USPS Late, Wants Money For Tracking

[Mal Paso]

Does anyone else think the Post Office has hit a new LOW. My package is Late and they want $2.20 to tell me where it is. Or I can get 10 years of tracking for $9.99.

Or I can stop using the post office. That's the only real option.

You can't complain, their email doesn't work.

[Winger Ed.]

In the old days, they charged extra for tracking.
Then, since nobody wanted it--- you paid for it, and got it whether you wanted it or not.

Now it seems you pay for it if you want it or not, but get charged extra to access it.

My, how far we've come.

[downzero]

No. In fact, I think the post office is an absolutely incredible value.

[cwtebay]

I use the post office for dozens of packages every day. I cannot say I have ever had that experience.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[imashooter2]

No. In fact, I think the post office is an absolutely incredible value.

Yes sir. I wouldn’t deliver an envelope down the block for 55 cents.

[tomme boy]

Yes sir. I wouldn’t deliver an envelope down the block for 55 cents.

They are a JOKE! Throw out the union and all the bull that goes with them. Was not our fault the unions promised stuff they knew was never going to be funded.

[jonp]

? I track packages all of the time, in fact just tracked one of my sweethearts, and didn't pay for it

[dangitgriff]

No. In fact, I think the post office is an absolutely incredible value.

They socialize the cost, and borrow the difference.
Socialism failed the Soviet Union and other Communist states, yet is championed far and wide by economic illiterates here in the U.S., judging by the immense support the failed USPS receives.

[Lloyd Smale]

They are a JOKE! Throw out the union and all the bull that goes with them. Was not our fault the unions promised stuff they knew was never going to be funded.

guess we could support fed x who pays flat rate to there drivers whether they work 8 hours or 15 to deliver there daily run and work weekends for the same money while the fat cats at fed x get rich with the boom in home deliverys since the covid thing hit. My fed x driver said his average day is 4 hours longer then it was a year ago and he gets no more money. Are you willing to work 4 hours a day for free??? Just ask ANY fed x driver if hed rather work at ups. Look at it logically. Shipping something fed x is no cheaper then shipping it ups and the fed x driver probably makes half what the ups driver does in a year. Who do you think is pocketing that money. Surely not the middle class employee like you and I. While your at it look at the lap of luxury your post office deliver person is living in!!! I think all three of them deserve a big pat on the back for what they do. Ive got christmas card made out to all 3 of them and the garbage men too sitting on the table to be handed out this week.

[No_1]

Why would you pay them when you can enter the tracking number (from your receipt if you didn't write it down) into their system and see it for yourself?

Robert


Does anyone else think the Post Office has hit a new LOW. My package is Late and they want $2.20 to tell me where it is. Or I can get 10 years of tracking for $9.99.

Or I can stop using the post office. That's the only real option.

You can't complain, their email doesn't work.

[zarrinvz24]

I think one of the main reasons USPS is lagging behind on some packages currently is because of the COVID restrictions and not allowing too many people in one spot. For instance, a mail room that may have once had 20 people working in it now can only fit 8. I don't think there are any less packages to be sorted, and we cannot add hours to the day - so the only possible outcome is for things to be delayed. TBH, I'm surprised its not been worse than it has. It's an impossible situation.

[StuBach]

Also, you could have the recipient access myUSPS app. Once you sign up it actually will alert you to all packages and mail that is currently enroute to your address and when to expect it.

Wasn’t aware of wage difference for FedEx/UPS but to be honest both of them are crap in my area. UPS now doesn’t even deliver most packages to rural areas around here, they just drop at the local post office and have usps deliver rest of the way. FedEx I still see regularly but anything they drop has literally been dropped multiple times by appearance of package where USPS usually comes in fully intact but even that is slipping as of late due to Covid pressures.

[Mal Paso]

Why would you pay them when you can enter the tracking number (from your receipt if you didn't write it down) into their system and see it for yourself?

Robert

I entered the tracking number on the USPS website and they refused to say where the package was except that it was "In-Transit".

To find out more USPS wanted to Sell Me "Premium Tracking" for $2.10. I think Graft is the correct word.

I thought I was the only one up at this hour. LOL

[StuBach]

That sounds similar to an issue I had several months ago. I ordered a large irregular shaped (4’ tube) product from Rockler and it shipped from my closest store about an hour away. When they took the package on their normal run to the PO it got bulk checked in so the tracking number was in their system. After a week of not getting it and no movement on the number other than “created” I contacted Rockler. They did some digging with USPS and told me that what sometimes happens is the guys who do the check in at usps desk get lazy and don’t want to deal with a package so they leave it for the next shift. What apparently happened (and is not uncommon) was my package kept getting skipped over and over again till Rockler inquired, than miraculously it showed up a day later.

[Stewbaby]

USPS tracking is a myth

[wv109323]

We ordered several of our Christmas gifts instead of shopping locally. The USPS tracking system is terrible. I ordered a package from Washington state . It showed in Washington for about 10 days and then showed in the local distribution area on Nov.27 and delivered on Nov. 28. Another package ordered from NJ showed in the local distribution on Nov. 25 and was not delivered Dec. 2.
So a package that arrived later in the local distribution was delivered sooner than one that arrived sooner. The mail is not first in first out as I would expect but let it set until we get to it.
My daughter ordered medicine for her dog. It set in the local distribution for several days. The dog ran out of medicine and the seller sent new medicine over night by another carrier to solve he problem.
Most local mail delivering now is done with contract labor and not USPS employees. Most USPS employees are in a top heavy management position and stay in an office managing the contractors.

[DougGuy]

Simply enter the number into a google search, it will either open up tracking or it will give you the option to track with usps, and instantly your tracking opens up and you can view history,etc. I get email every time I print a shipping label, and every morning when mail will be delivered. They send a photo of the flat mail along with this notification, and a list of tracking numbers of items that are to be delivered, sometimes a couple of days out.

[BJK]

I track usps packages for free all the time. It must be done on their site and not at stampsdotcom or some such. If detailed tracking is desired, just look down and if memory serves it's a choice below what you're looking at. Heck, I do it so frequently it doesn't even register anymore. But just look around, it's there. In person at the USPS counter maybe they charge, I don't know about that.

[Lloyd Smale]

Why would you pay them when you can enter the tracking number (from your receipt if you didn't write it down) into their system and see it for yourself?

Robert

thats for sure. Heck i can go on line for free and even see where the ups truck delivering to my house that day is at in his route. If my dog was out of meds that i ordered on line it seems a pretty simple move to go to the vet and ask for some. I get all my meds through the va by mail. I log on check the box for the ones i need and hit send and there here within a week. I make sure when im down to two weeks supply i order more. If i run out its my own stupid fault not the post offices.

[Lloyd Smale]

We ordered several of our Christmas gifts instead of shopping locally. The USPS tracking system is terrible. I ordered a package from Washington state . It showed in Washington for about 10 days and then showed in the local distribution area on Nov.27 and delivered on Nov. 28. Another package ordered from NJ showed in the local distribution on Nov. 25 and was not delivered Dec. 2.
So a package that arrived later in the local distribution was delivered sooner than one that arrived sooner. The mail is not first in first out as I would expect but let it set until we get to it.
My daughter ordered medicine for her dog. It set in the local distribution for several days. The dog ran out of medicine and the seller sent new medicine over night by another carrier to solve he problem.
Most local mail delivering now is done with contract labor and not USPS employees. Most USPS employees are in a top heavy management position and stay in an office managing the contractors.

where do you work?? What would happen if overnight your there business trippled?? Could they keep up. Would the double there factory or amount of delivery trucks if they knew this was not going to be permenant and would go back to the old levels in a year? I dont see ruger or cci or hogdon building new factorys because theres a temporary run on what they make. Want to see real slow downs look for some small rifle or pistol primers. Just about every gun and reloading on line site has warnings that shipping will be delayed 2 week to even a month. Its fed x that using contract labor. My fed x delivery guy told me his check doesnt even come from fed x. It comes from a sub contractor. My ups driver works for ups and has been there for over 20 years. My mail lady is a employee of the postal service not a contractor and thats the same for every mail carrier ive seen around here. Must be different where you live. Personaly i think all three are amazing. Like i said the demand for there services has doubled or trippled and i still get everything i order. Might have to wait for the company to ship it a bit but once ups fed x or usps gets it its here in a few days. Heck fed x is even delivering on sundays now there so swamped. Top heavy? Or post office and its 4 small po's that are part of it have exactly one person sitting in an office. We had 9 lineman in our shop and had a supervisor and a line foreman sitting in an office and a secretary. Now thats top heavy. Our supervisor spent most of his days with the wall street journal playing the stock market. What bugs me is guys who really dont have a clue as to what goes on in a business or what it takes to make it work that consider themselves experts on it.

[Lloyd Smale]

Im going to bow out of this bs now. I think that all three of them are doing an AMAZING job in this crisis and have really stepped up. They not only work hard but have to be out in the public risking infection every day. I THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. Poor people sitting home complaining there mail took an extra day to get there? NOT SO MUCH!!!

[Froogal]

Does anyone else think the Post Office has hit a new LOW. My package is Late and they want $2.20 to tell me where it is. Or I can get 10 years of tracking for $9.99.

Or I can stop using the post office. That's the only real option.

You can't complain, their email doesn't work.

I agree with you 100%. With UPS, I can track a package from the time the label is created, to the time it is delivered and in my hands. USPS used to be the same way, but now they want MORE money for the tracking. I used to stick up for the post office. Not any more. If given a choice now, I will choose UPS.

[bedbugbilly]

Since when did these charges start being charged? I can track a package right on-line. I had one that I sent out that should have reached NY from AZ sooner - kept looking and all it said was "in transit" - called the local PO and they checked and could tell me exactly where it was and there was no charge.

OP - I see you live in the Republik of Kalifornia - perhaps you ought to check in to this as as far as I know, you can track a package for free and anytime I have had to check with the PO - they look it up for free. Maybe your governor has instituted another way to extract money out of the peons?

[sparky45]

Yes sir. I wouldn’t deliver an envelope down the block for 55 cents.

I'm betting you WOULD if you got their benefit package.

[sparky45]

I think one of the main reasons USPS is lagging behind on some packages currently is because of the COVID restrictions and not allowing too many people in one spot. For instance, a mail room that may have once had 20 people working in it now can only fit 8. I don't think there are any less packages to be sorted, and we cannot add hours to the day - so the only possible outcome is for things to be delayed. TBH, I'm surprised its not been worse than it has. It's an impossible situation.

And all this time I thought the sorting of mail/packages was done by computer scans and other forms of automation. Yes, you probably need a person to dump the mail INTO the stream of automated gismo's.

[sparky45]

Im going to bow out of this bs now. I think that all three of them are doing an AMAZING job in this crisis and have really stepped up. They not only work hard but have to be out in the public risking infection every day. I THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. Poor people sitting home complaining there mail took an extra day to get there? NOT SO MUCH!!!

I understand what you're saying Lloyd, I don't agree with you, but I was never in a Union.

[40-82 hiker]

I entered the tracking number on the USPS website and they refused to say where the package was except that it was "In-Transit".

To find out more USPS wanted to Sell Me "Premium Tracking" for $2.10. I think Graft is the correct word.

I thought I was the only one up at this hour. LOL

I find your problem very disturbing. However, I cannot recreate your problem. I just tracked several packages (admittedly ones I already have received), and found no problems with tracking with actual details. This is the page and location BJk referred to, with the detailed tracking history circled in red. Could you share the page you're seeing if it does not look like this one? The obvious retort to me would be that this is an older "delivered" package, but this and others are all I have to work with.

273050

We have had too many problems this year with packaged delivered to the wrong address, and even two flat-rate priority packages that took 6 days to go the distance of 1/2 the state (?), but now blackmail to find out where they are while in transit. ?? Wow! Sorry to hear about your problem. The obvious use of tracking is to quickly assist in finding out if the package was delivered to the wrong address. The USPS can then use the GPS saved on the scanning unit to retrieve the package, but only after we notify them of the problem. Why can't the software in the scanner tell the mailman that they are leaving the package at an address that is not consistent with the address on the package (isn't that what GPS is really good at doing - telling us where a given address is)? Seems like a simple software change to me...

Or, am I missing something here?

[blackthorn]

They are a JOKE! Throw out the union and all the bull that goes with them. Was not our fault the unions promised stuff they knew was never going to be funded.

From the first sentence of your post I assume you are anti Union. That's fine, your choice. What got my attention was the second sentence. Please explain to me under what circumstances the Union dictates what, where or how services are to be delivered. In my experience, Unions & employers NEGOTIATE (caps to stress there are two sides) terms with respect to wages, working conditions and benefit packages. The contract between the two sides requires each side to sign an agreement before it comes into effect. Employers sell product or services. Workers, through their Unions sell labor. Would you expect the employer to sell his/her product for less than the market will bear?? I think not! Why then would you expect the Union to sell labor at a discount?? If you are unhappy with whatever contract affects you, at least lay the blame equally where it belongs. It is not the workers fault if their Union is a better negotiator than the Employer.

[Pinger87]

I stopped using USPS a loooooong time ago, third party transport has much better customer service.

[farmbif]

I just hope the usps gets new leadership and gets straightened out cuz current leadership has run it into the ground

[dangitgriff]

All costs are passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.
Business owners can only price in those costs that consumers are willing to pay. Businesses exist to make a profit. They do not exist to support employees, unionized or not.
Detroit unionized itself right out of existence.
There is an economics 101 lesson in there for pro-unionists.
R/Griff

[Froogal]

Since when did these charges start being charged? I can track a package right on-line. I had one that I sent out that should have reached NY from AZ sooner - kept looking and all it said was "in transit" - called the local PO and they checked and could tell me exactly where it was and there was no charge.

OP - I see you live in the Republik of Kalifornia - perhaps you ought to check in to this as as far as I know, you can track a package for free and anytime I have had to check with the PO - they look it up for free. Maybe your governor has instituted another way to extract money out of the peons?

Just recently. My most recent order from Midway cannot be tracked unless I pay an additional fee. An order I placed a couple of weeks ago also could not be tracked without the additional fee, but it arrived on time.

[kerplode]

I took a look at this with one of my packages that's been in transit for the last 10-ish days.

From what I see, what you have an option to pay for is something called "Premium Tracking: Extended History". Looks like what this does is keep a record of the tracking history of your package for longer than usual. Without this, usps tosses the history after a couple months. Not sure why that matters or what benefit this would be...

But as far as I can tell, I can see my tracking data for free until those couple months go by and it turns into a pumpkin.

[Old School Big Bore]

Nothing about COVID nor "holiday season" explains why the brass I ordered from a member in Utah, once it left three different cities in UT, hit Irving (suburb of Dallas), then San Frantonio, but then instead of Corpus Christi which is next in the usual stream, went to McAllen (waaaaay south in the Rio Grande Valley) and still says it's supposed to arrive TODAY when it still has to get to Sandia prior to 0700 to make it onto the letter-lady's hooptie, which chugs by here at about 1400 daily. Today ain't happening, USPS, you're full of it. But if it does get to Corpus today and Sandia tonight, it SHOULD finally arrive tomorrow or........Monday.
Ed :<

[kerplode]

Nothing about COVID nor "holiday season" explains why the brass I ordered from a member in Utah, once it left three different cities in UT, hit Irving (suburb of Dallas), then San Frantonio, but then instead of Corpus Christi which is next in the usual stream, went to McAllen (waaaaay south in the Rio Grande Valley) and still says it's supposed to arrive TODAY when it still has to get to Sandia prior to 0700 to make it onto the letter-lady's hooptie, which chugs by here at about 1400 daily. Today ain't happening, USPS, you're full of it. But if it does get to Corpus today and Sandia tonight, it SHOULD finally arrive tomorrow or........Monday.
Ed :<

Or it'll never leave McAllen, USPS will change it's status to "Your package will arrive later than expected, but is still on its way. It is currently in transit to the next facility." sometime later today, and maybe you'll get it sometime in January.

I'm excited for a future where USPS fails under the weight of its own incompetence and Amazon delivers the mail instead. Sure, it'll cost more, but my stuff will arrive on time and I'll get WAY less junk mail.

[downzero]

They socialize the cost, and borrow the difference.
Socialism failed the Soviet Union and other Communist states, yet is championed far and wide by economic illiterates here in the U.S., judging by the immense support the failed USPS receives.

Huh? Do you think having an Army is socialism, too? What about having police?

[downzero]

All costs are passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.
Business owners can only price in those costs that consumers are willing to pay. Businesses exist to make a profit. They do not exist to support employees, unionized or not.
Detroit unionized itself right out of existence.
There is an economics 101 lesson in there for pro-unionists.
R/Griff

The postal service is not a "business." It is a constitutionally mandated part of our government. Having universal postal service was so essential to having a civilized society that our founders wrote it into the constitution in 1787. If you thought it was there to support its workers or to pad people's pockets, you are misinformed. The USPS is a critical function of our government and will continued to do what it's doing unless the constitution is amended. I predict that 100 years after you're pushing daisies, it'll be doing exactly what it's doing today.

[kerplode]

I predict that 100 years after you're pushing daisies, it'll be doing exactly what it's doing today.

Yup...100 years from now, the USPS will still be antiquated, inefficient, and useless.

[dangitgriff]

Huh? Do you think having an Army is socialism, too? What about having police?

YES.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201211/003a5e24cfaa25fcf58075a9c346d291.jpg

[downzero]

Yup...100 years from now, the USPS will still be antiquated, inefficient, and useless.

Yet it's completely supported by revenue generated from its customers.

I can only imagine what that says about all the other government agencies. The Postal Service is the most efficient of all of them.

If it's so "useless," I can't wait to see a private company take its place. The USPS delivers more pieces in December alone than all of its competitors combined do all year long.

[dangitgriff]

USPS is more than $160 billion in debt.
Guess who gets to pay that bill?
We need to shut down this poster child for socialism and big government.
https://www.businessinsider.com/usps-rise-fall-post-office-collapse-2020-5

[dangitgriff]

“Management at the United States Postal Service (USPS) has taken a big step toward privatization with the July 10 release of an internal memo stating that mail deliveries would be delayed due to cost cutting and a subsequent directive prohibiting overtime and promising “more to come.””

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/07/22/usps-j22.html

[historicfirearms]

I'm having first class mail take two weeks to be delivered or more. Priority is a bit faster. About half the days now we don't get any mail, never used to be that way. They are super slow.

[Harter66]

I expirenced this phenomenon in smallville Nevada . Their finest hour was when they forwarded a package from Midway with the split UPS/USPS delivery because the PO box recently closed was ahead of the physical new address . That and the new title they forwarded to my Dad in Arkansas in spite of the name being clearly different .
The thing about the split shipping is that it went from Midway to Memphis to Reno to a satellite sort 70 mi away that would have taken it 70 miles to my door but put it in the PO to go back to Reno then to the local PO who knew me and where I was located . Whom put it into the forward where it went to Denver for mark up via Phoenix back to Reno out to the local PO that sent a postage due tag to the physical address box . I had to pay $8.30 to get the package which is what the original shipping from Midway was ....

Currently waiting for a Midway box that has taken 3 days from Columbia MO to St Louis where it checked in on Wednesday afternoon and wandered out this afternoon . Mildly irritating since at this point I could have made a day trip out of it and just done a counter pick up . I don't know where Columbia is off hand but it's only 4 hr to ST Louis .

As I type this tirade it has arrived in Little Rock ........also 4 hr from St Louis and 2.5 east of me .

For gods sake don't let anything go to Memphis TN via USPS . They hired all of the Samsonite airline luggage wreckers to handle the mail there . If you don't get just an empty box it's because it's in a baggie .

Other than that my other 7,846 letters/packages have worked out fine including the USPOMO rent check some dumb..........I mailed with no address or return address on the envelope . Took it 3 weeks but it was delivered .

I think as far as doing the job itself , whether or not they are showing a profit , the job is actually done pretty well . It's still cost effective . Seriously what other delivery system is going to handle a 1200 mile delivery of a 69 lb 15 oz box for $12 ? Nevermind those 20#+ SMFRB for $8.30 , and do so with 1st class mail . FedEx or UPS just drop and go at least there's some threat of punishment with it in the mailbox .

[Sam Casey]

Is UPS or FedEx any better?

[downzero]

Is UPS or FedEx any better?

UPS and FedEx couldn't deliver the volume the USPS handles in December even if they had ALL YEAR to deliver.

People really underestimate the capabilities of the USPS. It has advanced technology and hundreds of thousands of delivery vehicles.

[tomme boy]

where do you work?? What would happen if overnight your there business trippled?? Could they keep up. Would the double there factory or amount of delivery trucks if they knew this was not going to be permenant and would go back to the old levels in a year? I dont see ruger or cci or hogdon building new factorys because theres a temporary run on what they make. Want to see real slow downs look for some small rifle or pistol primers. Just about every gun and reloading on line site has warnings that shipping will be delayed 2 week to even a month. Its fed x that using contract labor. My fed x delivery guy told me his check doesnt even come from fed x. It comes from a sub contractor. My ups driver works for ups and has been there for over 20 years. My mail lady is a employee of the postal service not a contractor and thats the same for every mail carrier ive seen around here. Must be different where you live. Personaly i think all three are amazing. Like i said the demand for there services has doubled or trippled and i still get everything i order. Might have to wait for the company to ship it a bit but once ups fed x or usps gets it its here in a few days. Heck fed x is even delivering on sundays now there so swamped. Top heavy? Or post office and its 4 small po's that are part of it have exactly one person sitting in an office. We had 9 lineman in our shop and had a supervisor and a line foreman sitting in an office and a secretary. Now thats top heavy. Our supervisor spent most of his days with the wall street journal playing the stock market. What bugs me is guys who really dont have a clue as to what goes on in a business or what it takes to make it work that consider themselves experts on it.

fed x drivers either own or lease their route. They also own their trucks unless it is the small van type. They mainly get paid by the pkg they deliver. Or it used to be the way they operated in the past.

[tomme boy]

UPS and FedEx couldn't deliver the volume the USPS handles in December even if they had ALL YEAR to deliver.

People really underestimate the capabilities of the USPS. It has advanced technology and hundreds of thousands of delivery vehicles.

usps contracts out all mail between the PO. They only own the local delivery vehicles.

[OldBearHair]

Checked my SPAM folder and saw an automatic spam. The message told me that I had won a new Iphone that was in excess of $1000.00 and it was sitting there at the Post Office To deliver it to me, I would have to pay a 5% delivery fee which was standard practice. Actually the money amounts were in pounds (English). Glad my computer put it in spam.

[cwtebay]

fed x drivers either own or lease their route. They also own their trucks unless it is the small van type. They mainly get paid by the pkg they deliver. Or it used to be the way they operated in the past.I ran this by my FedEx and UPS drivers today - they just laughed. Not sure if that used to be the case, but I don't think it is anymore!

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[cwtebay]

All costs are passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.
Business owners can only price in those costs that consumers are willing to pay. Businesses exist to make a profit. They do not exist to support employees, unionized or not.
Detroit unionized itself right out of existence.
There is an economics 101 lesson in there for pro-unionists.
R/GriffWell put.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[abunaitoo]

The problem with all big companies under union control, is the union.
That and way to many "upper management"
Unions are really not needed anymore.
We not have many laws that protect the workers.
Yes, it is thanks, "in part", to the unions, but the past is the past.
These days all the unions want is money.
"upper management" does almost nothing to do the work.
All they do is direct traffic.
The higher you go up, the less work you really do.
Middle management still does real work.
When it's a gooberment opperation, it is 100 timer worse.

[tomme boy]

I ran this by my FedEx and UPS drivers today - they just laughed. Not sure if that used to be the case, but I don't think it is anymore!

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

That was told to me by several fed x drivers about 8 months ago . Ups is union and is not the same. https://www.google.com/search?q=how+does+fed+x+own+their+routes&oq=how+does+fed+x+own+their+routes&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i10i22i29i30.22004j0j8&client=tablet-android-uscellular-us&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

[pcolapaddler]

USPS tracking is a mythThis...

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[downzero]

usps contracts out all mail between the PO. They only own the local delivery vehicles.

So what? The airlines are happy to take the mail. It makes them more money than passengers anyway.

[Mal Paso]

The post office couldn't do it with both hands and a road map.

December 11, 2020, 6:12 pm
Available for Pickup
CARMEL, CA 93923
Your item arrived at the CARMEL, CA 93923 post office at 6:12 pm on December 11, 2020 and is ready for pickup.

December 11, 2020, 7:10 am
Out for Delivery
CARMEL, CA 93923

December 11, 2020, 12:29 am
Arrived at Post Office
CARMEL, CA 93923

[dangitgriff]

UPS and FedEx couldn't deliver the volume the USPS handles in December even if they had ALL YEAR to deliver.

People really underestimate the capabilities of the USPS. It has advanced technology and hundreds of thousands of delivery vehicles.

They (USPS) have 600,000 employees and financial backing of the U.S. Treasury via Congress.
FedEx and UPS cannot compete in a free market with that level of Socialism.
R/Griff

[Lloyd Smale]

All costs are passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.
Business owners can only price in those costs that consumers are willing to pay. Businesses exist to make a profit. They do not exist to support employees, unionized or not.
Detroit unionized itself right out of existence.
There is an economics 101 lesson in there for pro-unionists.
R/Griff

Last i saw Gm Chyrsler and Ford are still the biggest producers of cars in the world. Out of existence??? Maybe look at whats driving down the road along side of you.

[Lloyd Smale]

I ran this by my FedEx and UPS drivers today - they just laughed. Not sure if that used to be the case, but I don't think it is anymore!

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

fed x driver drives a fed x truck. There has been some use of private vehicles where there swamped and then they are paid mileage for the use of there own vehicle. Twice ive had fed x deliver in private vehicles so it does happen. They dont get paid by the package. They are salary. They get paid the same amount every day. They get a load of packages and if it takes them 7 hours or 17 hours to deliver them they get the same pay. Delivery people dont even get a check from fed x. Fed x sub contracts drivers from companies that do the hiring and provide them drivers. Another poster made the claim that postal workers have a fantastic benefit package. My delivery lady is considered part time like most delivery people today. She gets very few benefits. Being a federal employee her hours worked dont even count toward social security.

[dangitgriff]

Last i saw Gm Chyrsler and Ford are still the biggest producers of cars in the world. Out of existence??? Maybe look at whats driving down the road along side of you.

No, largest in the U.S., not the world, and their unions are driving up the cost of their autos. From Wikipedia:
“In order to improve profits, the Detroit automakers made deals with unions to reduce wages while making pension and health care commitments. GM, for instance, at one time picked up the entire cost of funding health insurance premiums of its employees, their survivors and GM retirees, as the US did not have a universal health care system. With most of these plans chronically underfunded in the late 1990s, the companies have tried to provide retirement packages to older workers, and made agreements with the UAW to transfer pension obligations to an independent trust. In 2009, the CBC reported that the non-unionized Japanese automakers, with their younger American workforces and fewer retirees will continue to enjoy a cost advantage over the Big Three.”
Unlike with the automakers in Detroit, Americans do not have a choice in who gets to deliver their first-class mail, with Congress granting a protected monopoly to the the USPS. Unionization in the USPS—and all public service sectors—should be banned by law to the benefit of the taxpayers.
R/Griff

[Lloyd Smale]

No, largest in the U.S., not the world, and their unions are driving up the cost of their autos. From Wikipedia:
“In order to improve profits, the Detroit automakers made deals with unions to reduce wages while making pension and health care commitments. GM, for instance, at one time picked up the entire cost of funding health insurance premiums of its employees, their survivors and GM retirees, as the US did not have a universal health care system. With most of these plans chronically underfunded in the late 1990s, the companies have tried to provide retirement packages to older workers, and made agreements with the UAW to transfer pension obligations to an independent trust. In 2009, the CBC reported that the non-unionized Japanese automakers, with their younger American workforces and fewer retirees will continue to enjoy a cost advantage over the Big Three.”
Unlike with the automakers in Detroit, Americans do not have a choice in who gets to deliver their first-class mail, with Congress granting a protected monopoly to the the USPS. Unionization in the USPS—and all public service sectors—should be banned by law to the benefit of the taxpayers.
R/Griff

Funny you can still go to ford dealer and by a f150 or a chev dealer and get a silveardo and price it to an identically optioned toyota and the toyota will ALLWAYS be more expensive. Now they sell more in the world so that alone should make them cheaper. They also pay there employees in japan less then American car workers make which should again make them cheaper. Then ill add to that that the workers in the south at those toyota factorys make every bit as much money and have every bit as good of a benifits package as the workers in detroit do. So wheres that extra couple grand thats made off every toyota going?? Those states gave them massive tax breaks to build those factory's in there state so there probably paying less taxes then the big three are. So obviously those extra thousands of dollars are going right back to japan.

Funny how through the years most of the people i see bashing the union car workers are guys that couldnt be pried out of there little home town or live more then 50 miles from there mother. they work dead end jobs and lash out at the guys that had a big enough set to pack up there things and there family and go somewhere that has jobs that pays a fair wage. they also loose track of the fact that without unions in this country over the last 100 years we would all be working for 10 bucks an hour. Toyotas wage and benifit package was about copied by the union package in detroit because if they didnt pay a competitive wage the only ones that would work there are the same ones that had there mommy in that town. Add to that that probably 90 percent of the safety measures implemented in the work place were brought to you by unions.

I was a lineman (yup union) Before lineworkers were unionized 1 in 4 were killed on the job before they retired. 10 years after the electrical workers unionized, it was down to 4 percent. Are unions all good. Heck no. theres bad in unions like theres bad in goverment like theres bad in everything. but without them we wouldnt have a middle class america today. Wed have system like russia china and japan where you either barely got by or you were filthy rich. I guess we could become like Japan and the workers would be forced to do jumping jacks before work started and have to bow to every supervisor. Me i like the ability to tell my boss to pound sand if he tells me to do something i dont feel is safe. Id also have to be real hungry to take a fed x job where i got paid a set salary and could have to work 12 hours a day 6 days a week and not get a penny of overtime pay knowing that fed x charges about the same per package that im delivering as the guy in the brown truck making twice as much money.

I thank all of those drivers. There the ones that allow me to stay the heck out of the stores today. but i feel sorry for those fed x drivers. with this big boom in truck shipping they have about become slave labor's. Raise your hand if you would say you wouldnt be complaining if you went into work tommarow and they told you as of today you have to work 25 percent more hours and were not paying you a dime more.

By the way. I could care less who sells the most cars in russia china japan or germany. I care about america and the real reason that chev and ford arent the biggest sellers is we let foriegn cars in this country with little to no tarrifs. Its sure not that way on the other end. We let japs and koreans build factorys here to make there cars even cheaper to sell. Is there a chev factory in japan or germany?? It not the union auto workers destroying this country. Its crooked politicians bought off to allow so much of this crap that half of america is owned by foreign interests today. Its why we owe trillions of dollars to them. Im with trump Make AMERICA great. Not japan and germany and korea.

[jonp]

Funny you can still go to ford dealer and by a f150 or a chev dealer and get a silveardo and price it to an identically optioned toyota and the toyota will ALLWAYS be more expensive.

Priced a Nissan Titan lately?

[jonp]

I ran this by my FedEx and UPS drivers today - they just laughed. Not sure if that used to be the case, but I don't think it is anymore!

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

Look on the side of the FedEx trucks you see delivering packages. Most will say "FedEx Contractor" or "Contracted to FedEx". They use a ton of contractors as does the USPS to deliver packages and mail. Mail between DC's is all contracted as is FedEx. Our mailman is a contractor, my wife almost became one but backed out and an ex with her late husband had the USPS contract for years. UPS is a different animal, not sure about them except their road drivers are pretty much all union I think and make great money.

Amazon is almost all or all contractors. Wife just set up her company to do some with extra trucks they had, some of the freight was paying $10/mile. Amazon isn't kidding with their overnight and next day stuff and that is how they are beating the pants off the USPS. Private industry with a profit on the line will always out compete the government sector.

BTW: 2 packages I ordered last week, one with brass and one boolits both by USPS arrived ontime. All the companies work pretty good I think including USPS considering the volume especially at this time of year. Nothing is 100% but when something works fine for 364 days a year, the one day it doesn't stands out. Of the number of packages you have put through the mail, how many never made it? Expecting perfection when something is traveling 2,000 miles and passing through many hands is unreasonable.

[SweetMk]

UPS sends an email that allows me to track my package live, on delivery day,,

Well, our "live" delivery package went to the post office, and about an hour later, a green Jeep came up the driveway.
Yep, that live tracked UPS package was delivered by USPS,,

That truly amazed me,, a live tracked package being carried by UPS being delivered by the post office,,

[Lloyd Smale]

Funny you can still go to ford dealer and by a f150 or a chev dealer and get a silveardo and price it to an identically optioned toyota and the toyota will ALLWAYS be more expensive.

Priced a Nissan Titan lately?

nope. I can honestly say ive never even stepped foot on a foreign car dealership and will die saying the same thing. How do there prices compare?

[Lloyd Smale]

You guys complaining need to look through your predudices and hate and see the truth. this is the busiest shipping time of the year and because of covid id bet mail and shipping is probably double or more from the same time last year. Like i said in previous post look at the powder, primer and bullet manufactures if you really want to see back ups and long shipping times if you can even find some and if you do expect to pay 25 percent more then this time last year. Maybe we should boycott them too. Or maybe the charmin company because the stores didnt have toliet paper for a couple weeks. This is a very unique time in history and I truthfully think its unbelievable that fed x ups and the usps have kept up as well as they have. All three delivery service people from them will get a christmas card and a few bucks for us this year.

[dangitgriff]

Funny you can still go to ford dealer and by a f150 or a chev dealer and get a silveardo and price it to an identically optioned toyota and the toyota will ALLWAYS be more expensive.

Priced a Nissan Titan lately?

You’ve never heard of the Chicken Tax?
Despite protectionist policies that heavily favor American automakers, our new cars are still mostly unaffordable due to union wage demands and ridiculous government safety mandates that drive the cost so high we now have 7 or 8-year auto loans (mini-mortgages) to enable consumers to pay for them.
Consumers should ALWAYS be in the driver’s seat, not the unions and especially not the government. If you want to load up on all those expensive safety features, then you pay for it. As it currently works out, those features are forced on consumers and everyone shares the cost, even those who can’t afford it. That’s socialism.
R/Griff

[Froogal]

fed x drivers either own or lease their route. They also own their trucks unless it is the small van type. They mainly get paid by the pkg they deliver. Or it used to be the way they operated in the past.

Yes. And when you live 15 miles out of town, Fed-Ex will not deliver your package until there are several packages to be delivered in your neighbor hood. I have personally experienced it several times.

[Lloyd Smale]

You’ve never heard of the Chicken Tax?
Despite protectionist policies that heavily favor American automakers, our new cars are still mostly unaffordable due to union wage demands and ridiculous government safety mandates that drive the cost so high we now have 7 or 8-year auto loans (mini-mortgages) to enable consumers to pay for them.
Consumers should ALWAYS be in the driver’s seat, not the unions and especially not the government. If you want to load up on all those expensive safety features, then you pay for it. As it currently works out, those features are forced on consumers and everyone shares the cost, even those who can’t afford it. That’s socialism.
R/Griff

factor in cost of living and theres very little differnce in the price of a car today compared to one in the 60s and your getting 10 times the reliability 3 times the fuel economy and 3 times life expectency. Big differnce is today people throw money at all kinds of toys. Boats, motorcyles atvs snowmobiles trips to the bahamas. All things our parents were raised not to waste money on. Heck it was a rare many back then that had more the 6 guns. Thats why they cold afford 3 year loans on cars and really didnt have a choice because the cars were so crappy by 4 years they were about shot and banks knew it and thats why 3 year loans were the norm. Unions made the back then too and the unions then were much more powerful then they are today. Like i said its silly to blame the unions when the non union car factorys charge more then the union ones do for there cars. I bought my first new car in the service. A 73 340 duster i paid 3900 bucks for. It was for its time loaded. I made 390 bucks a month take home then. Made 3 year payments on it. but it took near half of my wages to do it. Now im retired and have a new truck a 5 year old jeep and a dodge challenger. My truck payment is 700 dollars a month. about a 1/10 of what i make. There has never been a time in history where you got more vehicle for your dollar then today. Its nothing for a new truck to run 300k back in the 60s you bragged to the world if you got a 100k and rightfully so. heck in the 70s up here by 5 years most of them had wooden flatbeds because the body was rotted off them and yup that includes toyotas too. they were actually one of the worse rusting trucks. This crap is all just bs from guys trying to make hard working americans that just happen to have better paying union jobs then they do criticized because there making more money they they do working at the lumber mill or some other dead end job in there podunk little town that they didnt have a set big enough to walk away from and make a real living. Keep digging though maybe you can find a union man that murdered someone so you can claim all union people are murders.

[Froogal]

You guys complaining need to look through your predudices and hate and see the truth. this is the busiest shipping time of the year and because of covid id bet mail and shipping is probably double or more from the same time last year. Like i said in previous post look at the powder, primer and bullet manufactures if you really want to see back ups and long shipping times if you can even find some and if you do expect to pay 25 percent more then this time last year. Maybe we should boycott them too. Or maybe the charmin company because the stores didnt have toliet paper for a couple weeks. This is a very unique time in history and I truthfully think its unbelievable that fed x ups and the usps have kept up as well as they have. All three delivery service people from them will get a christmas card and a few bucks for us this year.

I am not complaining about the delayed delivery. I understand that considering the time of year. What I AM complaining about is the fact that USPS wants an additional fee for tracking. A feature that just a short time ago was totally free!

[cwtebay]

Look on the side of the FedEx trucks you see delivering packages. Most will say "FedEx Contractor" or "Contracted to FedEx". They use a ton of contractors as does the USPS to deliver packages and mail. Mail between DC's is all contracted as is FedEx. Our mailman is a contractor, my wife almost became one but backed out and an ex with her late husband had the USPS contract for years. UPS is a different animal, not sure about them except their road drivers are pretty much all union I think and make great money.

Amazon is almost all or all contractors. Wife just set up her company to do some with extra trucks they had, some of the freight was paying $10/mile. Amazon isn't kidding with their overnight and next day stuff and that is how they are beating the pants off the USPS. Private industry with a profit on the line will always out compete the government sector.

BTW: 2 packages I ordered last week, one with brass and one boolits both by USPS arrived ontime. All the companies work pretty good I think including USPS considering the volume especially at this time of year. Nothing is 100% but when something works fine for 364 days a year, the one day it doesn't stands out. Of the number of packages you have put through the mail, how many never made it? Expecting perfection when something is traveling 2,000 miles and passing through many hands is unreasonable.Apologies - I didn't notice that before. I had only asked my"regular" daily FedEx guy. I didn't realize there was a difference between ground and express untill my Saturday overflow driver explained that to me yesterday. I should have researched more before posting.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[blackthorn]

Lloyd---Lots of truth in your posts above, but keep in mind the old saying----"There are none so blind than those who cannot (will not) see". I have never been able to understand the logic of "those folks make too much money" instead of saying "how can I bring myself up to their wage level"?

[Beerd]

I am not complaining about the delayed delivery. I understand that considering the time of year. What I AM complaining about is the fact that USPS wants an additional fee for tracking. A feature that just a short time ago was totally free!

I believe tracking is still free.

Do not click on the link that is in the e-mail notification you received from the sender.
Go directly to the USPS web site & enter the tracking number.
..

[country gent]

Loyd makes one really true point above and it wasnt only the line mans accident rate that went down due to unions all industries injury rates dropped with them looking out for the workers. Union wages also raised wages in other sectors. Like government they have developed issues that need addressed but unions in the past were key in safety programs and worker health. Used to be it wasnt uncommon for an injury at work was covered by the worker also, not the employer. Like it or not even non union workers have benefited.

One of the big issues with manufacturing in this country are the regulations that must be complied with. When Harley wanted to increase casting facilities epa made it so hard they contracted the excess out to italy. Starting a casting facility, machining, or production facility now is next to impossible most are assembly plants with pieces parts coming from over seas. A lot of good paying skilled jobs have been lost do to this.

I can remember when I started in the trade ( Tool Maker) most of the old timers had a few parts missing ( fingers toes ...) in my time Ive seen where now most retire with fingers and toes intact.

[dangitgriff]

Now im retired and have a new truck a 5 year old jeep and a dodge challenger. My truck payment is 700 dollars a month. about a 1/10 of what i make. There has never been a time in history where you got more vehicle for your dollar then today.

There has never been a time in history where it takes so many more dollars to get the same amount of product. The 2019 U.S. median income was $65,712...gross. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $43,165 in 2000 dollars. You can certainly afford a $700 truck payment when making $84,000 a year. I make that much and still drive a 1996 Chevrolet Silverado Z-71 daily which I purchased in 1998, and it has over 303,000 miles on the original engine. I keep driving it because it doesn’t make sense to buy a new one starting around $65,000.
Why did you buy a new truck? What was wrong with your old one?

[oldscool]

I just have all my packages emailed to me[smilie=l:

[tomme boy]

Funny you can still go to ford dealer and by a f150 or a chev dealer and get a silveardo and price it to an identically optioned toyota and the toyota will ALLWAYS be more expensive..

$5K-10K cheaper here for a Tundra.

[Lloyd Smale]

There has never been a time in history where it takes so many more dollars to get the same amount of product. The 2019 U.S. median income was $65,712...gross. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $43,165 in 2000 dollars. You can certainly afford a $700 truck payment when making $84,000 a year. I make that much and still drive a 1996 Chevrolet Silverado Z-71 daily which I purchased in 1998, and it has over 303,000 miles on the original engine. I keep driving it because it doesn’t make sense to buy a new one starting around $65,000.
Why did you buy a new truck? What was wrong with your old one?

Not a thing. My passions are guns and cars and trucks. Some may like boats, motorcyles ect. I like fast cars and trucks. Why do you have more then 3 guns??? I can afford to buy a new one every 3 or 4 years so why not? Would i be smarter to put all my money in the bank? Last i heard you cant take it to heaven. Why after working hard my whole life would i not spend my money on what makes me happy. My wife gets my retirement, my social security, her 401k and my va disabililty when i die. She sure doesnt need money and even if did die theres insurance on any car loan i have so she will end up with a realitively new truck a jeep and my challenger or whatever other toys i have that she can sell if she wants to do what she likes and thats traveling. i guess ill ask you WHY if you make that much you drive an old beater. Is it because you obsess over your savings account, did you maybe by a home that has a huge payement, do you travel ect? Got to be doing something with that money. So tell me how what you enjoy is more important then what i enjoy!

[Lloyd Smale]

$5K-10K cheaper here for a Tundra.

Sorry but your wrong. You can go into a chev dealership almost any month of the year and they will knock 10k off the stricker price. Find me a toyota dealer that does that!!! Even looking at sticker prices chevs and fords are usually cheaper if your comparing full sized v8 to full sized v8 with similar options. Then lets factor in what your getting. Ford chev and even ram are usually 3-5 years ahead it technology. Toyota was the last to go with fuel injection the last to go with multi port injection last to go with direct injection last to go with computerized ignition. Last to go with overdrive transmissions last in line of how many gears are in there auto transmissions. Worse fuel economy ratings across the board. Add to that my hat says make america great. Not make Japan great.

[Lloyd Smale]

Loyd makes one really true point above and it wasnt only the line mans accident rate that went down due to unions all industries injury rates dropped with them looking out for the workers. Union wages also raised wages in other sectors. Like government they have developed issues that need addressed but unions in the past were key in safety programs and worker health. Used to be it wasnt uncommon for an injury at work was covered by the worker also, not the employer. Like it or not even non union workers have benefited.

One of the big issues with manufacturing in this country are the regulations that must be complied with. When Harley wanted to increase casting facilities epa made it so hard they contracted the excess out to italy. Starting a casting facility, machining, or production facility now is next to impossible most are assembly plants with pieces parts coming from over seas. A lot of good paying skilled jobs have been lost do to this.

I can remember when I started in the trade ( Tool Maker) most of the old timers had a few parts missing ( fingers toes ...) in my time Ive seen where now most retire with fingers and toes intact.

Nothing but fact in that post.

[Lloyd Smale]

I have never been able to understand the logic of "those folks make too much money" instead of saying "how can I bring myself up to their wage level"? very wise words my friend. There those who fight and hustle to get the most out of life and those who sit back and settle. Dont wine to me if your one of the latter. I worked hard and earned every penny i get. I broke my back in the service and could have sat back with my disability check and did nothing all my life but i fought through a year of therapy and was even allowed to reenlist. Could have gotten out and got a easy job that would have been much easier on my back but chose to be a lineman knowing it was very physical because there wasnt another job in the area that paid a non college grad more money. Yup a union job. Im sure not going to appologize to anyone for that. I earned every penny i have right now. If you didnt have that kind of push then its not my fault you didnt make as much money. Its your own.

[dangitgriff]

If you rely on a union for above-market wages, how in the world do you figure you earned those wages on your own?
I don’t doubt you worked hard for what you have, but it seems to me that people have lost the concept of what it means to earn a living without a safety net provided by a third party. A safety net that benefits a few at the expense of the many. That is my point here—whether we’re talking about USPS and their obviously failed business model backed by the American public, or private-company unions demanding pay raises year-over-year at the expense of everyone else in the form of higher product costs to pay those inflated wages. It’s all a form of socialism. Worse yet, due to Americans’ collective economic illiteracy, they are demanding more of it, even in the face of economic collapse.
At some point, very soon, we’re all going to sit down to a banquet of consequences. Those of you who are high earners and holding assets accrued over a lifetime of hard work—including Lord Smale and myself—should prepare for further expropriation of our wealth in the form of much higher income and capital gains taxes, reduction in defined benefits in retirement plans (to include SOCIAL Security), higher property taxes, and the elimination of many tax loopholes currently enjoyed by the wealthiest.
The government is broke, the USPS’s failings are but another symptom of it, and our leaders in D.C. are determined to make us all pay for it with a very hard turn to socialist economic policy. We will all be equally miserable, the final defining characteristic of failed nations throughout history.

[Lloyd Smale]

answers in a dicussion like this should start with what YOU did for a living. that tells about everything. Were you a lineman?? did you go out in blizzards or climb 50 foot poles in a lightning storm. Who are you to decide what "above market wages" are. there are (and probably some on here) that went to school on mommys dime and sit behind a keyboard in a nice warm office that make more then i did. Like i said. NO GUILT here. I earned every penny i made. Did a job a good many here couldnt do and would be afraid to do. If you think you fed x or ups or usps delievery person is making so much you cant afford to mail something then id suggest you get off your duff and go to there office and apply for a job. Find a local school that has a lineworkers program and see how much eaiser it is to just bitch when your lights go out when its 5 below and storming outside. You have the same opportunity's that i had. There looking for lineman all over the country right now. Hard to find people that actually are willing to do manual labor to earn a paycheck. THAT IS FAIR MARKET EARNING. Everyone making what you make is called socialism!!

[WILCO]

No. In fact, I think the post office is an absolutely incredible value.

It's a value to you, because it's failing and subsidized by tax payers.
Privatize it and you'll see real value.

[dangitgriff]

It's a value to you, because it's failing and subsidized by tax payers.
Privatize it and you'll see real value.

Exactly. It’s no use trying to explain it, though, as free market economics is apparently way over most people’s heads. They just do not understand the degree to which our government has screwed everything up. Worse yet, the degree to which our own government has normalized socialism to the point where those inside their own bubbles fight for even more of it.

[dangitgriff]

answers in a dicussion like this should start with what YOU did for a living. that tells about everything. Were you a lineman?? did you go out in blizzards or climb 50 foot poles in a lightning storm. Who are you to decide what "above market wages" are. there are (and probably some on here) that went to school on mommys dime and sit behind a keyboard in a nice warm office that make more then i did. Like i said. NO GUILT here. I earned every penny i made. Did a job a good many here couldnt do and would be afraid to do. If you think you fed x or ups or usps delievery person is making so much you cant afford to mail something then id suggest you get off your duff and go to there office and apply for a job. Find a local school that has a lineworkers program and see how much eaiser it is to just bitch when your lights go out when its 5 below and storming outside. You have the same opportunity's that i had. There looking for lineman all over the country right now. Hard to find people that actually are willing to do manual labor to earn a paycheck. THAT IS FAIR MARKET EARNING. Everyone making what you make is called socialism!!

I’m 50 and a Navy Gulf War I veteran. I was raised by a Korean War Marine Corps veteran. After 10 years of active duty service I went to college and have since worked as a Systems Engineer for a DoD contractor company supporting our counter narcotics mission in the western Caribbean and our men and women in both the Army and Navy on different contracts. I have 18 years and 7 months service with my company. While I was in college, I held a full-time job as a security systems installer and two part-time jobs, one being an Active Reserve member out of NAS JAX, the other as a Veterans’ Job Representative in Gainesville, Florida, assisting newly-released vets in getting placed for jobs in the local markets. My total after-tax monthly income between all three jobs amounted to $960.

Now that that is out of the way...

I don’t believe for a second that you have a clue as to what free markets are all about.
Unions grant financial advantages to a privileged few at the expense of everyone else—the employer and the consumer. It is literally the exact same model our failed government has used, and continues to use, to transfer wealth upwards and destroy the middle class. It WILL destroy our country if left unchallenged...and I am challenging it.
USPS once had a vital purpose, but they have absolutely outlived it in the 21st century, just as unions have outlived their usefulness. Both are net liabilities to the American taxpayer and consumer. Only full and unencumbered free-market privatization is the answer to the shortfalls of the USPS.
As for the remaining unions in the U.S., only full exposure to free market labor rates without the cronyism involved to protect workers will bring wages back into alignment with reality.
R/Griff

[tomme boy]

The USPS contracts out all the major mail transportation. It used to be anyone in the public that could bid the job for their area. Then back in bush 2 era they decided that they wanted to only have one contractor for the whole usps mail transportation for all of the usps. They caught too much flak and then went to regions that you bid for. Then they said only a certain amount of people could bid for contracts. now they are saying only people with contracts already can bid. They are going to get to the one contract for the whole system shortly.

If you only have a couple businesses running the show there is no longer any competition and they can charge what they want. A couple of businesses can get together and say , hey, we are bidding this much. If you agree to the same then we both make more $$$$

This is the short version of what is what is happening right now.

[Lloyd Smale]

It's a value to you, because it's failing and subsidized by tax payers.
Privatize it and you'll see real value.

i dont see the differnce myself What the differnce if i pay a tiny bit more taxes or pay double for the price of a stamp if its privatized. Most likely some money grubbing ceo will make it even more expensive so he and his stock holders can make billions off of it. Go to ups or fedx and mail a letter in one of there envelopes and see what that privatized mail service costs you. I chuckle at the post office being federal makes it socialism. Its been that way since day one. Through as many republican presidency's as democrats. Was there when Ronald Reagan was president. Yup when Donald Trump was president. whats next? Maybe we should privatize the socialist government run military and let ceos and stock holders decide when there used. Im sure they will run it above the board and never use it to make money off of. Free market?? Theres already free market. You have your choice to use fed x or ups. Lets see how much more your electric bill phone bill gas bill ect cost you when UPS delievers them because there is no post office. You have the right to drive to the electric company and pay your bill. you want to send a christmas card. Try calling on the phone instead. NOBODY forces you to use the post office. thats your free market. Lets see how you act too the next time our country is attacked and we have no military and you try to fight off the enemy all by yourself and probably your next door neighbor too who is trying to get your food. Maybe we will see how tough the keyboard comandos really are. Without the organization of a goverment we are no longer a country. Just easy pickings for whoever wants to organize the next one.

[Lloyd Smale]

I’m 50 and a Navy Gulf War I veteran. I was raised by a Korean War Marine Corps veteran. After 10 years of active duty service I went to college and have since worked as a Systems Engineer for a DoD contractor company supporting our counter narcotics mission in the western Caribbean and our men and women in both the Army and Navy on different contracts. I have 18 years and 7 months service with my company. While I was in college, I held a full-time job as a security systems installer and two part-time jobs, one being an Active Reserve member out of NAS JAX, the other as a Veterans’ Job Representative in Gainesville, Florida, assisting newly-released vets in getting placed for jobs in the local markets. My total after-tax monthly income between all three jobs amounted to $960.

Now that that is out of the way...

I don’t believe for a second that you have a clue as to what free markets are all about.
Unions grant financial advantages to a privileged few at the expense of everyone else—the employer and the consumer. It is literally the exact same model our failed government has used, and continues to use, to transfer wealth upwards and destroy the middle class. It WILL destroy our country if left unchallenged...and I am challenging it.
USPS once had a vital purpose, but they have absolutely outlived it in the 21st century, just as unions have outlived their usefulness. Both are net liabilities to the American taxpayer and consumer. Only full and unencumbered free-market privatization is the answer to the shortfalls of the USPS.
As for the remaining unions in the U.S., only full exposure to free market labor rates without the cronyism involved to protect workers will bring wages back into alignment with reality.
R/Griff

without the unions you would have never had a middle class to begin with. You would have been at the mercy of men like Henry Ford who made billions and ruled like a dictator over his workers. Without the unions fighting for a fair wage non union middle class would consist of minimum wage level jobs. Without unions thousands of men and women would have died due to unsafe work conditions. Free market effected by unions?? You have your choice in everything you buy. Nobody forces you to buy union made products or hire union skilled tradesmen. You can hire old joe down the street to build you a house. You have free market. You can go to the toyota dealer and spend your money there on a truck that isnt union made but the employees have about an identical wage benefit package and wonder to yourself where that extra money goes or better yet which side of the world it goes to. think I as a lineman was paid to much and it made your electric bill to high. Open your main breaker and youll have no more bill. Thats your freedom of choice. Thats free market. Bet in a week youd be willing to pay me double to get it back on.

Maybe we should privatize police, military, road commissions? See what happens to your service when its all about the bottom dollar and how much the stock holders make. When they tell you that your road wont be plowed any more because not enough people on your road pay for there services or its to expensive for the police to respond that far out or theres only two police officers at your post instead of 10 because the stock holders complained they were making enough money. Heck why dont we abolish them all together alone with the prison system and the country jails that you have to pay tax money (socialism) for.

You want security hire your own. Like i said in the other post. Dont like the post office dont use it. Stamps to expensive dont buy them. Pretty simple if you ask me and that is democracy not socialism. when the goverment comes to your town and knocks on your door with soldiers and tells you its the first of the month and you HAVE to buy your monthly quota of stamps then and only then is it socialism. As to my tax money being wasted on the PO. Little news flash for you. Its a drop in the bucket compared to everything else my tax money is wasted on. I have to pay the wages of nancy pelosi chuck shummer and now a lying criminal president. Ill worry about those things and you worry about a 50 cent stamp.

by the way your 50. You made about a grand a month clear say 20 years ago. Wages have about doubled since then so you made the equivalent of 2k clear a month as a college student??? thats near a 50k income today. You werent slumming!! What did you make as a systems engineer for that contractor. Id bet every bit as much as someone union worker the ford assembly line makes. every bit as much sitting in your office as i did making union level wages out in a blizzard climbing a pole to get your power back on so you didnt miss your favorite tv show.

I too worked on a counter nacotics team in the early 70s in Columbia. 8 years in the military. Didnt have an office though. Didnt wear a suit either. I wore camos and made about 550 bucks a month doing it. The dod contractors at that time anyway were the crookest bunch of sobs short of the cia ive ever seen. You want to talk wasted tax money and corruption??? Look in the mirror!!!!!!! Im not saying you were one of them but you sure worked for some people that had no problem what so ever taking hard working american tax payers money for there own gain.

That right there is one FINE example of privatizing. Go and fight a drug problem against people that are armed by your own country and are some of the cartels best clients. Told by the dod and cia which fields we could bust and which we had to stay away from. I often wonder how many millions of dollars were wasted there and how many millions crooked contractors and government employees made there. Things so crooked went on that that program i was involved in wasnt even declassified till over 45 years later when most of the people were dead. I broke my back and shattered my ankle there and couldnt even get va disability till 3 years ago because my military records of that period were sealed and even spent a year fighting the goverment to let me use those records for my claim. Want my true opinion of military contractors??? We will have to take that discussion to email or id be banned.

But suffice to say they are all supported by the taxes we pay just like the post office and the big differnce is they dont have to account for the wasted money like the po. Im going to back off on this one now. Ive said NOTHING here that isnt fact. I will not appologize to ANYONE for the wages i got paid for the jobs i did. If you didnt make as much then you kind of wasted college (which by the way our tax money paid for) Seems like a few others here you made some flawed life decisions.

[dangitgriff]

The USPS contracts out all the major mail transportation. It used to be anyone in the public that could bid the job for their area. Then back in bush 2 era they decided that they wanted to only have one contractor for the whole usps mail transportation for all of the usps. They caught too much flak and then went to regions that you bid for. Then they said only a certain amount of people could bid for contracts. now they are saying only people with contracts already can bid. They are going to get to the one contract for the whole system shortly.

If you only have a couple businesses running the show there is no longer any competition and they can charge what they want. A couple of businesses can get together and say , hey, we are bidding this much. If you agree to the same then we both make more $$$$

This is the short version of what is what is happening right now.

This is crony capitalism.
You see it within the DoD contracting arena as well as with Big Tech, Big Ag, Big Pharma, Big Box...ad infinitum.
They grow big enough to crowd out all competition. It is exactly what has happened with our government in D.C. over the last 160 years.
We absolutely need to privatize the USPS and remove all congressional protections that allow them such an unfair business advantage. It is not the proper role of government to pick winners and losers, especially evident when the winners they pick make losers out of taxpayers.
R/Griff

[GasGuzzler]

Started having A LOT of problems with flat rate boxes about two months ago. I bought something off eBay from two States away and after two weeks the seller had to send another because it just stuck in one of the hubs. Finally got it almost a month after the order and I did a RETURN TO SENDER. It took five days to make it back.

My older Lee cast press broke the toggle arms and I sent them to Lee for evaluation using a SFRB. After a couple weeks I went to Lee's site and bought all the parts I needed (actually bought one and the rest was free) and Lee shipped right out...USPS. The original package I sent has not yet made it from Texas to WI. I shipped it on NOVEMBER 25! The package Lee sent from WI to me on 12-9 IS STILL IN WISCONSIN! I bought some items from a supplier in Florida and the stuff got here in two days via UPS. I bought some other supplies from an online retailer in Florida and they arrived in two days via FedEx. I just bought two orders off eBay from US sellers that both shipped USPS Priority. Both supplied tracking numbers right away, both orders are stuck in transit.

Priority Flat Rate is supposed to be a two day deal...not two weeks or two months.

Most online retailers have either removed the USPS option from their website or at minimum have put all caps or highlighted in red disclaimers stating there will be huge delays if you pick the USPS option.

[downzero]

They (USPS) have 600,000 employees and financial backing of the U.S. Treasury via Congress.
FedEx and UPS cannot compete in a free market with that level of Socialism.
R/Griff

The USPS does not support itself with tax revenue.

Congress did pass a statute about 15 years ago that required the USPS to put aside a massive amount of money for future retirees. As a result of that compelled payment, the USPS appears to be operating at an accounting loss, but it is just that--accounting.

The USPS does not pay taxes on its fuel, and certainly that creates an advantage, but to suggest that the postal service is "socialist" is ridiculous. All civilized societies have postal services. It was considered so fundamental at the time this country was founded that it one of the powers enumerated to Congress in the original constitution in Article I, Section 8.

Before 1972 or so, the "United States Post Office" was a government funded agency that got tax dollars. Since the founding of the "United States Postal Service" in the 1970s, the postal service has generally supported itself by its own revenue and not with taxpayer funds.

People love to trash on the postal service but have NO IDEA that it has a vast network of infrastructure far beyond that of its competitors. The postal service is far from perfect, but the logistical challenges it solves are FAR beyond anything its competitors could replace without decades of investment and a steep learning curve.

Every paycheck issued to postal workers has three words on the back of it--"from our customers." If you didn't know that, now you do.

Like everyone, I have had things lost in the mail, delayed, and I've been annoyed by little bumps in the service here and there. That is part of any shipping operation and unfortunate. But let's face it, those things are by far the exception and not the rule.

[dangitgriff]

@downzero:
Congressional bailouts for the USPS is the rule, not the exception.
Government bailouts are taxpayers’ liabilities.
Privatizing gains and socializing the losses is a core tenet of socialism.
Please stop trying to do economic reasoning...you are bad at it. Really bad.
R/Griff

Economic Value and the Post Office:
https://mises.org/power-market/economic-value-and-post-office

The USPS: The Cursed Carriers:
https://mises.org/library/usps-cursed-carriers

The Postal Crack-Up:
https://mises.org/library/postal-crackup

[downzero]

@downzero:
Congressional bailouts for the USPS is the rule, not the exception.
Government bailouts are taxpayers’ liabilities.
Privatizing gains and socializing the losses is a core tenet of socialism.
Please stop trying to do economic reasoning...you are bad at it. Really bad.
R/Griff

Economic Value and the Post Office:
https://mises.org/power-market/economic-value-and-post-office

The USPS: The Cursed Carriers:
https://mises.org/library/usps-cursed-carriers

The Postal Crack-Up:
https://mises.org/library/postal-crackup

Interesting about the economics. I used to teach it to students and I don't see any numbers in any of those documents. I also don't see any evidence of your claims. The postal service does not receive tax revenue.

Here's some facts for you:

"Zero tax dollars used. The Postal Service receives NO tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. "

https://facts.usps.com/top-facts/

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/08/26/how-is-the-u-s-postal-service-governed-and-funded/

Makes exactly the same point I made above (regarding retiree benefits and prefunding them).

The postal service is not a business. It is a service that every civilized society has.

There is nothing wrong with businesses; we should have more of them. But the postal service is not a business. It is an essential, constitutionally-mandated social service that has been part of this country since the day the constitution was written.

[dangitgriff]

It is getting taxpayer bailouts which absolutely equates to tax monies. Where do you think the government gets its funding? It gets it from taxes, tariffs and expropriation via the DOJ, and borrows the rest from the Federal Reserve.
Keynesian economic theory/MMT stipulates debts don’t matter. I would take a good long look around the fiscal landscape and render a sober assessment as to whether Keynes was right.
Once again: the USPS is bankrupt, the U.S. Government is insolvent, and U.S. citizens cannot afford yet another bailout of a de-facto branch of the government that should be privatized and its balance sheet held to account in a free market environment where investors and consumers have a choice to determine whether—or not—to fund it.
If the USPS is such a tremendous asset vital to America’s public, it does not need a government guarantee for survival. The very fact that it does should tell everyone all they need to know about its value to the public.
R/Griff

[Winger Ed.]

Once again: the USPS is bankrupt, the U.S. Government is insolvent,

I'm reminded of the ex-wife that said, 'we can't be broke. I still have 2 boxes of checks'.

[Froogal]

I thought this thread was about the lack of USPS tracking unless you paid a fee? Fee or no fee, I have come to the conclusion that the REAL reason I cannot track my package is because it is still setting in a post office somewhere in St. Louis, right where it has been for at least two weeks now.

[Mal Paso]

I thought this thread was about the lack of USPS tracking unless you paid a fee? Fee or no fee, I have come to the conclusion that the REAL reason I cannot track my package is because it is still setting in a post office somewhere in St. Louis, right where it has been for at least two weeks now.

Thread Drift. LOL They never delivered my package, I had to go to town and pick it up. It was a set of DROs for my mini mill. While this thread raged on I got them installed and they work great. How's that for Drift.

I still think the Post Office should man up and charge what they need. $2 for tracking makes them look like schmucks who can't make a decent living at what they do.

[MUSTANG]

I still think the Post Office should man up and charge what they need. $2 for tracking makes them look like schmucks who can't make a decent living at what they do. and they can't keep track of their own internal processes.

[Tripplebeards]

Last Saturday I had TWO....yes TWO packages I shipped 2 day priority that both listed on their tracking provided that BOTH were listed as delivery attempted- no access to delivery location! I called leupold custmer service immediately and they told me the had been opened for two hours before USPS listed the package undeliverable. I called USPS Monday morning and was told they do not deliver to businesses on Saturday because USPS figures they are closed. Both packages were redelivered late Monday. What an ulcer! One was a leupold scope sent in for warranty. The other went to Ruger to swap rings.

Oh, and I forgot to mention my two day priority packages were both on their 3rd business day on Saturday when they decided not to deliver them. So Monday was the 4th business day. Do I get a refund or discount because it took twice as long for guaranteed 2 day shipping???

[Winger Ed.]

. Do I get a refund or discount because it took twice as long for guaranteed 2 day shipping???

If you do, you'll have to go see the lady in charge of that dept. I think her name is Helen Wait.:bigsmyl2:

[cwtebay]

Last Saturday I had TWO....yes TWO packages I shipped 2 day priority that both listed on their tracking provided that BOTH were listed as delivery attempted- no access to delivery location! I called leupold custmer service immediately and they told me the had been opened for two hours before USPS listed the package undeliverable. I called USPS Monday morning and was told they do not deliver to businesses on Saturday because USPS figures they are closed. Both packages were redelivered late Monday. What an ulcer! One was a leupold scope sent in for warranty. The other went to Ruger to swap rings.

Oh, and I forgot to mention my two day priority packages were both on their 3rd business day on Saturday when they decided not to deliver them. So Monday was the 4th business day. Do I get a refund or discount because it took twice as long for guaranteed 2 day shipping???Pretty sure USPS doesn't count Saturday as a business day. So Monday delivery would be correct.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[wildwilly501]

Last Saturday I had TWO....yes TWO packages I shipped 2 day priority that both listed on their tracking provided that BOTH were listed as delivery attempted- no access to delivery location! I called leupold custmer service immediately and they told me the had been opened for two hours before USPS listed the package undeliverable. I called USPS Monday morning and was told they do not deliver to businesses on Saturday because USPS figures they are closed. Both packages were redelivered late Monday. What an ulcer! One was a leupold scope sent in for warranty. The other went to Ruger to swap rings.

Oh, and I forgot to mention my two day priority packages were both on their 3rd business day on Saturday when they decided not to deliver them. So Monday was the 4th business day. Do I get a refund or discount because it took twice as long for guaranteed 2 day shipping???
The way the mail has been lately you should just be happy you got them.My wife has several Christmas presents somewhere in the Postal System for three weeks tracking gives on route to destination message.Anyone who says they ship daily and have never had any issues well I won’t say what I think.

[cwtebay]

I ship approximately 250 packages a week and 5000+/- envelope/parcel post per month. I have less than 5 issues per year. I did start putting tracking on every package, and insurance on expensive items but can't say I have had to use it. I do use UPS (love them, 3 guy in 16 years - he's been with them for 7) and FedEx (seems that they don't have super good employee retention) and am satisfied with them all. I am sorry to hear about all of these mishaps - hopefully they all clear up soon!! And I guess I feel fortunate to not have them.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[Tripplebeards]

Pretty sure USPS doesn't count Saturday as a business day. So Monday delivery would be correct.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

Monday still would have been business day #3...if Saturday was not counted as a business day. In all my years of sending and tracking I have never had a package listed as undeliverable as my 2 were both listed as. Both in in different states. I believe this will be the new normal for Usps on Saturday for not shipping to businesses.

[GasGuzzler]

The Small Flat Rate 2-day Priority Box I sent to Lee Precision on 11-25 shows "In-Transit: Arriving Late"

Really? Thanks for the information. USPS doesn't even know where the item is.

Picked up by my local PO driver - CHECK
Departed my local PO - CHECK
That's it. End of story.

Ordered a part off eBay on 11-5-20 and the seller shipped USPS Priority the same day I ordered. After three weeks it showed the same as my Lee part in the example above. Contacted seller and told him I knew it wasn't his fault the USPS dropped the ball again. He sent a replacement with the same shipping method. It made it from Missouri to Texas in three days as you would expect. On 12-7 the original order showed up ... after a month. I rejected the shipment RETURN TO SENDER so at least the seller got back his inventory.

All of the online orders I have made that were shipped UPS or FedEx have arrived in a timely manner. I can't trust USPS to send something to my MIL 45 miles away.

[Froogal]

Just how bad is it? When my own rural mail carrier tells me to stop trying to track a package because it is now in God's hands, IT IS bad.

[Mal Paso]

In Transit, Arriving Late
Your package will arrive later than expected, but is still on its way. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

USPS Premium Tracking™ Available

Am I am missing a business opportunity? Should I be late with all my jobs and charge my customers to find out why?

[Froogal]

My package arrived today. Took only 15 days to travel a distance that I could have driven in about 4 hours.

[shaune509]

Was checking my Amazon account today and it showed that my last order was arriving late. That order was shipped USPS and arrived 6 weeks ago, so even the discount that Bazoos is getting for his attempts to 'plug the swamp's leak' is not getting info through correctly.
Shaune509

[downzero]

Do I get a refund or discount because it took twice as long for guaranteed 2 day shipping???

No, because priority mail is not a guaranteed service. Express Mail is, though, and you wouldn't get a discount, you'd get a total refund for the cost of postage.

[Mal Paso]

Well I still don't know where the package is but Feedback was working and I told them what I thought.

[thraxx]

Thread Drift. LOL They never delivered my package, I had to go to town and pick it up. It was a set of DROs for my mini mill. While this thread raged on I got them installed and they work great. How's that for Drift.

I came back to this thread hoping for a happy outcome, glad your stuff was found!

[dangitgriff]

USPS strikes again...failed to deliver a package, now I have to go get it from the local PO. Got the status update before 7 claiming they attempted delivery at a time that was nearly 3 hours later than when I received the message.
Don’t laugh—your Social Security checks are probably next!

[abunaitoo]

The tracking is only as good as the idiot logging it in, sorting, and delivering.
Most days our mail is delivered after 6pm.
But post office closes at 4:30p.
When you have union backing, you just don't have to work as hard.

I've had a package waiting for pick-up from 12/14.
According to usps tracking.
I've had packages only take one day from the lower 48 to my door.
Also had them take a few days, when on island, to get to my door.
I hate it when tracking says "left at back door" and it's not there.
Kind of like looking for a lost Easter egg.
Heck, if I could have gotten a job at the post office, I would have been happy as a fly on a................ too.

[Burnt Fingers]

USPS strikes again...failed to deliver a package, now I have to go get it from the local PO. Got the status update before 7 claiming they attempted delivery at a time that was nearly 3 hours later than when I received the message.
Don’t laugh—your Social Security checks are probably next!

Who gets a Social Security check mailed?

I've been on direct deposit since day 1.

[dangitgriff]

You’re darn right, Burnt Fangers...those checks are too important to entrust to the USPS, that’s the reason they switched over to DD!
Whose side are they on, anyway?

[abunaitoo]

The post office is only as good as it's workers.
If the post office is a mess, it's because of the workers.
If the mail is late, it is because of the workers.
The main problem with the post office is the workers.
Because they are union, they cannot be fired for being incompetent.
They are incompetent because, according to the union, they have not been trained properly.
It is the busy time of the year, so mail will be slower.
Throw into the mess the chinese virus, and it will be much slower.
I suspect, many times, when the package is late, it's late from the start.
The person mailing it.
After all, they got paid already, why rush.
My package was awaiting pick-up for a week.
I sent a email to the seller, and the same day it was on the move.
coincidence, I think not.

[Burnt Fingers]

You’re darn right, Burnt Fangers...those checks are too important to entrust to the USPS, that’s the reason they switched over to DD!
Whose side are they on, anyway?

It's a cost savings measure. When it was introduced I think it was saving about $1 per check.

VA payments are the same way. It's very hard to get the VA to send a paper check.

[Hamish]

I have two packages that have been awol since Dec.5, both going different directions. They sat in St. Louis for 11 days. I know several folks that have stuff disappearing forever with USPS. But yet I can get UPS shipped any where in the country in a day and a half.....

I will NEVER ship by post office again.

[jonp]

Does anyone else think the Post Office has hit a new LOW. My package is Late and they want $2.20 to tell me where it is. Or I can get 10 years of tracking for $9.99.

Or I can stop using the post office. That's the only real option.

You can't complain, their email doesn't work.

Well, looks like I can sympathize with you. I ordered a package on 21 Dec. Shows leaving a Hub on 22 Dec and disappearing. Last message was 26 Dec "in transit arriving late". Nothing else. Several others I've ordered in the meantime have arrived fine.