Secure drop boxes for home delivery?

[Brian Tymchak]

I've decided I'm paranoid enough now about having deliveries dropped on our front porch and getting swiped when we're out. Hasn't happened yet but there are enough local news stories lately that I'm thinking about it. However, I don't have a clue what kind of secure drop box I could install that all the carriers (FedEx, USPS, UPS) would use. Would they all have to have a key? That seems inconvenient for FedEx/UPS as I'm sure there are multiple drivers that deliver in our area on any given day. I could probably have everything delivered to some local drop service and I may look into that. But right now I'm still thinking in terms of keeping home delivery.

Has anyone implemented a secure drop box solution at their home? What did you use and how do the carriers use it?

Appreciate the help! Thanks.

[Myk Rian]

If we're going to be away at the delivery time, we have it delivered to a neighbor that will be home.
You can request that online or with the carriers app.

[Jamie Buxton]

To avoid having to arrange with drivers that they have keys, you could take a cue from the dropbox at my local post office. There is a drum that rotates on a horizontal axis, behind a wall. There is a hole in the wall, and a matching hole in the drum. You pull a lever to rotate the drum so that the drum's window lines up with the wall's window. You put your package into the drum. When you release the lever, the drum rotates to drop the package out the drum's window inside the building, and the rest of the drum closes off the wall's window.

[George Bokros]

I believe you can ask both UPS and FedEx to hold packages for your pickup or release for delivery. Not sure about USPS though.

[glenn bradley]

If you require a signature the delivery will end up back at the distribution center where you can pick it up. Not real handy if that is 30 miles away. For Amazon there are about a half a dozen Amazon lockers near me. You could also take advantage of a local post-office-annex service or UPS Store like business. One of my favorites is my retired in-laws house; they're home all day watching Dr. Phil.

[Charlie Velasquez]

Have not. But, it seems simple.
You were going to secure said box to the porch some how (bolt to concrete from inside , chain to post, whatever)
Add a secure hasp and leave an open padlock.
Have the driver place parcel in box and padlock it.
Open when you get home.

[Brian Elfert]

Having UPS or Fedex hold packages is not a great option when it is an hour round trip to pick up your package. The Post Office is probably a 40 minute round trip.

[Frederick Skelly]

Have not. But, it seems simple.
You were going to secure said box to the porch some how (bolt to concrete from inside , chain to post, whatever)
Add a secure hasp and leave an open padlock.
Have the driver place parcel in box and padlock it.
Open when you get home.

This is a darn good idea if you cant deliver to someone else when you arent home, if you can (reliably) get the message to the driver on the route that day. And that could be as simple as leaving a note for him/her. Sure seems like it should work.

[Yonak Hawkins]

You could always have 'em pitch it over the fence.

[Jim Becker]

There are also "delivery location" services where you can have packages sent to that location and they keep it safe for you until you pick it up at a convenient time.

[John Terefenko]

leave the front door open and have them put inside the house:)

[Dave Lehnert]

If available, I always order online from Walmart.com. Their prices are almost always the same as amazon. I can have it shipped to store and pick it up after work. (across the street) This way I don't have to be concerned with a package on my step all day.
Another advantage I like is I can order small items for a few dollars and still have it shipped for free to store. No Minimum order to meet and no $100/ year membership for the privilege of FREE SHIPPING.

[John K Jordan]

Has anyone implemented a secure drop box solution at their home? What did you use and how do the carriers use it?


Brian,

I have used one for years. FedEx, UPS, and the postal service all use it, usually 3 or 4 times a week. The FedEx guy commented more than once that he wishes more people had these - would make his job simpler! I could take a picture of it for you but it's dark outside right now.

We live on a farm with an electric gate at the head of the driveway 1000 ft from the house, down through the woods. When I put in the gate I knew I needed a lock box of some sort. I purchased a steel "job site" box from a big box store. I screwed and tack welded lengths of 3" square tubing across the bottom on each end, then some vertical tubing, then a piece of horizontal, sort of like an "H" turned sideways. I dug holes in the dirt by the road and embedded the lower horizontal piece in the concrete. This puts the box maybe 6" above the dirt so the bottom won't rust out. I mounted the box so the back of the box faces the road. I painted the whole thing black.

The job site box was lockable but the way it was built it would have been unreasonable to as a carrier to use. I fastened an articulated hasp (from Home Depot) to the top of the lid towards the left of the front. Instead of using a lock with a key, I use a long-shackle brass Master combination lock. I have the combination lock hanging inside the box (there is a metal lip in the back of this one perfect for that). I put a big label on the inside asking the carrier to put the lock on the hasp. So I can easily see that there is something in the box I tie a few 18" fluorescent orange streamers to the lock, visible from across the field or down the road. (The streamers are fluorescent plastic surveyor's tape.)

I leave the box unlocked with the lock inside so the carrier doesn't need to know the combination or do anything but put the lock on the hasp and push it to lock. Every time I unlock the box I spin the numbers before I hang it up so it will click to lock the next time it is used (and so someone can't snoop out my combination). I engraved "Stolen from John K Jordan" and my phone number on both sides of the lock. :-) So far the lock as not walked off. If I lived in an area where that might be a problem I would probably chain the lock to the box.

I also have a wireless driveway monitor aimed at that area which alerts me in the shop of motion in the area, usually giving me enough time to jump on the 4-wheeler and get to the road before they even get the package out of the truck.

I called both FedEx and USP and had them put a note in my file to use the lock box. The driver sees this note on the delivery order. I also put a sticker on the top of the box with my cell phone number and a note asking a carrier to call if there are any problems. In the summer time I keep a can of wasp/hornet spray under the box in case some flying stinging thing should somehow get inside.

There are a couple of issues that need a special procedure:
1) If I am expecting a package I know is too big to fit or that needs a signature, I tape an appropriate note on the front of the box asking carrier to please call and I will be at the gate in 30 seconds. If I know the package is too big to fit and won't be damage if it rains or I don't expect rain, I ask them to put it on the ground just inside the walk-through gate.
2) If I am expecting deliveries from more than one carrier I put a note on the front of the box asking them to call if the box is locked.

In the rare event that something goes wrong, they leave a delivery note and I either wait till the next day, call and make other arrangements, or drive to the depot and pick it up, depending on the circumstance. Our carriers are great - some honk when they come up the road in case I'm out by the barn. One routinely calls me to let me know he put something in the box. I give them fresh honey from my hives every year.

All this has worked incredibly well. All the carriers use it, regulars or substitutes. I think I put it in maybe 8-9 years ago but I'm getting elderly and feeble minded so I can't swear to it!

JKJ

[Dan Hunkele]

Have it delivered to your place of employment. If it is allowed.

[Eric Keller]

I hope this doesn't spread to our area. We have a steady stream of folks driving down our street scanning for scrap metal. I have always thought that it wouldn't be a big jump moving over to grabbing packages.

[Brian Tymchak]

Morning! Thanks all for the replies.

I really figured that someone would say, "yea, sure, check out <xyz> at this <url>. Have used this for years." Maybe this is a niche for some entrepreneur... ;) Wouldn't it be cool to have a secure bin that would only open to the carriers tracking scanners? Of course then that would probably give rise to a new crime-tool ala the gas-pump and remote car lock skimmers...

We live in a suburb of Columbus, where most everyone is a 2 job family. With UPS/FexEx and now USPS doing multiple deliveries in the area per day, there might be 10 delivery vehicles on our court on any given day. I'm hoping to come up with a passive solution where I don't have to impose on the 1 neighbor who is home more than the rest of us, but still gets out frequently. The local post office is only 3-4 miles away, but is always a 30 minute wait in line as everyone in the area tries to get to it after work, on Saturday morning, etc. And like someone mentioned, our UPS and FedEx locations aren't all that convenient to get to.

Charlie and John, you have me thinking here. Thanks for your ideas. We have a bit of porch area to either side of our entry way side-lights so I'm envisioning a pair of bins (we occasionally have multiple deliveries per day) with locks for the carriers to load and lock. Maybe I can configure 2 small and 1 larger bin for those days when we get all 3 carriers delivering. Our entry area is stucco, so I think I could trim the bins in stucco to match and blend in. And provide some weather protection to boot as the area does get soaked with a good rain.

Thanks again!

[Justin Koenen]

Brian , Our local TV station in Waterloo, Ia (KWWL) did a feature last night and featured someone from a nearby town showing the "Land Port" security box. Google it and I think this might be OK for many individuals. Justin Koenen

[Brian Tymchak]

Brian , Our local TV station in Waterloo, Ia (KWWL) did a feature last night and featured someone from a nearby town showing the "Land Port" security box. Google it and I think this might be OK for many individuals. Justin Koenen

Justin, thank you for that tip! That is very interesting. Kinda pricey but I like the idea of the coded access.

[Bert Kemp]

Pricey that's outrageous for a box like that . Just a metal box with built in combo lock. But hey you know what they say about one born every min:rolleyes:


Brian , Our local TV station in Waterloo, Ia (KWWL) did a feature last night and featured someone from a nearby town showing the "Land Port" security box. Google it and I think this might be OK for many individuals. Justin Koenen

[Charlie Velasquez]

... We have a bit of porch area to either side of our entry way side-lights so I'm envisioning a pair of bins (we occasionally have multiple deliveries per day) with locks for the carriers to load and lock. Maybe I can configure 2 small and 1 larger bin for those days when we get all 3 carriers delivering. Our entry area is stucco, so I think I could trim the bins in stucco to match and blend in. And provide some weather protection to boot as the area does get soaked with a good rain.

I was envisioning a padded sitting bench or "coffee table" so it would be functional when not in use....

[Jim Becker]

If available, I always order online from Walmart.com. Their prices are almost always the same as amazon. I can have it shipped to store and pick it up after work. (across the street) This way I don't have to be concerned with a package on my step all day.
Another advantage I like is I can order small items for a few dollars and still have it shipped for free to store. No Minimum order to meet and no $100/ year membership for the privilege of FREE SHIPPING.
Yea, but that means patronizing Walmart...for personal reasons that affected a family member in a bad way..twice...I'll stick with Amazon Prime. ;)