6 trips a day to de corner store. Dey even hung paper on bulletin board at store fer unhappy customers want store to deliver. Can't get nothing done cause dey constantly on road for item by item. Pure addiction, but dey cute and fun.

FedEx employee 000,001 man named Fred Smith. Fred wrote whole plan for FedEx, didn't have name tho back den and brilliant professor of dullardry not only gave Fred F, he tore Fred up in front of Class fer learnin nothin.
Fred started wid plan, some borrowed money, few other know nothing Air Force trained pilots and a few rented Lear Jets and bunch of leased vans. Wasn't able to get Authority from Government for a while to fly anything bigger, and Big Brown made plenty campaign donations to keep Fred from getting Authority. Took a while but Fred got Authority and Big Brown realaized dey screwed up and der air service stunk like brown color dey painted trucks.

Fred fights to win, so while whippin brown butt in de air, Fred who too dumb to pass college course mighta suggested Roadway Express who had Authority stretch it from just LTL to package delivery since Railway Express crappin out. Roadway did and sold package routes to contractors to keep Union out dat part of business. Contractors pick and deliver and Roadway carry city to city. Roadway got caught up in de Bankruptcy scam same lawyers who busted out KMart and swiped pensions set up and was bout to go tires up across auction block.

Fred writes 1 check and buys Roadway complete. Freight side becomes FedEx Freight. Package side becomes FedEx Ground wid orange lettering instead of purple.

Big war breaks out in shipping wid Post Office jumpin back in wid standard size Priority boxes all machine sortable and even machine loadable. Salesmen from Post Office, UPS and FedEx get about price cutting to gain volume for der system. Post Office switch to optical character reader from bar code and cut deeper cause dey got lower handling cost. UPS locked hard into bar codes. Fred lets PostOffice debug OCR and den makes switch to both OCR & Bar code after hiring men retiring from Post Office who know system. Fred opens up FedEx Home Delivery. Sells franchises for dang near every city after Amazoom signs long contract. Home Delivery completely NonUnion. FedEx Freight OTR drivers happy to pull box full of Home Delivery packages.

Last I know Fred still comes to work in Memphis every day Monday - Friday. Fred reads his own email every day too and sends to appropriate assistant to handle. Fred still grinnin bout dat college professor.

 

[Oaktree]

That said, if you're fine with getting what you order online and when it get it shipped to you, I'm guessing you aren't ranting on shipping?

I was not complaining about living in the country. Far from it, being away from all that "city stuff" is a small price to pay for all the benefits of country living. No shipping rant, in fact very few complaints about any of the major shippers. Just saying that for many of us picking something up in person isn't a very good option.

 

[Oaktree]

Do you see in the near future a concept catching on where you order meals online, pay online and make a reservation at the restaurant to eat there at a specific time? You just show up, party of 5 at 8pm, table is ready meal is almost ready, have drinks, meal is served, you tip the server afterward but everything else is done online?

Seems like to me anyway, it would be a good concept. Big time saver. Cuts out all the waiting for service, waiting for food, waiting for the check, waiting for the return, etc.

Some restaurants are using a point of sale terminal now that the waiter brings to the table and your CC is run, receipt printed at the same time. But if you could do it up front, would you?

Maybe I'm just getting old, but to me part of the experience of eating out is going, looking at the menu then deciding when I'm there. If there's going to be a long wait, I'll go somewhere else. I'll order a pizza (for pickup) on the phone, don't think I've ever ordered any meal online. I suppose this could be appealing to younger people but it doesn't have much appeal to me.

I am not a big Amazon fan, but I just ordered a 1-1/8" drill bit from them.
I had it shipped to the nearest "Amazon hub".
It is 20+ miles away, and I will pick it up when in that area.
Arrived there in only 2 days.
Don't know if this shipping time will be the norm, but I wanted to try the system out.
Over $25, shipping is free.

I used one of their hubs just recently and I'd do it again. Order was delivered 3 days before they said it would be there and considerably sooner than it would have come if it had been delivered to the house.
I guess it depends on when the package arrives at the hub. I was in town anyway that day, not sure I'd want to make a special trip though. Note that the hubs will only hold your package for 5 days or so, then send it back if it hasn't been picked up.

 

[Dftodd]

Neither do I, but I live with it every day for work. If a company pays for next day air, they should expect it next day air, or I'd be highly upset. Where it gets trickey is when the order is called in and the time zone from where the part is shipping and how long it takes to process the order from the manufacturer.

Generally for larger parts such as compressors or heat exchangers, it's generally a 1-3 lead time for common carrier.

Next day air and ships that day unless after 3pm for most of my vendors. I usually ask if it's not a company I deal with on a daily basis.

I have one vendor, you might as well pay for standard shipping. And good luck if you need it now. It might ship in two days or two weeks. Just depends on their mood. And they are an oem dealer for us. We also at one point t were sending them millions of dollars a year.

If your spending that kind of money with someone, you would think they would be a little more proactive.

One company I love. Most everything I order from them with standard shipping is delivered next day when ups runs. Just gotta get it ordered before 3pm so they can get the order processed and boxed up before ups arrives for their daily pickup. Company is next day delivery for large freight items as well

 

[Dftodd]

Maybe I'm just getting old, but to me part of the experience of eating out is going, looking at the menu then deciding when I'm there. If there's going to be a long wait, I'll go somewhere else. I'll order a pizza (for pickup) on the phone, don't think I've ever ordered any meal online. I suppose this could be appealing to younger people but it doesn't have much appeal to me.



I used one of their hubs just recently and I'd do it again. Order was delivered 3 days before they said it would be there and considerably sooner than it would have come if it had been delivered to the house.
I guess it depends on when the package arrives at the hub. I was in town anyway that day, not sure I'd want to make a special trip though. Note that the hubs will only hold your package for 5 days or so, then send it back if it hasn't been picked up.

I order online and schedule a pickup time for meals when I'm out of town for work. Usually I'm hot, sweaty and tired. Or cold, miserable, and tired.

I'll leave the shop or jobsite and pickup the food to take back to my hotel. I eat good, but don't enjoy eating in a restaraunt by myself. And once I've hit my hotel room, I get comfortable and am in for the night.

 

[lman]

I am not a big Amazon fan, but I just ordered a 1-1/8" drill bit from them.
I had it shipped to the nearest "Amazon hub".
It is 20+ miles away, and I will pick it up when in that area.
Arrived there in only 2 days.
Don't know if this shipping time will be the norm, but I wanted to try the system out.
Over $25, shipping is free.

A 40 mile drive is not free. Seems like it would make more sense to join Amazon Prime.

 

[JethroB]

Delivery is big business and employs a lot of people. My yearly cost is $119 that I am willing pay.

And includes Prime Video. Cheaper than Netflix.

 

[Doofy]

And includes Prime Video. Cheaper than Netflix.

Yes, and still waiting on a new season of Bosch. :thumbsup:

 

[goeduck]

Yes, and still waiting on a new season of Bosch. :thumbsup:

Bosch? More detail?

 

[two_bit_score]

We like to go out and relax. If we wanted no waiting for anything, Burger King has that figured out.

Yeah but youæ±*e eating Burger King. Are you even sure itç—´ real beef?

So, is it relaxing to go to a restaurant and get in line for a table, then get seated and wait for a menu and wait for someone to take your drink order, then wait to place your order, then wait, and wait and wait for your food, then wait for drink refills, then wait for your plates to be removed and then wait for the check, then wait for someone to come get the check and then wait for someone to bring it back with your card?

If you do then you probably really do like Burger King.