Decline in Shipping reliability

brahm · May 27, 2021

I'm curious, have other folks noticed a decline in the reliability of all our favorite package carriers? I used to run a business, I used to sell, buy and ship frags all the time and I can hardly remember having packages not make next-day shipments.

I recently got back into the hobby this past year (after nearly 6 years off) and I'm finding that a large % of my packages are getting delayed or stuck at hubs (almost always Ontario, CA). I've also noticed unreliability with tracking systems where they will say something is stuck or lost at a hub and then POOF it shows up. I'm at the point where I'm considering no longer ordering things online.

Is this just a recent "COVID" related issue over the past year or a trend? Has anyone been running into this or is it unique to my rural"ish" area.

ZoWhat · May 27, 2021

Honestly I think there is a major work ethic problem.

It use to be "Work hard, play hard"

Now it's "Work at whatever pace you want, who cares. What are they going to do, fire me? Fine, I'll just sit home and get a check in my mailbox until the checks quit coming"

Work ethic and customer service are in the crapper bc Individual feelings are more than than Teamwork

.

DDenny · May 27, 2021

zoa what said:
Honestly I think there is a major work ethic problem.

It use to be "Work hard, play hard"

Now it's "Work at whatever pace you want, who cares. What are they going to do, fire me? Fine, I'll just sit home and get a check in my mailbox until the checks quit coming"

Work ethic and customer service are in the crapper bc Individual feelings are more than than Teamwork

.

Well said. I teach high school and I see work ethic in the toilet. Then at the end of the grading period they come in what can I do to pass. I usually give them a 100 page handout and say turn it in completed and I will see what I can do. I may get back 1 or 2. Work ethics and instant gratification are a huge issue with today’s work force.

Bo. · May 27, 2021

brahm said:
I'm curious, have other folks noticed a decline in the reliability of all our favorite package carriers? I used to run a business, I used to sell, buy and ship frags all the time and I can hardly remember having packages not make next-day shipments.

I recently got back into the hobby this past year (after nearly 6 years off) and I'm finding that a large % of my packages are getting delayed or stuck at hubs (almost always Ontario, CA). I've also noticed unreliability with tracking systems where they will say something is stuck or lost at a hub and then POOF it shows up. I'm at the point where I'm considering no longer ordering things online.

Is this just a recent "COVID" related issue over the past year or a trend? Has anyone been running into this or is it unique to my rural"ish" area.

In my area, Fedex has declined horribly in the last year when they used to be the best. UPS has been extremely reliable.

Alexoss · May 27, 2021

I'm in Canada and i cannot be more agree with you, it seems than people just don't give a s*** anymore in their jobs lately.
Crappy service everywhere, and they'll wonder in shock why i just prefer to go online.

Azedenkae · May 27, 2021

brahm said:
I'm curious, have other folks noticed a decline in the reliability of all our favorite package carriers? I used to run a business, I used to sell, buy and ship frags all the time and I can hardly remember having packages not make next-day shipments.

I recently got back into the hobby this past year (after nearly 6 years off) and I'm finding that a large % of my packages are getting delayed or stuck at hubs (almost always Ontario, CA). I've also noticed unreliability with tracking systems where they will say something is stuck or lost at a hub and then POOF it shows up. I'm at the point where I'm considering no longer ordering things online.

Is this just a recent "COVID" related issue over the past year or a trend? Has anyone been running into this or is it unique to my rural"ish" area.

Personally, no. But that's I think is because I live in a major city and delivery to my apartment block has become very streamlined and established. Things always arrive on time and are picked up and stored carefully by our mailroom. But that's also why anything that happens I know is attributable to the retailer rather the the courier in my case. But yeah, from what I can tell, I think my situation is an outlier.

LuisPerez711 · May 27, 2021

Wo wo wo wo...shots fired! Lol so I may get a lot of crap for this but have we ever considered that as time has moved forward, the companies, and not the employees, have created an environment where they expect low wage workers to take on more responsibility for that same low wage while the company itself is continuously seeing profits climb? I believe that a lot of the work force is reactive to their current situation. They are expected to behave and act like management while their wages show entry level.

Even the hiring pool are looking for entry level personnel with a salary to match, while expecting the experience of a senior role. I live in Los Angeles, CA and have seen postings for entry level accounting positions that require a CPA license for a private company and the pay is at a senior level accounting position ($70k). Ridiculous. You need at least 150 hours of accredited education (30 of those hours are usually graduate level education), plus you need to pass the test which is regarded as one of the most difficult license tests to take. Most people dont realize but obtaining your CPA license is no easy task and is to be compensated fairly.

That being said, I am not arguing that there isn't a decline in company loyalty. There are individuals that decide that the minimum is enough but there are also individuals that know the value of putting in the work and making the best of every opportunity. If every individual from the current generations were "lazy and unmotivated" then I don't believe we would have seen some advancements that we have seen lately.

I guess my final thoughts are that we put too much emphasis on the personnel and neglect the companies role in fostering the growth of these individuals.

Thoughts?

BlennyTime · May 27, 2021

I think the issue is that what was once a holiday push period for shippers with long hours for a month or two, is now an everyday expectation with COVID. I saw a UPS truck drive by my house at 11 PM last night, and that’s hardly a rare thing. That’s just not sustainable as an everyday year round thing.

fish farmer · May 27, 2021

BlennyTime said:
I think the issue is that what was once a holiday push period for shippers with long hours for a month or two, is now an everyday expectation with COVID. I saw a UPS truck drive by my house at 11 PM last night, and that’s hardly a rare thing. That’s just not sustainable as an everyday year round thing.

Yep...I'm even seeing stuff delivered on Sunday which is usually Amazon stuff. The package services do seem to run long hours for overnight and ground.

For me my local drivers UPS, FEDEX and USPS are great, they bring the stuff up on my porch. Even my mail, if there are big packages will also get put on my porch....they could easily have me come down and pick it up at the office.

The biggest hurtle is getting the packages through the hubs, if they get through the hubs I usually get them the next day. I haven't ordered anything overnight since last winter around Christmas which was a day delay.

Bo. · May 27, 2021

fish farmer said:
Yep...I'm even seeing stuff delivered on Sunday which is usually Amazon stuff. The package services do seem to run long hours for overnight and ground.

For me my local drivers UPS, FEDEX and USPS are great, they bring the stuff up on my porch. Even my mail, if there are big packages will also get put on my porch....they could easily have me come down and pick it up at the office.

The biggest hurtle is getting the packages through the hubs, if they get through the hubs I usually get them the next day. I haven't ordered anything overnight since last winter around Christmas which was a day delay.

It's definitely the hubs and not local,for me anyways.

WVNed · May 27, 2021

An now a break for a commercial

Twice I have had a livestock shipment delayed to the next day. Both times from BlueZooAquatics and all of the animals were fine.
Both times they got held at the Memphis Fedex hub.
BlueZoo emails you before it appears in the tracking and lets you know.
Happened the day before yesterday.

Stephen · May 27, 2021

Speaking from an American insiders point of view the system is greatly overloaded. Packages volumes increased dramatically since February of last year without a single slow down after the holidays like is usual. Add to that a large number of lazy workers that have taken every second they possibly could of COVID leave while the dedicated employees of FedEx, UPS, and USPS have been left incredibly shorthanded and to take up the slack. There are simply not enough planes, trucks, and people to handle the volumes created from the amount of online/from home shopping. Add to that the large amount of vacancies that need to be filled but can't because people simply aren't applying for them. Things are very very slowly improving as new practices and streamlining are put into place but until the people and resources are there again this will be the new norm. Getting people back to more local buying would also help.

Mr. Mojo Rising · May 27, 2021

Have you been ordering more online on the past year? If your honest you will say yes , they whole world has, there are many stats to prove it. The logistics system is overloaded.
But I have to agree, since the COVID started, service was everywhere has been terrible. Service sucks but prices increase.

brahm · May 27, 2021

LordofCinder said:
Have you been ordering more online on the past year? If your honest you will say yes , they whole world has, there are many stats to prove it. The logistics system is overloaded.
But I have to agree, since the COVID started, service was everywhere has been terrible. Service sucks but prices increase.

Much less than I used to when I was running 1000g systems and shipping / receiving weekly but more this past year than say the last 6 because I was out of the hobby. I'd say I've gotten maybe 6-8 shipments since starting the tank back up and around half of them have had issues. Today it was their tracking system saying my package was stuck at a hub when and wasn't going to be delivered until tomorrow but after an hour of calling around they found it locally and I was able to pick it up (luckily), other times I wasn't so lucky.

Definitely seems to be a hub issue. I spoke to some folks at the hubs I was told they aren't able to staff up like they could in the past, hard to say if there is anything truth to that as I found often times customer service will tell you whatever will get you off the phone.

SaltISlife · May 27, 2021

NOVA TROPICALS in dale city virginia has MAJOR issues with his suppliers. He always gets dead fosh.. dead corals. I was there one day during his shipment arrival and they packed 25 golden gouramis in one snall bag.. they were all dead. He said this happens alot... they pack wayy to many fish in one bag all the time.

His corals were packed in the weirdest way ive ever seen. They stuffed a emoty bag inside th3 bag with the coral.. and then double bagged it.. and half of them leaked and were out of water.. no idea why they stuffed plastic bags inside the bags with corals...

Ryan3313 · May 27, 2021

I'm dealing with this right now. My box of tropic marin pro was lost. Last update at the hub. Now I have to wait up to eight extra business days for the shipping company to find it before I can get a refund or replacement.

Tamberav · May 28, 2021

SaltISlife said:
NOVA TROPICALS in dale city virginia has MAJOR issues with his suppliers. He always gets dead fosh.. dead corals. I was there one day during his shipment arrival and they packed 25 golden gouramis in one snall bag.. they were all dead. He said this happens alot... they pack wayy to many fish in one bag all the time.

His corals were packed in the weirdest way ive ever seen. They stuffed a emoty bag inside th3 bag with the coral.. and then double bagged it.. and half of them leaked and were out of water.. no idea why they stuffed plastic bags inside the bags with corals...

to keep the corals from moving around

Tamberav · May 28, 2021

Delivery is slower here for all companies but they seem to all deliver on Sundays now too.

When COVID first hit I did more shopping online for awhile but now I do less shopping online then pre COVID. For live fish.. I just don’t want to take the risk and since shipping and prices have went up... I started to use my LFS more and that has actually been a huge savings and turns out it’s just preferable for me in every way to see the fish first. I am buying coral off local hobbiest.

For other goods... I found that local stores are trying hard to compete with online. Petco for cat food is a lot cheaper then chewy if you order for pick up. It’s like 25 percent off!

Then packages seem to arrived damaged more often these days so I buy bulky items in person... bought a new grill from Ace Hardware instead of Amazon. Not a scratch or dent on it unlike many of the Amazon reviews and I could get it the same day since Amazon seems to take days or a week instead of the two day it used to. Yet the cost of their membership increased.

blasterman · May 28, 2021

Just had a package of corals over nighted not show up. Stuck at the annex....Fed Ex.

The shipper is 250miles away.

First time I've had problems with Fed Ex in awhile. Obviously the shipper will get a refund.

If shippers are understaffed they should simply limit the packages they get.

As for whining about the wages UPS and Fed Ex pay its more than most college grads I know with BAs are getting entry level. Sorting packages or flipping burgers isn't worth $20 an hour and full benefits. The robots can't come fast enough, and trust me...they will. Same with the work home in your jammies advocates. If you can work from home you can work from India...a lot cheaper.