Amazon is still winning on deliveries

[Brian Elfert]

Unlike the USPS, Amazon is still managing to meet their delivery dates and can even still ship some stuff in time to arrive before Christmas. I discovered on Sunday afternoon that the Wago lever nuts I bought don't work for 10 AWG. I checked Amazon and I could get a ten pack of the 10 AWG Wago lever nuts delivered on Tuesday. I really need them tomorrow as the temperature is supposed to be 40 degrees. The temperatures are supposed to drop starting Wednesday with snow.

It appears I could get them from a local electrical supply house, but it is a 25 mile round trip plus the supply house would sell me 50 of them for more money.

[Myk Rian]

I ordered a pair of humidifier elements on Amazon. They got here the next day.
USPS seems to have a huge problem at the Detroit center. Packages are 2-3 weeks late. We've been waiting for several.

[Doug Dawson]

Unlike the USPS, Amazon is still managing to meet their delivery dates and can even still ship some stuff in time to arrive before Christmas. I discovered on Sunday afternoon that the Wago lever nuts I bought don't work for 10 AWG. I checked Amazon and I could get a ten pack of the 10 AWG Wago lever nuts delivered on Tuesday. I really need them tomorrow as the temperature is supposed to be 40 degrees. The temperatures are supposed to drop starting Wednesday with snow.

It appears I could get them from a local electrical supply house, but it is a 25 mile round trip plus the supply house would sell me 50 of them for more money.

Which Wago’s didn’t work for 10 gauge.

I had a Priority Mail package that was shipped on 30 November that didn’t arrive until today. Nuts. Amazon is so much more reliable, but there are some things they don’t sell or ship.

[Brian Elfert]

Which Wago’s didn’t work for 10 gauge.

The standard LEVER-NUTS (WAGO part 221-412) sold at Menards are marked for 24-12 AWG. See https://www.menards.com/main/electri...9625220&ipos=8 I tried to use a 10 AWG stranded wire and the lever would not lock onto the wire. I could push the wire in and close the lever, but the wire would pull right out. I suspect the wire wasn't able to go all the way in. I don't like the spring version of the WAGO.

I was able to order the 221-612 version from Amazon.

[roger wiegand]

I dropped 10 packages off at Fedex last Wednesday, just as the Nor'easter started to drop 16" on us. They went to locations all across the US, several all the way from MA to CA. All of them were delivered as of today. (this is Ground service, not express). I'm impressed. I'm also looking forward to a day when the government isn't hell bent on putting the USPS out of business.

[Jim Becker]

We had a parade of four different Amazon delivery vehicles through here today....not unusual, actually, for this family.

[Bill McNiel]

Amazon is using UHall trucks here to supplement their fleet.

[Brian Elfert]

How does it make any sense for Amazon to run four different vehicles down the same street unless they are for different Amazon services? If they are doing standard Amazon deliveries wouldn't it be better to split the routes so vehicles drive less miles?

Back in September I dropped something off at a friend's house during the day while the UPS truck was making his rounds. The UPS truck stopped at almost every house. The driver would stop, shut off his truck, make his delivery, and then start again and pull forward maybe 100 feet before shutting it off again. This is a very high end neighborhood with household incomes well above average.

[Jim Becker]

None of those delivery folks are Amazon employees. They are employees of small businesses that do delivery on contract. Some of them took a deal to get Amazon branded vehicles and some of them use their own vehicles. All of them are supplementing with rentals right now and seasonal drivers. Some even use personal vehicles. So for Amazon, their cost for local delivery is the same, more or less, no matter now many people stop at our door in a single day. Also, in many metropolitan areas, there are multiple Amazon distribution facilities, so all those drivers may not be coming from the same direction, too. Amazon picks and ships from the facility nearest to you that has the item in stock. If it's not local, they hand it off to USPS or UPS.

[Jim Koepke]

How does it make any sense for Amazon to run four different vehicles down the same street unless they are for different Amazon services? If they are doing standard Amazon deliveries wouldn't it be better to split the routes so vehicles drive less miles?
[edited]

Amazon is retailer with a delivery apparatus, not a delivery company. If different people in the family order separately the orders may end up coming from different fulfillment warehouses ending up in the local destination delivery facility at different times, therefore on different destination delivery vehicles.

It would likely be very interesting to have an analysis of how UPS, FedEx, Amazon and other systems handle package transport.

One of my previous places of employment was at the end of one UPS route for daily pickups in Berkeley, CA. There would often be three or four UPS meeting there and exchanging packages. One of the drivers told me one driver got all the packages headed to the airport and the others got all the packages destined for the ground shipment depot.

FedEx ground uses independent contractors for a lot of their routes.

jtk

[Izzy Camire]

I have a 750 foot driveway. Back about 10 days ago we were in a snow storm. Amazon driver showed up with my package and did not feel he could drive in. He walked in I was impressed. Said he needs to be close to the house to mark it as delivered. Packages either get here early or on time.

[Joe Hendershott]

Amazon does what it takes to get it delivered on time. The USPS has no such need. A week or so ago the post office had a fill in person on our route. We have a short drive of perhaps 50 feet. Tracking indicated the package was on the postal truck for delivery but it was about 6 PM and dark. That USPS employee wasn't going to get out and walk in the dark and it was 4 days later when the regular person was back that is was delivered. For many, and I suspect more than a few at the post office have no incentive to do a good job when you know that nothing will happen if you fail to do the job.

[Brian Elfert]

I placed two Amazon orders this weekend and both were scheduled for delivery today. A USPS truck pulled into my driveway about 30 minutes ago and dropped off a package from Amazon. That was strange because the carrier only went to my house and wasn't doing my normal mail delivery. I have never seen a USPS carrier that early and my regular mail hasn't been coming until late afternoon. The carrier only dropped off one of my two Amazon packages for today. The other package is showing as also being delivered via USPS. It would seem more efficient to deliver them both at the same time, but I know the USPS is crazy right now. Most of my Amazon stuff is delivered via an Amazon contractors these days, but I still get some Amazon stuff via USPS.

Amazon uses contractors for delivery, but you would think they would split the delivery manifests so only one delivery contractor is visiting each neighborhood.

[Jim Matthews]

Amazon does what it takes to get it delivered on time. The USPS has no such need.A week or so ago the post office had a fill in person on our route. We have a short drive of perhaps 50 feet. Tracking indicated the package was on the postal truck for delivery but it was about 6 PM and dark. That USPS employee wasn't going to get out and walk in the dark and it was 4 days later when the regular person was back that is was delivered. For many, and I suspect more than a few at the post office have no incentive to do a good job when you know that nothing will happen if you fail to do the job.

Let me get this straight - your post office is hiring additional temps to handle the workload?

Someone who has likely never driven your route couldn't find your house in the dark. Is there a clear street sign, curb marking or overhead lighting?

Overtime is curtailed in the current management scheme.
https://www.uspsoig.gov/blog/delivery-after-dark/

That sound correct?

****

If you're wondering why a private service like Amazon delivery can manage where the Public Postal service can't (and rightly so) it's down to available funding.

Amazon doesn't employ their "Flex" drivers, funds no pension or health benefits to contract staff.

https://www.ridester.com/amazon-flex-guide/

The USPS has a substantial requirement to prefund retirement and health benefits for it's staff - not similarly borne by private competitors.

That money is unavailable for hiring staff, updating facilities or modern delivery trucks.


USPS is handling unprecedented volume this year, as UPS and FedEx dumped their unprofitable deliveries.

This cascade of failures, culminating in historic delays comes after a decade of starving the Postal Service for funds.

They were crippled before the pandemic.


https://theweek.com/articles/894384/...ve-post-office

[Jim Koepke]

Overtime is curtailed in the current management scheme.
https://www.uspsoig.gov/blog/delivery-after-dark/

A look at this article reveals the first comments were left in September of 2017.

One of the postal carriers on my route told me packages are often delivered separately from regular mail. Especially those that are under "last mile contracts" with Amazon or FedEx.

jtk