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[tweeter13]

One thing is for sure also that you don't hear about on the news either that the post office is pre funding 75 years ahead on retirement for employees.  We also pay for retirement of the armed services as well.  Nobody hears about that on the news or in congress.  When we do make a profit it get taken away and spent some where else we don't get to keep it in a bank account and save it.  We also pay for a lot of other federal government employee retirement benefits as well.  No one hears about those little items from the media.  The postal unions try to make them public but it don't get out very well.  But the cost to mail a letter here is much cheaper than in other countries.  Would like to know how much it would cost just to send a letter across town in Germany or France from one of our members that live there out of curiosity.

[willyB]

Before you bash the US Postal Service send a package via FedEx to your next door neighbor and you'll see that your package will first ship to Memphis, TN and then back.

[grc]

Before you bash the US Postal Service send a package via FedEx to your next door neighbor and you'll see that your package will first ship to Memphis, TN and then back.

    

You are absolutely correct.  And another observation I've made (I tend to buy a lot of stuff on the 'net so I get a lot of deliveries) is that the UPS and FedEx folks are no where near as efficient as they were early in their history.  Success has gone to their heads, just as it usually does when small operations enjoy rapid growth and huge success.  I still remember when the UPS guy would run from the truck with your package, actually ring the doorbell and hand the package to you, and run back to the truck.  Now we have the next generation of drivers, including the ones who don't even walk all the way to the door but just toss the package on the porch somewhere near the door and never ring the bell or knock.  And they definitely don't run.  I've also had them sneak to the door and drop off obviously damaged packages, then run back to the truck to avoid having me refuse the shipment and stick them with the paperwork.

Jerry

[J-Carr]

Are you guys aware that it's cheaper to do it this way?

If you direct routed every package you'd spend a fortune.  Let's say one or two items needed to go that short route.  We send a truck and it takes 5 bucks in gas, plus the time that it's out of use for the other stuff and of course the high cost of labor.  So 5 bucks in postage cost the USPS $100+ in time and equipment to get it there direct.

Instead you group everything together and send it all to a central location.  Now you have hundreds going on the truck.  So it costs $100+ but there's (hopefully) $1000+ of postage on those packages.  When it gets to a hub it's sorted and sent with a bunch of other items to the closest hub.  Then from there to the local PO and finally to the recipient.  Each leg had full trucks.  So the cost is spread out.

The Post Office is losing money because we don't send stuff in the mail.  We get bank statements online.  We pay by electronic transfer. We email and text loved ones.  We get magazines as electronic copy on an iPad.  We read CVO forums instead of buying magazines.  So the high profit stuff is down so far that even shipping to the hubs are now half empty.  So no profit.  It's not because your one package took a 150 mile route to go 20 miles.  That saved the Post Office money.  That part works.  Its that they don't have enough profitable stuff to fill the vehicles.

And no, I don't work for the Post Office.  But I did once write a routing calculator on Lotus 1-2-3 for a company.

[Master Guns]

The USPS tracking system definitely needs improvement.  I won't use UPS because of a past major issue (they lost my son's personnel effects that were sent from California to Colorado when he passed away, they only delivered 3 of 5 boxes they picked up).  I have had no issues with FedEx. 

Something else that may effect delivery routing is that the package may have been dropped ship from an address that you weren't aware of.  A example is you call Company ABC for a part.  ABC calls a distribution center or the manufacturer who then sends the part directly to you.

[sadunbar]

      

[CVO Brian]

What a great topic. What I will say is I buy almost everything exclusively online via Ebay, Amazon or other avenues and ship a lot of things as well. Small packages you can't beat the price of USPS for shipping. And YES, their tracking system need a major overhaul , they should copy FED EX on tracking. I will pay more to have the people I buy from ship something FED EX or UPS. I have had too many nightmares with the US Postal service. SHipped a bday card to my Niece who lives 5 miles from me cause she's 11 and likes to get mail and only put one stamp on it, thought it was enough, actually handed it to the mail carrier. Three weeks later I get it back not enough postage. WOW!!!
Its like everything else in life fellas, you get what you pay for in most cases. Fed Ex is the best by far imo but its also the most expensive.

[moscooter]

 
The fact mentioned earlier that the Post Office is committed to pre-fund their retirement is real.  Too bad other organizations with (public unions)  like California,  Illinois and many other states where their pension plans are way under water and under funded by millions/billions.

The funding that the Post Office folks complain about...........goes right down the drain when you look at the numbers.   While their commitment to fund the retirement costs plenty,  the overall bottom line says that (without that),  they are still loosing money.   Many Post Offices need to be closed,  but crying folks in many small towns, and their whining to politicians..........keep us from ever solving this money losing outfit.

[charles05663]

Speaking of shipping...

This guy put a video camera in a box and shipped it.  I think he lives in Holland.

http://singularityhub.com/2013/05/04/a-box-with-a-hidden-video-camera-documents-journey-through-the-mail/

 

[Twolanerider]

Speaking of shipping...

This guy put a video camera in a box and shipped it.  I think he lives in Holland.

http://singularityhub.com/2013/05/04/a-box-with-a-hidden-video-camera-documents-journey-through-the-mail/

 

That was interesting (once).  But try to imagine just how boring that vid would have been without the music.

[dlaws01]

Actually once you understand how packages move, either UPS, USPS or FedEx, you can end up saving money.  For instance, I can have something shipped UPS or FedEx ground from Memphis and get it the next day.  Same delivery truck that would bring it if I specified overnight.  Strange how it works but knowing where their hubs are and when they move their big trucks has saved me much $$$ when customers have requested overnight delivery of their parts. Naturally I pass some of these savings on to my customer.

[charles05663]

That was interesting (once).  But try to imagine just how boring that vid would have been without the music.

It is mail.  How exciting could it be?

[Twolanerider]

It is mail.  How exciting could it be?

Amen to that man.  I was just thinking how much difference music or some other soundtrack can make to something we'd all otherwise be running away from.  We're a weird animal that way.

[Steve_G]

I recently was congradulating my local USPS dude for having a nice pension starting soon.  He then informed me he has no pension.  He is an indi contractor.
  Postage costs are one of the indicators of inflation.  I remember when a first class stamp was a nickel.