Dont bet on it. I just got thru doing a comparison on the 32 packages I shipped UPS today; Zone 2 thru 8 and 3 to 56 lbs. Used the FedEx web page calculator. At no point was FedEx cheaper; most matched UPS EXACTLY. Shipping a 56 lb MIG to New Mexico would have been $4.28 more with FedEx. FedEx may have been cheaper at some time in the past but it looks like price fixing now to me.
Well I have heard that it was, but I will never use Fedex nor do I want anyone to send my stuff to me fedex. I received an intake and carbs about 3 weeks ago and it looks like they ran it over or threw it off a 5 story building! One carb is split in half and another has the newspaper it was wrapped in impregnated into the body of the carb! I am now waiting for claims, ROYAL PAIN IN THE ASS! Excuse the yelling. Satin
cost me 80+ bucks to get two rocker panel patches and two fender well patches from arizona. i almost shit myself when i saw how mch of the bill was shipping...
The next time you have to ship something big, try Danzas freight. They're a world-wide shipping company whose US site is at http://us.danzas.com/ UPS once charged me $160 to ship a pair of Reprosteel '32 roadster quarter panels from Oregon to California. I could have bought a return plane ticket for that. With Danzas, I recently sent a Reprosteel one-piece '32 floor (over eight feet long) from Phoenix to California, for $27. Dave http://www.roadsters.com/
Bax Global is also good for larger stuff that UPS and regular FedX willtake and was only a little more than the bus(my hood was to big for the bus)
There's a FedEx terminal in the town I live in. I take my packages there for shipping. They are almost always less than UPS and the package gets there quicker. Also, if there is a line of customers waiting to ship packages, another clerk will immediately come out from the back office and wait on customers. The closest UPS terminal often has me waiting in 15 to 30 minute lines with only one clerk working. There could be 20 people in line, but they rarely bring out another clerk. If I make the mistake of going to ship some packages at the UPS terminal on a monday morning, the wait will probably be in excess of 45 minutes. I had a couple of packages shipped by UPS get crushed during shipping (it looked like someone droppped a 100 pound wooden crate on it). It was a world class pain in the ass to get them to honor their insurance. It took over 6 weeks both times. The one time FedEx damaged a package, I filed a claim and got a check within 7 days. I still use UPS on occasions, but it's pretty rare. My customers tell me the UPS packages arrive looking like a herd of elephants used the box as a soccer ball. I'm happy you have had good luck with UPS, but to me they are getting to be more and more like Post Office employees, and they really do not care much about the customer.
you know this is pretty wild. seems like, without a doubt, regardless of the topic, HAMBers in different lcoations around the us have different luck with the same stuff. i have gotten tons of stuff via ups, and only had one problem when a smaller package got lost and mangled. US mail has torn up all kinds of shit, and my frigging bachelor's degree came rubber banded around bills even though it said "do not bend or fold" in huge letters on the envelope. fed ex has been ok, but SHEESH, lotsa dough in the business.
Jim, Im going by commercial account prices with daily pickup. FedEx Customer centers may be cheaper between the companies but it is still more than having an account. My weekly UPS bill averages ~$600 and I have maybe 1 damage problem a year. But Im also fanatical about good packaging; if the goods arrive unscathed I care less what the box looks like. My only complaint about UPS is that items sometimes disappear in their Dixon, IL distribution center and take up to a week to resurface on the tracking system. The last damage claim was for an engine stand that arrived with the box in shreds and parts missing. The claim check arrived 5 days after I faxed the paper work in.
Just don't ever write "FRAGILE" on a package. instead write; "CAUTION! GORILLA EGGS" "DO NOT AGITATE!!!"
Anything over $20 coming into Canada from the US via UPS has brokerage fees tacked on. Plus GST (tax) on top of that.I can send up to $200 south from here with no brokerage fees via UPS and no GST. What is that all about? So much for free trade. Nutz
286: I don't ship enough to justify having a commercial account and I don't want to subject my neighbors to FedEx and UPS trucks blocking the really narrow streets in my neighborhood anyways (the roads were designed in the early 1900s with Model T sized cars in mind and were never widened). I used to live in Central Mass and the UPS terminal there was really well run. I guess the one near where I live now has just gone to hell. I do notice wide differences in shipping charges to places like rural Arizona and Mew Mexico. UPS almost always beats FedEx in those areas, as I guess FedEx has less "hubs/terminals" there. Note to all HAMBers: If you buy an intake with carbs and linkage mounted on it, you should ask the seller to build a small crate out of scrap wood (even if it just a box shaped frame with cardboard filling in the open areas), or have the seller remove the carbs and linkage and ship them all bubble wrapped in a separate box. I have heard WAY too many horror stories about crushed and broken carbs when they were shipped on a manifold. I always overpack the items I send with tons of padding material and real sturdy boxes (or crates I slap together if necessary). Then I tape the HELL out of them. Some of my customers say my packing goes past "child proof" and is almost "adult proof" in the amount of effort required to get the item unwrapped.
I ship mainly through the post office , but then again alotta my stuff is small . If i want a bargin i go airborn express , they ussually beat fedex and ups .Then again most of my stuff is buyer ship paid .I had one guy complain when he won a dollar item and it cost 7.00$ to ship ,BUMMER.he still paid and got it w/ no problems .
My comparisons are that FEDEX is Cheaper. I DO however go to the terminal a couple blocks from the shop. Also, I do get better service from the counter people at FEDEX. I have dealt with UPS counter people in 3 separate cities and have never been impressed, it seems like they think walk-ins are a pain? WTF!?
UPS management would like to do away with customer counters for good. This is one reason they purchased Mailboxes Etc. I ship UPS stuff that is over 16 Lbs. or so by calling for a pickup, at a certain weight it starts to become cheaper to have them pick up than to drop off believe it or not. But again, that's without a business account. The lighter stuff I take to an Office Depot office supplies store that's really local where they charge the same as customer counter. I also have to really watch this stuff like a hawk, since the shipping rates all across the board are GETTING NUTS and it's starting to affect what I can sell on the internet. They are about to make me call the interstate parts swapping quits. I'm already starting to sell 10 x more than I'm buying. Oh, I agree about packing well. I'm fortunate to have a local place toss out a couple dumpsters full of 3/4" thick sheets of flat styrofoam every month. It's the best stuff I ever found for packing. I also hoarded several large boxes full of peanuts that another place tosses, and I once found a refrigerator box full of large sheets of primo bubble wrap. I guess I'm all set to liquidate the garage, LOL. If only they would come back to earth on shipping, I mean good grief-- three freaking packages will set a guy back $60-80!!!!
depends where you are sending too, if its coming across the northern border dont even try UPS. I was charged $28 in *extra* charges on a 5$ envelope sized parcel from denver to here! not economical at all , I would rather wait a month of sundays.
Try FedEx Freight. It's cheaper than regular Fedex. If you go on there web site, on the left side of the site there is a red square that says fedex freight next to it. Choose this. We strictly use this at work, and we ship kayaks and canoes prototypes across the country. I shipped a 300 lb wood crate that was 6 feet by 4 feet and two feet tall four stats over and it was about 60 bucks. couldn't believe it. A common carrier was used to ship the same crate to us and it was 250.00! It's worth a try.
You guys actually found UPS people at the counter? All I ever get is the damned door locked and a note on the window that says "Back at 9". So you check your watch and it's 10 and still no one there. Come back at 2 and the same friggin note's still there. Also discovered there is no way for the people at the 1-800 number to contact a driver and they won't let you talk to anyone at your local office. I got a note on my door saying I had a package on a monday. Note said it had to be signed for and they would be back the next day. Couldn't call the local office as the only number is the 1-800. Called them and told them my problem and that I work days so I couldn't be there during the day to sign. They couldn't contact my local office or driver so they suggested I leave a signed note on the door asking the driver to leave the package. I get home the next day and the note's gone but no package. Called UPS back because I'm afraid after the third time they'll send my parts back to the sender. I've been thru that too many times in the past. They say they still can't contact my local office or driver but not to worry, they won't let him send it back. (How do they promise that if they have no means of contact?) Wednesday of the following week I come home and find my package in my driveway instead of up by the door. I damned near ran over it. This was not something that needed to be signed for. But the UPS drivers ALWAYS want a signature to cover their asses. Post office and Fed Ex just leave the stuff by the door unless a signature is requested.
Yeah Joe, I pretty much hate them now too. If you want to ship something at the UPS Store that is remotely breakable, they tell you that if YOU package it they won't gurantee it will get there safely, their ploy to get you to spend an extra $35 on a box and their packaging fees. Twice now I've had problems tracking things. Apparently people can buy the tags and give out the tracking number and you can sit patiently awaiting your product, which has NEVER shipped. The ebay guy that is supposed to send you your stuff just gave you the tracking number and never got around to boxing it up and sending the stuff out. When you track it online, it says it is scheduled to be delivered two days ago. After a week or so you call and they tell you what happened- that because of their shitty system, I was tricked into believing my shit was on the way. If they KNOW that is how it works, why not just give the estimated delivery date when UPS recieves the package? So, last time, I signed up for email notification via their website. I figured that way I would get emails every day showing where my stuff is. It didn't work. It wouldn't have bothered me, but don't have tracking features that are a hoax. And to top it off, the assholes "lost" my package after 2 days. It showe that it was sitting in the same location in Illinois for 4 days and when I called to find out why, nobody could give me a straight answer. She finally came back and said it would be there the next day. She was right, but it sounded like a cop out.
Smokin Joe you got it confused or maybe you live in a high crime area. UPS will leave a package only if the label says no signature or delivery confirmation required. As far as contacting a driver that is easy enough to do. The customer Service rep will call the drivers center and they will send a satellite relay message to that little box he carries around. Then he has to find a phone to call in. Turn around until the rep gets back to you is 1-3 hours. As far as 3 tries and your out, that only holds for COD's. Others are held at the center for 5 business days. Some of you guys must live in strange places, Ive dealt with service counters at 4 different locations to either drop something off (usually Air) when my driver has already gone or pick up a delivery. Never met a rude person or understaffed location. OTOH I have had rude FedEx reps on the phone. As I said yesterday I have a commercial account and spend a lot of money with UPS; dunno if that helps. But since many HAMBers are a rather loud and obnoxious bunch maybe that has something to do with it!
[ QUOTE ] The next time you have to ship something big, try Danzas freight. They're a world-wide shipping company whose US site is at http://us.danzas.com/ I deal with these guys on a daily basis, they are #1 in my book. They are the best for moving stuff out of the country or importing. I also recomend DHL, which is the same as Danzas all owned by the Deustch world post..
also - fed ex freight for large shipments. FDX Intl is also good, Fedex Ground. I will never ship UPS again. I can always help a Hamber out it this area, its what I do best. For large stuff, dont rule out frieght co. like Yellow Freight, Overnite Freight, USF Reddaway. I use all of these everyday here at work.
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