Shipping thread

[rawgarage]

Anyone using any companies besides UPS/usps? I'm seriously suffering with delays or non receipts on multiple items via usps and UPS is taxing me cuz I have to use their materials to box.

No DHL local to me. Anybody using Fed Ex?

Thanks for info

[!Zar!]

USPS sucks.

What do you mean UPS is charging you for materials?

I shipped thousands of orders through UPS and I order my boxes through Uline.

FedEx sucks compared to UPS. UPS's tracking is much more accurate.

FedEx does have a leg up on UPS being as how they offer Saturday delivery for the free, when UPS charges for this.


Also, are you talking about domestic or international shipments?

[lunchmeat]

Use their materials? I've shipped with both ups and FedEx for 7 years and never had to use anything from them.

[DJPimpFlex]

Been shipping TONS with USPS. They are horrible but they are the cheapest. UPS has been second and the most reliable. I have some freight experience, pretty easy. No experience with DHL. I worked at FedEx, it tends to be more expensive.

[ehhhregartless]

I haven't had to buy materials at UPS either. I'd still like to post a pic

[JM216S14]

I always use fedex. Usps is such a hack shop, same with ups at least 60% of the time I have an issue when I use usps or ups...

[RB25GUY]

DHL is on and off atleast in NY. For the most part the express service is pretty reliable i used them getting a seat from japan and shipped out friday and came tuesday night... but it also took them week and a half to get me my seat beacuse of a pilot strike.... which was stuck in ohio for 5 days..... it all depends on the situation.

[drfftn]

When I ship heavy items I use UPS for whatever reason they never weight the packages I drop off so I come out ahead. Fedex is my personal go to as they're cheaper than UPS. USPS is the cheapest, but their boxes are too small for the shit I need to ship..

[tuzzio]

We ship fedex at work.

[EnemyS15]

for heavy and bulky items, I use Greyhound express. Yeah, it takes an few extra days to get to the destination, but I have shipped out dashes, full heads, bare blocks, etc. and paid maybe 75$ max for a heavy item.

[RB25GUY]

for heavy and bulky items, I use Greyhound express. Yeah, it takes an few extra days to get to the destination, but I have shipped out dashes, full heads, bare blocks, etc. and paid maybe 75$ max for a heavy item.

done this and works very well they suck at tracking but its very cheap ive sent out about 3 bride seats in this manner 50 bucks and usually within a week or so it will reach the destination just watch out for storage fees ive shipped to maine from new york it only took a day.....

[R3b]

I can honestly say there is no difference between either companies. I work at a convention hotel and ship/receive almost 100+ boxes a day on average. If you box comes fucked with either company 90% of the time the shipper didnt pack the box right.

As far as prices usps is the cheapest/slowest but fedex express and ups the prices are the same. Ground for both are also similar and same time. Less than 5 business days on average when it gets scanned. Its really a toss up on which you want to hold an account with to get specail discounts/deals if you do major shipping. If you need somehting next day air early AM I would go with fedex over ups. The way they organize the boxes for the trucks isnt as neat as fedex so if the item is super important and need it before 9am go with them.

Also both companies will charge an arm and a legl to use there materials and pack the box. We charge a weight fee at work anything under 5lbs is 5$ and anything over 50lbs is 27.50$, then for a box its about 10 bucks and bubble wrap is another couple. Probably half the price of going to a fedex/ups store but its a convince fee rather than a service for them to package your box so you got to pay extra $$$

[jedi03]

i use all of them...usps damaged a box and refused to honor claim despite several attempts at rebutting...fedex does cost more but customer service and claims tend to be better. UPS have not had issues with, once in a great while damaged boxes. DHL I would prefer to use as they used to be the lowest cost and took the greatest care of packages...I no joke brought a bumper to them without a box, used their tape and "wrapped" it...got to destination with no issues

[ixfxi]

I use USPS for smaller, lighter, non-critical items. Lowest cost, fast service. International is where USPS wins.

Our rates with Fedex are significantly better than with UPS. We have been with Fedex for 15+ years. Still, shipping costs have been rising.

Our recent issue was a lost package when dropped off at a local Fedex dropoff. $700 dollars, missing merchandise. No proof of dropoff. UPS will scan and give receipt, Fedex does not do this. Sucks, but need to be careful about dropping things off without proof. Next time just schedule a pickup.

[!Zar!]

When I ship heavy items I use UPS for whatever reason they never weight the packages I drop off so I come out ahead.
Do you have a UPS account? Because UPS does check weight and size at the UPS facility.

The UPS Stores are not owned by UPS. So they don't really give a fuck.

Once UPS finds your weight or dimensions are over by even the slightest margin, they will penalize you. Depending on your contract, you might be able to work in some wiggle room.

I deal with UPS, USPS, and FedEx.

USPS I will only use for international, or domestic light/cheap packages. Getting money back from them is like pulling teeth.

UPS has the best tracking. When the package is delivered, the scanner they use has GPS, so tracking down where a package went is much simpler. As well, it seems they take better care in where they leave packages. Consistency is higher.


FedEx has currently been steadily beating my UPS rates, so I've been using them.

Biggest downside is FedEx Ground is locally operated. While FedEx Express and Air are actually run by FedEx. So while I'm completely happy with my Express coverage they offer, it seems FedEx Ground locations are run more shitty than others.

The drivers are paid by package, so they don't seem to care as much about where they leave the package. As long as it shows "delivered" it's good enough for them.

And being as how the FedEx Ground drivers do not use a GPS scanner, it's hard to find out where the package was left.

Many times I have people telling me the package says, "Delivered. Left on door step" when the package is nowhere to be found. Sometimes the package is located later on. But many times the package is straight up missing, or never even delivered.


I'm seriously considering switching back to UPS, despite the higher price it would cost me.


...UPS will scan and give receipt, Fedex does not do this. Sucks, but need to be careful about dropping things off without proof. Next time just schedule a pickup.

It's hindsight now, but FedEx does give a print out for receipt of proof.

[joshchewuhh]

Any recommendations for shipping to Japan?

[[email protected]]

UPS sucks, we used to used them and dropped them. Packages would get lost, damaged or arrive opened and claims would always have a technicality as to why UPS wasn't going to pay for it.

FedEx i RARELY have any issues with, and whenever i do they are very good about taking care of it. claims take a bit longer but they come through.

USPS is only worth it if shipping small stuff. FedEx gets about 90% of my business. small parts go through USPS.

[greddy2die]

FYI, DHL doesnt ship domestically. The only ship internationally, so if you order something from out of the country to the US or vice versa. They stopped doing domestic shipping a while ago.

[rawgarage]

Wow guys this info is amazing. Going to scroll up And read every word

[KAT-PWR]

USPS first class has been great for me. I like to use the self service kiosks or preprint labels to try and eliminate extra fuckery.

Priority services have fucked me twice in the passed couple months (one package that was literally sent from 1hr away didn't make it)

Seems like FedEx pricing was slightly better than UPS for heavy (45lb package was one I specifically remember)

Packaging things yourself is the way to go

[Teddy Bruckshot]

FedEx does give drop off receipts. It says drop off in print when they scan the package or letter. It's better to buy your own brown boxes or packaging materials, just pay for shipping. Check Uline or any other available companies

[CamryOnBronze]

In my experience it seems like FedEx is always a couple bucks less than UPS, but their location is farther away from me so I always go with UPS for most of the parts I sell. Yes they're much more expensive than USPS, but they have always taken care of me and gotten parts to the destination.

I did have them lose a set of Defi gauges I shipped to a member here once, but the buyer claimed they were stolen from his porch. Thankfully I insured them for the full amount and after going through the process with my UPS Store helping me, they cut me a check for the full insured amount. That made me a believer after that experience.

I never send anything worth more than $150 via USPS. They lost a shift knob I sold once and their process for trying to get insurance money was AWFUL. I came out empty handed and it took months. I used one of their flat rate boxes and taped it thoroughly so the fault was definitely their own. They're cheap and excellent for smaller items in the states though. And flat rate boxes are awesome for heavy stuff or shipping to Hawaii/Puerto Rico.

Greyhound is also amazing. It helps if you befriend someone at the station as those places can be pretty sketchy. Their infrastructure is awful but you can't beat paying $80 tops to ship huge items across the country safely.

[Just Alex]

For anything larger than the USPS medium flat rate box I use UPS, usually always comes out cheaper even without the discounts I get from them.

As for Fedex, I didn't like that they changed their policy to only use a brand new box from them. I had a good condition and still usable box and they still did not want to ship it because it was used once already.

[1988montecarloss]

USPS has always been best for me for small to moderate sized items and cheapest, UPS for me has always been ridiculously expensive for some reason

Greyhound is cheapest for big relatively lightweight items (seats wheels bumpers etc.)

And for any freight shipping (engines, trans etc.) I use Fastenal, cheapest and you can drop it off yourself so you're not sitting around all day waiting around for a freight truck with a lift gate to show up

[rawgarage]

Still talking notes out of here. Apparently my local ups has been price gouging by buying uline (boxes/tape/etc) and charging 400-500% ... but ppl are just paying it and keeping it moving...

[dizzariot]

When I was selling a decent flow of parts in CA I always drove the extra distance to FedEx. If you go to one of their shipping centers and not one of the franchised branches (like you'd find next to a supermarket) you'd save a few bucks and a wait in line. Worth the drive in my case. I shipped sideskirts, an exhaust, and other big items with no issues at all.

When I ship stuff on base here in Japan they use USPS. Base counts as the US so it's cheap and reliable. I've shipped two sets of wheels, a pair, and a single wheel and everything arrives fast and cheap. I should start charging dudes for Japan shipping lol.

FedEx and USPS are the way to go.

[JM216S14]

Still talking notes out of here. Apparently my local ups has been price gouging by buying uline (boxes/tape/etc) and charging 400-500% ... but ppl are just paying it and keeping it moving...

Walmart has a decent price on boxes up here in Ohio I can get a 10x10x6 for 59 cents or somewhere around there, bubble wrap is also cheap along with tape there too.

[1988montecarloss]

Walmart has a decent price on boxes up here in Ohio I can get a 10x10x6 for 59 cents or somewhere around there, bubble wrap is also cheap along with tape there too.


uhaul also has cheap large boxes and tape too, i always get shipping supplies from either their or walmart

[Phlip]

For me, USPS is 100%
never lost a package and costs WAY less than FedEx or UPS.

UPS has lost two and I had to find them when THEY couldn't/wouldn't.
FedEx is out of my way and costs more than both.

And to top it off, UPS will take a package to their hub, LITERALLY be 1.432mi from the place to deliver to, and STILL transfer the package to USPS clear across town to deliver.
(yes, for that, I am talking of things I have received and not sent)

US Mail every time until they give me a reason not to.

[KiLLeR2001]

USPS for majority of things, UPS for heavier items. FedEx here and there.