Fixing the Peak Problem with Large Retailer Shippers

Catatonic

Nine Lives
Perhaps UPS should make their plans next peak based upon a number of packages that will be accepted from the largest shippers each day of peak and then refuse to accept any number above that from the shippers.

FedEx does this, especially when UPS goes on strike, and again this peak with Amazon.

When Amazon, Walmart and other large retailer shippers see UPS is serious, then they will initiate programs to encourage their customers to buy early rather waiting until the last couple of days before Christmas.
 

bluehdmc

Well-Known Member
That might work......Nah, this is the age of "instant gratification" people want stuff now. The online retailers want to squeeze that last sale before year end to close out their books.
Maybe the online retailers were overwhelmed also, instead of making the trailer that pulled at 10am someone's package went on the one that pulled at 10pm.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
Did you guys notice how many big retailers had free overnight shipping on Monday.

If all the big retailers are going to offer free overnight shipping for xmas- eve than UPS and FDX are never going to be able to handle that kind of last minute volume.

The way people shop now with cell phones is so random and last minute you just cant predict realistic peak air volume.

Since the retailers will not fix UPS's problem, then maybe UPS should be proactive in fixing it.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
Put a reasonable "Order By/Ship By" Deadline out to the industry. If you order after that, don't expect if for Christmas, even though it may still make, don't count on it. Set expectations. There is no reason people of this world can't understand and deal with something like this.
This makes sense ... UPS needs to be proactive in managing expectations.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
All in all, we did pretty good despite ourselves. I don't know what the Amazon contract entails. But I'm guessing we had no choice but to take the extra volume. They did free shipping the 23rd and we really don't get any extra revenue for that. We have a contract with them that pay a certain amount. The other 60 or 70 % of our customers are the ones upset...
Exactly, UPS is letting these greedy shippers destroy the rest of our customer base.
Amazon does not care about UPS or their employees ... in fact, they seem to hate us.
Amazon may be the biggest shipper but they are also the the single worse enemy of UPS as well.
 

oldngray

nowhere special
Shippers used to have a "order by" date for Christmas deliveries. About a week before Christmas, UPS discouraged that line of thought by promising it could still get everything delivered on time. We can see how well that plan worked.
 

some1else

Well-Known Member
The easiest wat to fix is to make some stupid system that spits out a number that says the driver is taking 2-3 hours too long to finish then just blame them for it...
 

purplesky

Well-Known Member
Perhaps UPS should make their plans next peak based upon a number of packages that will be accepted from the largest shippers each day of peak and then refuse to accept any number above that from the shippers.

FedEx does this, especially when UPS goes on strike, and again this peak with Amazon.

When Amazon, Walmart and other large retailer shippers see UPS is serious, then they will initiate programs to encourage their customers to buy early rather waiting until the last couple of days before Christmas.

This is a great and a necessary idea. This unrealistic peak season volume issue is only going to get worse as more people buy online LAST MINUTE every year going forward.

With perfect weather nationwide UPS might be able to pull it off but we all know 1 bad storm can shut down a major UPS hub and kill peak for that hubs surrounding cities.

If nothing-else shippers like Amazon should REMIND CUSTOMERS THROUGHOUT DECEMBER THAT WEATHER IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY CAN EFFECT SHIPPING COMMIT TIMES. SO ORDER EARLY.

Its just ridiculous that the media is mainly blaming UPS for AMAZON service failures when Amazon ALREADY KNEW THAT MANY ORDERS TAKEN ON DEC. 23 HAD NO CHANCE TO MAKE IT BY XMAS.
Also Amazons credit card services were delaying last minute orders on monday due to fraud alerts and that also caused last minute packages not getting loaded in time to get to the UPS hubs.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
The easiest wat to fix is to make some stupid system that spits out a number that says the driver is taking 2-3 hours too long to finish then just blame them for it...
Not that your suggestion has anything to do with retailer/shippers but I think UPS already has a system to do that. Check with your sup.
 

cb1969

Well-Known Member
UPS promises those companies they can deliver. The fault is not free shipping( a way every retailer uses to get more people to buy) we charge those companies so we should do what we are suppose to do and have enough workers hired to do the job...Why in the world would we want to limit any amount of revenue from anyone...we promised...we state we are the best(which we are)...then we need to deliver...or we just lose business to we go bankrupt and we lose are hard earned pension. The FAT CATS UP STAIRS need to figure that OUT before the company IS OUT!!!
 

purplesky

Well-Known Member
UPS promises those companies they can deliver. The fault is not free shipping( a way every retailer uses to get more people to buy) we charge those companies so we should do what we are suppose to do and have enough workers hired to do the job...Why in the world would we want to limit any amount of revenue from anyone...we promised...we state we are the best(which we are)...then we need to deliver...or we just lose business to we go bankrupt and we lose are hard earned pension. The FAT CATS UP STAIRS need to figure that OUT before the company IS OUT!!!

Amazon(also other large retailers) was taking orders on Monday knowing full and well that UPS wasn't going to be able to deliver them on time for XMAS. Thats on Amazon not being honest with their customers.

But UPS will get the blame.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
UPS promises those companies they can deliver. The fault is not free shipping( a way every retailer uses to get more people to buy) we charge those companies so we should do what we are suppose to do and have enough workers hired to do the job...Why in the world would we want to limit any amount of revenue from anyone...we promised...we state we are the best(which we are)...then we need to deliver...or we just lose business to we go bankrupt and we lose are hard earned pension. The FAT CATS UP STAIRS need to figure that OUT before the company IS OUT!!!
The contract between UPS and Amazon is based financially on UPS capacity in airplanes, package cars, drivers, etc.
When Amazon exceeds the volume on which that contract terms are based, Amazon should pay more per package to get those excess packages delivered.
 

brown metal coffin

Well-Known Member
If you are UPS and you tell shippers we are going to limit what we take from you and then the shippers tell their customers your orders are limited because you waited to long to order; then they there will be a ripple effect and many will go to someone else and they will attempt to do it better and cheaper because they are hungry for the business. If UPS says that they are the best then be the best and quit whining about too many packages especially when you hear in the pcm every other day that volume and stops are down. They sound like a broken record…

Lets face facts this is the big money season for shippers big and small. You throw out there that there is a limit and they will divert volume to another shipping company. As a matter of fact they already do that; imagine that times 2 or 3 or more. I've never seen so much smart post in all my life that is going to the post office. That used to be us with our drivers and our routes that don't exist any more.

This season was surprising for sure. UPS now needs to take what they have seen and make a logical proactive adjustment (just chuckled about "logical") moving forward. That is all….
 

BSWALKS

Fugitive From Reality
The contract between UPS and Amazon is based financially on UPS capacity in airplanes, package cars, drivers, etc.
When Amazon exceeds the volume on which that contract terms are based, Amazon should pay more per package to get those excess packages delivered.

I agree. In addition, the closer it gets to a major holiday like Christmas or mothers day, we should charge more. Maybe we already do, idk.
 
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