Rural porch pirates: ideas?

[jmc]

I'd like to minimize delivery trucks on my 5/8 mile, soft-when-wet lane. Thinking about mounting a job box or similar down by the road and train the drivers to lock packages in it instead of racing up to the house as fast as the potholes will allow them to drive. Seems like they would cooperate since deliveries/day is one of their metrics, and it's 2 minutes drive time each way. Anybody tried this or see any problems?

BTW, Consumer Reports reviewed plastic drop boxes targeted at more urban areas and mentioned urban theft is 16% vs 8% rural theft. (A plastic box at my place would just be a beacon.)

 

[ericm979]

We have a box by the gate. Half the time the package is on the ground near the box. The delivery companies put drivers on a super aggressive schedule, so they are in a hurry. It doesn't matter that we saved them time. Drivers have told us that their delivery companies GPS track them and want them to take the package to the house.

 

[bunyip]

We don't get deliveries except on large items that need mechanical assistance to unload, the post office have lockers with 24hr access and when there is a parcel they SMS 6 digit code which I have to enter followed by my mobile number, soon as this is done the box springs open, you never know which one it will be and there are a variety of sizes depending upon the size of the parcel, anything from a padded A4 bag to 24 bottles of wine.
A free service and allows me to pick up when it suits me.

 

[Rob41]

I'm sure some people do something like that with good results. Like you said, it could be a beacon as well particularly if nobody has line of sight on the box.

At my rural home, I have about a 200' paved driveway. Some carriers put items in the garage (yay), some set the packages at the garage service door, and others walk up on the front porch and place items next to the front door. Getting all your carriers to get on the same page might be a challenge.

Is it at all possible for your packages to get delivered to a trusted neighbor? Good luck, I hope you end up with a solution that works for you.

 

[Rebeldad1]

how about putting your box a couple hundred feet up your driveway. would be away from the road. could also put a couple working or dummy game cameras on posts near the entrance to make the thieves aware someone is watching

 

[Midniteoyl]

Put a decorative shed ~100ft up the drive and have the packages dropped off there..? Would need to provide a turn around as well.

 

[Diggin It]

For the potential money and risk involved, would it be better to have gravel laid once every year or two?

 

[jaydee325]

How close are you to a post office, UPS store, or Fed Ex store/drop point (one is at my local Walgreens.)

You can then set it up to have your packages dropped in those related locations.

For example, I've done the free sign up for UPS that allows me several perks. One of them is instead of dropping your packages at your home, they will deliver to the UPS store/drop point where you can pick up.

 

[Midniteoyl]

How close are you to a post office, UPS store, or Fed Ex store/drop point (one is at my local Walgreens.)

You can then set it up to have your packages dropped in those related locations.

For example, I've done the free sign up for UPS that allows me several perks. One of them is instead of dropping your packages at your home, they will deliver to the UPS store/drop point where you can pick up.

This is a good idea. I know I have several places for both FED Ex and UPS in town.

 

[seville009]

I rent a mail box at the local ups store and have all my deliveries shipped there. Works out pretty well.

as described by jaydee325 above, some shippers also have drop off locations; Amazon has "lockers" at various locations.

 

[jaydee325]

Also, Amazon Prime lets you specify your "Prime Day" when they will deliver your packages. That way, you can specify a day so that you can watch for your delivery, minimizing the time it is setting out for thieves to intercept.

 

[jyoutz]

I'd like to minimize delivery trucks on my 5/8 mile, soft-when-wet lane. Thinking about mounting a job box or similar down by the road and train the drivers to lock packages in it instead of racing up to the house as fast as the potholes will allow them to drive. Seems like they would cooperate since deliveries/day is one of their metrics, and it's 2 minutes drive time each way. Anybody tried this or see any problems?

BTW, Consumer Reports reviewed plastic drop boxes targeted at more urban areas and mentioned urban theft is 16% vs 8% rural theft. (A plastic box at my place would just be a beacon.)

Guard dog on porch takes care of these issues

 

[Diggin It]

How close are you to a post office, UPS store, or Fed Ex store/drop point (one is at my local Walgreens.)

You can then set it up to have your packages dropped in those related locations.

For example, I've done the free sign up for UPS that allows me several perks. One of them is instead of dropping your packages at your home, they will deliver to the UPS store/drop point where you can pick up.

Some of them charge a fee ... per package. Place a single order that gets shipped in five packages ... five fees.

Guard dog on porch takes care of these issues

How will having at dog on your porch save the truck(s) from driving down your 1/2 mile road?

 

[jaydee325]

Guard dog on porch takes care of these issues

Don't that keep away the delivery person too!?

 

[zzvyb6]

Glitter bomb.

 

[grsthegreat]

boy..sure glad i live in an area where there are no porch pirates. never lost a single package in 25 years. and have a simple plastic box at foot of stairs. living on a 1 way street, 1.5 miles from main road helps.

 

[Jstpssng]

In winter I don't ask the drivers to come down my road as it can be pretty snarly at times. Instead I have them left at a dropoff place 10 miles away. As DigginIt says, they charge me by the package so when a single order gets split into several packages, I can spend more at the drop box than the shipping cost me.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I had my mail stolen about a year ago. All they got was a couple of packages of resistors and capacitors, which were under $5 at Amazon and worthless to anyone not into electronics. I hope it was a object lesson in how to waste your time and commit federal felonies.

 

[Hay Dude]

Guard dog on porch takes care of these issues

Not everyone can afford a properly trained guard dog. There’s the purchase of the dog, immunizations, vet bills, food and a lot of time that it takes to train and look after the dog. Some people are allergic to dogs.
Why should anyone have to go through all these expenses to prevent this now rampant theft crime? We know it’s the “new norm” of minimal charges or no imprisonment, even glamorization of it that’s the cause!
Does everyone have to own security cameras, guard dogs, guns, alarms or can we be tough enough on crime to greatly reduce it?

 

[LouNY]

Once winter gets here (looks like it's here today) I put a large plastic tote at the end of my driveway.
The drivers that know the driveway will not try it when it gets snow covered. Fortunately if they do try
it they usually spin out in the first 100 ft and can just slide right back down.
I do have to put a sign up so they can see it, that says packages here or they will just place them any where.
I do put up a game camera just for the heck of it.