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Bike manufacturer sees huge reduction in delivery damage by printing TV on box

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Re: Bike manufacturer sees huge reduction in delivery damage by printing TV on box

#121

Post by asddddd »

Noos wrote: post #103
aluhut wrote: post #68

It seems like people who are responsible don't care anymore. Maybe it's the wages, the pressure or whatever. It looks like it's about time to replace even more humans from the equation.

The wage for a UPS driver is somewhere around $11 an hour, with seasonal temporary help making less. Most of them are part time drivers, so they have to work a second job to make ends meet. Surprisingly, if you pay people crap and force them to look for new employment while working for you due to low wages, no hours, and poor advancement opportunities, you tend to get bad service. And if you rely on seasonal temps yo…

Here's the current agreement between UPS and Teamsters: https://teamster.org/sites/teamster.org/files/6161478090_mas...

See articles 22, 40, and 41. $11 is current part-time package handler pay (preload), drivers are almost exclusively (with a few exceptions) full time employees, and max out at close to $30/hr. Locals can and do negotiate this higher, that's the national minimum. Also, a huge priority for the union is ensuring that UPS doesn't start using part time drivers instead of FT drivers.

Seasonals shouldn't make less, unless you're counting the $125 union initiation fee that everyone has to pay - a bit silly that it applies to them, probably a great money maker.

Re: Bike manufacturer sees huge reduction in delivery damage by printing TV on box

#122

Post by jonknee »

alistairSH wrote: post #118
Noos wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The wage for a UPS driver is somewhere around $11 an hour, with seasonal temporary help making less. Most of them are part time drivers, so they have to work a second job to make ends meet. Surprisingly, if you pay people crap and force them to look for new employment while working for you due to low wages, no hours, and poor advancement opportunities, you tend to get bad service. And if you rely on seasonal temps yo…

Source for those wages? Anecdote: I have several high school friends who drive/deliver for UPS, it's a union shop, they appear to be reasonably well paid (both own homes in typical middle-class neighborhoods, take vacations, etc).

They are pretty well paid, but it's probably not the drivers doing the damage. Drivers don't load their trucks.

Re: Bike manufacturer sees huge reduction in delivery damage by printing TV on box

#123

Post by jonknee »

userbinator wrote: post #63

I wonder what sort of damage these bikes are receiving, because they're designed to be ridden by a person... a TV is definitely far more fragile.

Any visible damage to the box is already a negative brand association even if the contents are fine.

Re: Bike manufacturer sees huge reduction in delivery damage by printing TV on box

#124

Post by alistairSH »

jonknee wrote: post #122
alistairSH wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Source for those wages? Anecdote: I have several high school friends who drive/deliver for UPS, it's a union shop, they appear to be reasonably well paid (both own homes in typical middle-class neighborhoods, take vacations, etc).

They are pretty well paid, but it's probably not the drivers doing the damage. Drivers don't load their trucks.

That's definitely true. The trucks are loaded in the early AM, so the drivers can hit the road ASAP. Does make me wonder what surveillance systems are in place in the warehouse and loading areas? Or if that would even make a difference? I have no idea, never worked in a warehouse.

Re: Bike manufacturer sees huge reduction in delivery damage by printing TV on box

#125

Post by kbenson »

Noos wrote: post #104
HCIdivision17 wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I strongly contend that there very likely has not been a decline in the give-a-damn factor. My experience is that it really hasn't ever been too high. Just look at cartoons 50 years ago, and packages getting wrecked en route is a staple joke; the jokes were rarely obscure, but often topical. There is always a few great operators, but mostly you just fix you processes so people default to failure less. Hence hacks lik…

Good luck trying to automate a system where the vehicle has to unload a package of anywhere from envelope size to a 90" TV. It has to bring this across a driveway of varying shape or size, or even no drive way at all, bringing it inside an apartment complex or condo. It has to realize the correct address or room, collect a signature, or realize that no human being is present to sign for it. Then it returns the item t…

I think it likely that if we see a significant amount of automation in delivery, the last mile will eventually see it too.

Right now, my neighborhood has grouped mailboxes[1], and anything more than a semi-flat package will not fix. Small boxes that don't fit are delivered to the shared larger compartment, which is locked, and the key is then left in your mailbox. When you use the key, it does not come out of the shared compartment, so in retrieving your delivery the key is automatically returned. I don't see why this system can't be scaled up somewhat. Automated delivery to a shared compartment which can be designed to accommodate such a scenario would be significantly easier. Want direct to home delivery by a person? I'm sure the delivery companies can accommodate you with a special type of delivery[2]. Theft might be a problem, but since these are generally in neighborhoods next to houses, and setting up a camera would be simple (and undoubtedly pay for itself in some circumstances when people contend they did not get a package), I think it wouldn't be too much of a problem.

1: https://www.mailboxworks.com/images/af-12doorcbu-lrg.jpg

2: In truth, it would probably start with the automated to shared compartment delivery being a new option that's slightly cheaper. Eventually it would probably become the norm since it's cheaper.

Re: Bike manufacturer sees huge reduction in delivery damage by printing TV on box

#126

Post by outericky »

charlieegan3 wrote: post #88

Related: https://www.atheistberlin.com/study - Shoe company finds relationship between lost packages and package branding.

A friend of mine shipped books to me via usps, once, one physics book was replaced by a bible. Very odd.

Re: Bike manufacturer sees huge reduction in delivery damage by printing TV on box

#127

Post by brbsix »

gruez wrote: post #76
lowleveldrone wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It happened to me. A TV intended for someone else ended up at my front door, and I had to chase the delivery guy down. Not even the correct street. It was shipped from Walmart, no signature required.

hypothetically, what would happen if you kept the TV, leaving it unopened for a month or so (so you can be sure nobody wants it anymore), then used it yourself?

I don't know but people do it all the time when receiving large quantities of narcotics or merchandise paid for with stolen credit cards. You write "return to sender" on the parcel and leave it unopened by your front door. Sounds like a bad urban legend akin to "if you ask an undercover cop whether they're a cop, they have to tell you" but plenty of people still do it.

Re: Bike manufacturer sees huge reduction in delivery damage by printing TV on box

#128

Post by toomanybeersies »

Consultant32452 wrote: post #50
jrockway wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Will any delivery company actually just leave a TV on your porch?

In the same week UPS made me sign for a set of $5 kitchen utensils I'd ordered off Amazon but left a Mac Mini on my doorstep no problem.

This is why I get all my packages shipped to work. Since it's a business, they're guaranteed to get delivered and signed for.

Re: Bike manufacturer sees huge reduction in delivery damage by printing TV on box

#129

Post by Kapura »

has2k1 wrote: post #53

This is analogous to Batesian mimicry [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batesian_mimicry

"Capitalism Imitates Life"

Spot on comparison though. Just proves that millions of years of evolution has solved a bunch of problems for us if we know where to look.

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