Shopsmith Forums

The shipping record for Shopsmith has been pretty darn good, especially when compared to some USPS records.

I am waiting for a package from RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA which is less than 500 miles away from Tucson. The package allegedly shipped on the 18th. USPS now projects delivery on Saturday (at least it is not lost). Can you imagine. Rancho Cucamonga, CA to Phoenix, AZ to Tucson, AZ in just over four days when I could drive it in 8 hours.

Dusty, are you slowly turning into a curmudgeon?

I ship a lot, and receive a number of packages.

Most go pretty smooth. I give them credit.

I received one that went from Fl to ND in two days. I was like WOW!

But I have had packages take 30 days to out east. Yes 30 days. They are ORM-D and apparently they sit in IA until they fill a container of ORM-D packages...........

Yes customers start getting antsy after about 7 days even though I tell them it can take this long, but USPS projects a much faster delivery date that they cannot provide.

ddub wrote:I ship a lot, and receive a number of packages.

Most go pretty smooth. I give them credit.

I received one that went from Fl to ND in two days. I was like WOW!

But I have had packages take 30 days to out east. Yes 30 days. They are ORM-D and apparently they sit in IA until they fill a container of ORM-D packages...........

Yes customers start getting antsy after about 7 days even though I tell them it can take this long, but USPS projects a much faster delivery date that they cannot provide.

This is not the case for this projection. Seven (7) days to move 500 mile (CA to AZ). Two days are weekend so those probably don't count - even though the truck is likely on the road.

UPDATE: My package has moved 35 miles(in the wrong direction) to the City of Industry, CA where it is now resting before it begins the extended trip into AZ where it will probably rest over the weekend before it leaves Phoenix.

Thankfully, this is not something that I really, really needed yesterday.

USPS has been going through some big change in the past few years. They are losing money, and Congress and the President won't allow them to make the necessary changes to turn that around. So, a couple of years ago, they "bought out" a lot of their most experienced employees to cut costs. That helped their bottom line as it lowered operating costs, but on the flip side, many sites are now short handed or without the skilled employees needed to get the job done right and done on time.
So, some locations are totally dysfunctional, and it is a miracle that they move any mail at all. Other sites were lucky enough to keep the skilled people needed to do the job right.
Hopefully, with time, people can be trained to overcome the shortage of skill and manpower so things improve again.
Also, maybe they will be lucky enough to get a big change in leadership in Washington so they can make the necessary changes to the system to fix the problems.

garys wrote:USPS has been going through some big change in the past few years. They are losing money, and Congress and the President won't allow them to make the necessary changes to turn that around. So, a couple of years ago, they "bought out" a lot of their most experienced employees to cut costs. That helped their bottom line as it lowered operating costs, but on the flip side, many sites are now short handed or without the skilled employees needed to get the job done right and done on time.
So, some locations are totally dysfunctional, and it is a miracle that they move any mail at all. Other sites were lucky enough to keep the skilled people needed to do the job right.
Hopefully, with time, people can be trained to overcome the shortage of skill and manpower so things improve again.
Also, maybe they will be lucky enough to get a big change in leadership in Washington so they can make the necessary changes to the system to fix the problems.

My limited perspective is that the culling needed to be made at the management level.

So much that employees are required to do is asinine. Case in point, 'always turn wheels to the right when parking usps vehicles' regardless of road conditions. Not the way I learned it a loooong time ago.

Ever notice the length of time a station manager resides?

My opinion the Post office workers have the civil service mentality, I can't/won't be fired so why put any effort into it. I have stood in line in the Post Office and watched the attendants chit chat like the place was empty. They moved in sloooow motion and made totally unnecessary moves that did nothing more than waste time.
Delivers are able to deliver their route in less than 8 hrs but are paid for 8, some can finish in 4 or 5 Hours

There is often way too many chiefs and too few worker bees. And I have observed that many of the worker bees they do hire have deep emotional or psychological problems.

The problem may be a lack of expertise but I think it is more a lack of motativation to do the job they got hired for.

The shipping time greatly depends on the mode of shipment! If it was sent out Standard, then it will absolutely take time, however Priority will take less time.

And as for it can be driven in 8 hours, sure if the USPS picked up YOUR package and drove it to YOUR house, but we would have to hire about 3 million more people to do it that way. In any day we ship millions of parcels, all must go to a sorting facility where they are processed on huge machines (I maintain those machines). We will deliver any Priority/Express parcel on the day it is received at our processing center if it is received prior to 10AM. In Anchorage we get about 100,000 pounds of parcels 6 days a week!

If you want it quicker you will have to PAY to have it delivered quicker. I'm not sure how Shopsmith does it but most shippers create the label late in the day, it is not actually "shipped" that day, but goes to the local shipping facility (USPS, UPS, FedEx) the next morning, then on it's way to a sorting center, then on its way to your local processing center, then on the vehicle for delivery.

Steve

Standard/Ground will always take a back seat to Priority/Express.

Ed in Tampa wrote:My opinion the Post office workers have the civil service mentality, I can't/won't be fired so why put any effort into it. I have stood in line in the Post Office and watched the attendants chit chat like the place was empty. They moved in sloooow motion and made totally unnecessary moves that did nothing more than waste time.
Delivers are able to deliver their route in less than 8 hrs but are paid for 8, some can finish in 4 or 5 Hours

There is often way too many chiefs and too few worker bees. And I have observed that many of the worker bees they do hire have deep emotional or psychological problems.

The problem may be a lack of expertise but I think it is more a lack of motativation to do the job they got hired for.

I worked for the government for 40 years (24 active duty Air Force and the rest Civil service). My wife worked 35 years civil service for the Army and Air Force in maintenance directly supporting the war fighter. While there are people that have the mentality you describe do not put all of us in the same boat.

It is not just driving the route. They have to sort and load the truck in the morning. During peak times (holidays) it takes way longer than "8" hours and they don't get paid overtime. How do you now they work less than 8 hours a day? Please explain. I live out in the country. For years my mail lady drove her own car and had to install the right hand steering wheel on her dime. About 10 years ago they finally got real (used) mail trucks. Maybe if we want better mail service the government should spend more money on that and cut some of the useless social programs that mostly don't work. That way you wouldn't have to stand in line at all.

You really are kidding right? Please say you don't think that is true. Have you ever taken the USPS test for hiring. I have... Oh never mind. That is just a stupid statement.

BTW, I didn't qualify to to be hired by the USPS to deliver the mail but I was qualified to load nuclear weapons and fix all manner of Air Force aircraft and components.

Makes me wonder what criteria the USPS test ascertains?