Have any strange delivery experiences being rural?

[fidowanttobe]

Hope I don't jinx myself,

UPS is awesome. Never a problem, don't drive on the wet spots, packages easy to find with note on the door if weather makes them put in a vehicle or whatever. Excellent tracking and website.

Fed Ex?? Ugh. Front door? Back door? Shop door? NEIGHBORS door??!! Why must you drive on the softest area of the road?? No one else does! Placement sometimes makes me think some are tossed from the window. Mediocre to fair tracking and often late.

USPS . . , depends who is driving I guess. I think we have a lot of substitutes or turn-over as the mail vehicle changes a lot. I have the jumbo mailbox so most things fit but if it doesn't, they won't get out of the car, so out the window it is tossed on the driveway. I've seen it.

I hear it's hard to find good help these days.

 

[Tinhack]

USPS . . , depends who is driving I guess. I think we have a lot of substitutes or turn-over as the mail vehicle changes a lot.

I'm fortunate in that matter. We've had the same USPS driver (man & wife) since I've lived here--Going on 25 years. When they retire, I hope the new person is responsible. They are always remembered at Christmas.

 

[thepumpguysc]

I totally agree w making friends w the USPS driver.!!
My guy will even drive packages to my shop if he sees the door open..(100yrds)
He asked me the other day if it would b ok if he signed for my packages if I wasn’t home..
He always brings the packages to the porch..
But then again, I give him 50.00 EVERY CHRISTMAS in a card..
Fedx is a joke on wheels..
I got a cardboard envelope delivered the other day, left on the porch, standing up..in the pouring rain and the flap was open.!!! Naturally there was a part missing.!!

 

[JJT]

I found making friends with your drivers improves performance.... Also don't let the dogs attempt to remove them, after that they'll never come again.

It always takes a few weeks/months to train a new driver but praise and gentle corrections with some treats thrown in work for me

Same here Eagle. My delivery guys/gals always get a cold beverage, sometimes two. And small gift cards, candy and scratch offs for the holidays. No issues with delivery here, from USPS, UPS or FEDEX or the oil guy. The house is 800' from the road. The driveway is always cleared, with a good turnaround for trucks. I once had to tow the UPS driver out of the snowbank when he parked at the road to deliver to a neighbor. I think I earned a few brownie points that day.

 

[tomplum]

We've certainly have had USPS issues, but the gal we have now is great!
Another strange delivery we had was gravel - before we had the tractor. As I was coming home, there was ~ a yard of gravel down at the main road by our mail boxes. As I make it to my driveway, about the same at the end. The driver was to chain his gate and spread 12 yards of gravel down the drive. I guess he should have opened it another link or two! Called the gravel place to find out if the gravel left by the mailboxes was mine or not, thinking it pretty coincidental. I got the well, he wouldn't have done that. I asked him to check with the driver so I knew. Got the call back w/ egg on his face. So that year, we contributed to the mailbox gravel....

 

[repete]

I love my UPS guy. A few years ago I was setting mole traps and he drove up and saw me and climbed out and spend about 15 minutes setting traps with me. He said he hates moles.
We have been good friends since.

 

[Oaktree]

Hope I don't jinx myself,

UPS is awesome. Never a problem, don't drive on the wet spots, packages easy to find with note on the door if weather makes them put in a vehicle or whatever. Excellent tracking and website.

Fed Ex?? Ugh. Front door? Back door? Shop door? NEIGHBORS door??!! Why must you drive on the softest area of the road?? No one else does! Placement sometimes makes me think some are tossed from the window. Mediocre to fair tracking and often late.

USPS . . , depends who is driving I guess. I think we have a lot of substitutes or turn-over as the mail vehicle changes a lot. I have the jumbo mailbox so most things fit but if it doesn't, they won't get out of the car, so out the window it is tossed on the driveway. I've seen it.

I can't complain about any of the services. If no one's around, Fedex and UPS will leave package on the front steps, USPS will leave it inside the porch.

As far as "strange" delivery experiences, maybe 8 years ago I put a new metal roof on my garage. Ordered the roofing from HD (didn't have the length I needed in stock). No charge to pick up at store, but if I chose delivery they wanted $1100 delivery charge for ~$600 worth of roofing! Uh, no I'll pick it up.

 

[IndyIan]

I am amazed they come up our 1/4 mile driveway, but most do, as we do have a large plastic tote down at the end of the driveway for deliveries if they don't want go for scenic drive... Amazon here uses a private delivery company and its all recent immigrants, younger Pakistani or Indian guys driving beat up white minivans from the amazon warehouse 2 hours away. Quite a few are from farms in mountains there and like our place with chickens running around, goats in the pasture, and are familiar with our big white livestock guard dogs. They also know how to drive in snow and ice as the one guy came up the hill on a icy day I was hesitant to take my car with snow tires

 

[deserteagle71]

FedEx is the only one I've had problems with, and even then it depends on the driver. Like others here, I have a long private driveway but with no gate at the end that would need to be open. Every so often a FedEx driver (seems to be a different driver every time) will just drop the package at the intersection of the driveway and the main county road and leave. Anyone driving down the county road could just grab the package and take off with it. But most of the delivery drivers come up the driveway and put the package in a big container I have for just that purpose sitting by the driveway.

 

[CoryB]

UPS, FedEx, and Amazon all deliver to my driveway or porch. USPS is a guessing game due to constantly changing drivers.

Apparently the USPS regulation is for them to deliver packages up to 1/2 mile on a private road if necessary. My driveway is 4/10 of a mile from the public road but they can't seem to make it here. They have used the excuse that the road was washed out (potholes filled with water), unknown address (although mail gets in the box just fine), or undeliverable due to xxxxx.

My neighbors both work for the USPS and say that our servicing post office is the worst one they know of. And they don't get their mail either.