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FedEx vs. UPS: opposing models in the delivery business raise questions (2004)

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Re: FedEx vs. UPS: opposing models in the delivery business raise questions (2004)

#51

Post by takeda »

katastic wrote: post #2

Perhaps I'm reading it wrong, but the article seems to slant in favor of FedEx using contractors. And then you look at the pros and cons. FedEx Ground Cons: - No benefits, no overtime pay, no sick time, no insurance - Drivers pay for vehicle, gas, supplies, insurance, and everything else - No company retirement, seemingly less stable environment - No Teamsters contract or collective bargaining - Drivers have only one…

This also doesn't include customer satisfaction.

I personally had more enjoyable experience with UPS than FedEx. It seems to be always on schedule and delivered as promised. FedEx is not terrible, but has some variation.

Re: FedEx vs. UPS: opposing models in the delivery business raise questions (2004)

#52

Post by forapurpose »

godzillabrennus wrote: post #20
clumsysmurf wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This reminds me of a story posted here not long ago "To Understand Rising Inequality, Consider the Janitors at Two Top Companies, Then and Now" https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/03/upshot/to-understand-risi... HN Comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15161445

I fully support upward mobility but it's a tough argument to make that it was culturally good for an organization to promote people in part because of seniority. Kodak is dead. In no small part because they lost their ability innovate.

> it's a tough argument to make that it was culturally good for an organization to promote people in part because of seniority.

That wasn't the argument in the article. The Kodak employee in the article was given benefits such as education and opportunities for advancement, and Kodak ended up with a CTO - that's a great investment by Kodak.

How much talent is languishing as janitors at Apple (and the rest of SV)? In a market where talent is at an extreme premium, I truly wonder why employers don't cast a much wider net.

For example, exceptional coding talent is rare, and opportunity to become a developer is also rare - it requires access to education, computers, time to learn and to hack (not working at the grocery store so your family can feed itself), and people to work with (to encourage you, to learn from, to mentor you, etc.). At first glance, at least, it seems obvious that there are many very talented developers who just haven't had the opportunities.

Re: FedEx vs. UPS: opposing models in the delivery business raise questions (2004)

#53

Post by alexibm »

exabrial wrote: post #40

UPS: smash it to bits, hold it in the warehouse as long as possible, fake delivery attempts, all for higher prices

I work for UPS as a developer and responsible for software that manages/tracks actual deliveries and delivery window. Can you provide some information about fake delivery attempts ? I will personally make sure that if there were "fake" deliveries, you will get a refund and who ever "faked" is punished.

Re: FedEx vs. UPS: opposing models in the delivery business raise questions (2004)

#54

Post by takeda »

hkmurakami wrote: post #33
javiramos wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I echo this. I receive about 5-20 packages per day froma variety of vendors and origin countries and I can say that UPS is superior to Fedex in many subtle ways. This has been my experience across the spectrum of offerings: ground, rush air, and freight.

Perhaps I'm comparing apples to oranges but my USPS guy who is the same nice man for at least the last 10 years, has been much more reliable than either the FedEx or UPS delivery staff. He even collected the strewn around mail from our mailbox the other day and visited us to let us know that someone has likely been stealing our mail and that we should check our credit cards. I'll miss him when he retires soon.

From my experience quality of USPS varies. Some employees are doing a superb job, but some just don't seem to give a f*k. I've seen mails delivered to wrong mailboxes, sometimes I've seen mail that is even from a different street. One time they marked item as delivered, before they actually did which made me worry it was stolen (fortunately the item was delivered 2 hours later).

Other time (more an issue for Amazon in that instance) they delivered item but never scanned it so an opportunist could claim that item was never delivered and there's no way to verify that.

As I said there are also good things. I really like that USPS doesn't artificially delay packages like UPS (if item could be delivered sooner, but was paid for 2 days delivery, they will hold it). I for example had a package delivered next day because it was shipped from a close place, even though the estimate was 3-5 days.

Re: FedEx vs. UPS: opposing models in the delivery business raise questions (2004)

#55

Post by forapurpose »

VintageCool wrote: post #35
Clubber wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kodak innovated just too late. They wanted to milk the profits from their film market as long as they could. That certainly wasn't a worker's decision.

Kodak innovated too early, too. They had the first digital cameras. They were producing digital cameras through the 1990s and the 2000s. Their problem was that they were fundamentally a chemicals company. They weren't as good as consumer electronics as the Japanese consumer electronics companies, and they weren't as good at the web as Silicon Valley web companies. And, ultimately, they wanted to milk the chemical fil…

Vote-counting is easy now; just count party members and make a very few exceptions. How things have changed since LBJ's day, and not for the better.

Re: FedEx vs. UPS: opposing models in the delivery business raise questions (2004)

#56

Post by snuxoll »

Fomite wrote: post #43
hkmurakami wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps I'm comparing apples to oranges but my USPS guy who is the same nice man for at least the last 10 years, has been much more reliable than either the FedEx or UPS delivery staff. He even collected the strewn around mail from our mailbox the other day and visited us to let us know that someone has likely been stealing our mail and that we should check our credit cards. I'll miss him when he retires soon.

Frustratingly, my USPS people alternate , and one lays on each side of the line. One is amazing, always careful, etc. The other...left a cardboard box directly under a gutter spout in a rainstorm today.

Ever contacted your local postmaster? Every organization has rotten apples, but I’ve found USPS usually acts on complaints more frequently than UPS or FedEx.

Re: FedEx vs. UPS: opposing models in the delivery business raise questions (2004)

#57

Post by NaOH »

kalleboo wrote: post #48
VintageCool wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kodak innovated too early, too. They had the first digital cameras. They were producing digital cameras through the 1990s and the 2000s. Their problem was that they were fundamentally a chemicals company. They weren't as good as consumer electronics as the Japanese consumer electronics companies, and they weren't as good at the web as Silicon Valley web companies. And, ultimately, they wanted to milk the chemical fil…

Kodak was a chemicals company that thought it was a camera/photo company. Fujifilm embraced being a chemical company and diversified into medical, cosmetics, materials etc and survive to this day.

The best piece I've read on that distinction was in The Economist. Along with clarifying what happened with those companies in that industry, I've carried with me to this day the lesson therein from Kodak—since its investment in digital photography paid off well in the short term—of how decisions can immediately look wise but ultimately be fatal.

http://www.economist.com/node/21542796

Re: FedEx vs. UPS: opposing models in the delivery business raise questions (2004)

#58

Post by snuxoll »

hkmurakami wrote: post #33
javiramos wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I echo this. I receive about 5-20 packages per day froma variety of vendors and origin countries and I can say that UPS is superior to Fedex in many subtle ways. This has been my experience across the spectrum of offerings: ground, rush air, and freight.

Perhaps I'm comparing apples to oranges but my USPS guy who is the same nice man for at least the last 10 years, has been much more reliable than either the FedEx or UPS delivery staff. He even collected the strewn around mail from our mailbox the other day and visited us to let us know that someone has likely been stealing our mail and that we should check our credit cards. I'll miss him when he retires soon.

I love USPS, my packages shipped through them arrive before noon every time, never damaged, and if something requires a signature my carrier(a) wait for more than 3 seconds for me to get to the door.

Re: FedEx vs. UPS: opposing models in the delivery business raise questions (2004)

#59

Post by cmrx64 »

takeda wrote: post #51
katastic wrote: post #2

Perhaps I'm reading it wrong, but the article seems to slant in favor of FedEx using contractors. And then you look at the pros and cons. FedEx Ground Cons: - No benefits, no overtime pay, no sick time, no insurance - Drivers pay for vehicle, gas, supplies, insurance, and everything else - No company retirement, seemingly less stable environment - No Teamsters contract or collective bargaining - Drivers have only one…

This also doesn't include customer satisfaction. I personally had more enjoyable experience with UPS than FedEx. It seems to be always on schedule and delivered as promised. FedEx is not terrible, but has some variation.

For years and years, packages shipped via FedEx would arrive at the house I grew up in beat to hell. Rarely to the point of damaging the goods inside, but not exactly confidence inspiring.

Re: FedEx vs. UPS: opposing models in the delivery business raise questions (2004)

#60

Post by exabrial »

alexibm wrote: post #53
exabrial wrote: post #40

UPS: smash it to bits, hold it in the warehouse as long as possible, fake delivery attempts, all for higher prices

I work for UPS as a developer and responsible for software that manages/tracks actual deliveries and delivery window. Can you provide some information about fake delivery attempts ? I will personally make sure that if there were "fake" deliveries, you will get a refund and who ever "faked" is punished.

'punished' is not something needed. In a capitalistic society, I can simply choose not to use your service. But if you give me a way to get ahold of you, I'll give you a tracking number that was not delivered on time and a bogus status added. I wish it was the only time this has happened across the years.
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