Question For The Package Car Guys/Gals Delivering In The Boonies

[Toshiro Hitsugaya]

I have a buddy who lives in the 'burbs of Salt Lake City, and the other day he was complaining that it is a major delay when UPS delivers his packages, because it is considered a "Rural Route" and that it can take up to 2 weeks past the schedule delivery time to get his packages, but he lives two blocks from the downtown area of his subburb.

Do we hold packages just to fill up a package car to go out for delivery runs on "rural routes"?

 

[upsgrunt]

No- everything has a time in transit scheduled delivery date; I think he is yanking your chain. Where would we keep all these "hold ins"?

 

[Anonymous 10]

Are you and your friend traveling in a time machine. We haven't rural remoted packages in like twelve years or so.

 

[Jones]

Are you and your friend traveling in a time machine. We haven't rural remoted packages in like twelve years or so.

And even then a package was never held for more than two days.

 

[Toshiro Hitsugaya]

Thanks, I just wanted to make sure, cause I told him the same thing. And after looking at some of the pics I have seen where you guys deliver I knew it had to be an exaggeration of sorts. Even with 2 hub within 35miles of the main hub in Salt Lake I knew something was up.

The only thing I can think of in his case is if it had to go to a Clerk to get an address correction or maybe it had to be re-wrapped due to damages or liq damages, but I have never heard of a 2 week delay.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Thanks, I just wanted to make sure, cause I told him the same thing. And after looking at some of the pics I have seen where you guys deliver I knew it had to be an exaggeration of sorts. Even with 2 hub within 35miles of the main hub in Salt Lake I knew something was up.

The only thing I can think of in his case is if it had to go to a Clerk to get an address correction or maybe it had to be re-wrapped due to damages or liq damages, but I have never heard of a 2 week delay.

Maybe the shipper created the shipping label and entered into system, paid and manifest entered, then held and did not ship until 1-2 weeks later.

 

[UPSGUY72]

Maybe the shipper created the shipping label and entered into system, paid and manifest entered, then held and did not ship until 1-2 weeks later.

I know shippers that hold packages all the time after the end of day has been printed out usually becasue payment hasn't been received or it got rejected. So in these cases the package is in the system yet still sitting at the shippers address.

 

[RustyPMcG]

There are retailers who either won't give customers the real tracking number, or they'll filter results from QuantumView through their own system to make it look like they tendered the package before they actually did.

I always suggest that if someone has the actual tracking number that they go to the carrier's site, be it UPS or FedEx or anyone else.

If someone doesn't have a real UPS tracking number, at the UPS.com site in the tracking section there is a small link that says "track by reference number". Nine out of ten times the retailer has put an order reference number that they gave to the customer in one of the reference fields, making it possible to find the real tracking information straight from UPS.

Two week delay? Yeah. Right.

Not!

 

[slantnosechevy]

Sounds like someone confusing USPS with UPS.

 

[worldwide]

I have a buddy who lives in the 'burbs of Salt Lake City, and the other day he was complaining that it is a major delay when UPS delivers his packages, because it is considered a "Rural Route" and that it can take up to 2 weeks past the schedule delivery time to get his packages, but he lives two blocks from the downtown area of his subburb.

Do we hold packages just to fill up a package car to go out for delivery runs on "rural routes"?

This sounds like Fedex Ground/Home Delivery. Independent contractors have been known to hold packages until there is enough of them to make the trek worth while--they are paid, in part, by delivery pieces so it makes sense to maximize number of packages if you are going to drive to the boonies.

Every UPS package has a guaranteed transit time. Have your buddy track the packages on ups.com and if they did not make the time commitment, have him contact the shipper to demand a refund on the shipping cost. The shipper can then get a refund from UPS.

 

[RustyPMcG]

Every UPS package has a guaranteed transit time. Have your buddy track the packages on ups.com and if they did not make the time commitment, have him contact the shipper to demand a refund on the shipping cost. The shipper can then get a refund from UPS.

First, not every package has a guaranteed transit time. There are a lot of packages that don't have money-back guaranteed delivery dates before we even get into whether or not an exception may void the guarantee on those packages that do have a guarantee.

Second, the shipper may not have offered the end buyer a guaranteed delivery time, so even if the carrier is late, the end buyer may not have any recourse with the seller/shipper.

And when a retailer offers "free shipping", even if they promise a delivery date, there's no shipping charge to refund to the end buyer. The shipper may or may not be able to get their shipping cost refunded by the carrier, but that doesn't mean the shipper's customer is entitled to any of that money.

All that considered, the idea that a package for the boonies is being delayed because he's in the boonies is still false.

 

[spif91]

Get guaranteed, date-scheduled, cost-effective delivery for commercial and residential shipments
Delivery Commitment Day-definite delivery typically in one to five days
Service Area Destinations and Origins:
All 50 states and Puerto Rico
Benefits
Prompt, dependable, cost-effective shipping
With guaranteed delivery, know in advance when your shipment will arrive
An economical choice for all of your routine shipments

 

[RustyPMcG]

From the standard terms and conditions:​

48.1 Conditions
The UPS Service Guarantee is subject to
the following conditions:​

-

UPS’s guaranteed delivery schedule has

been obtained by referencing UPS’s
website or contacting a UPS Customer
Service office. “On-time” or “on-schedule”
means, subject to the terms of this UPS
Service Guarantee, delivery is attempted
within the UPS guaranteed delivery
schedule.
- ​

​

Each package is properly recorded in a

UPS Shipping System.
- ​

​

Each package in a shipment bears the

appropriate UPS tracking label and an
address label, or a combined label
generated by a UPS Automated Shipping
System, showing the consignee’s correct
name, deliverable address (UPS does not
provide delivery to a P.O. box) and ZIP
Code (or postal code for international
shipments). In addition, UPS reserves the
right, in its sole discretion, to refuse to
honor a request for a credit or refund of
transportation charges for a package when
that package is not accompanied by a UPS
Smart Label and timely PLD, at the time​

the package is tendered to UPS.

Each package in a shipment bears a
UPS Saturday Delivery routing label when
optional Saturday service is requested and
available.
- ​

​

Each package is tendered to UPS during

UPS’s published business hours. Packages
received from or destined to certain
locations may require earlier pickup times
(available at the UPS website).
- ​

​

UPS is notified in writing (including by email)

or by telephone of a service failure
within fifteen (15) calendar days from the
date of scheduled delivery and is advised
of the consignee’s name and address, date
of shipment, package weight and UPS
tracking number.
- ​

​

For UPS Worldwide Expedited®

​

​

shipments, the guarantee shall apply only
to shipments with a U.S. origin or
destination and when the billed party is
resident in the United States and is
responsible for all shipping charges.
UPS reserves the right to refuse any
request for a credit or refund when such
request is either (a) made by, or (b) based
on information obtained by, a party other​

than the payer of the shipping charges.

48.2 Exclusions
​

The UPS Service Guarantee does not
apply to:
- ​

​

UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.® packages for

Residential deliveries.
- ​

​

Packages tendered pursuant to Drop

Shipments, special operating plans, or
customized handling or processing
arrangements.
- ​

​

Packages shipped using a UPS

Automated Shipping System that is not
located at the pickup address assigned to
the UPS account number used to ship the
package.
- ​

​

UPS Ground Returns Service packages.

- ​

​

Packages subject to a Large Package

Surcharge or Additional Handling Fee,
packages that exceed maximum size or
weight limits, or to shipments containing
any package subject to a Large Package
Surcharge, Additional Handling Fee, or that
exceed maximum size or weight limits.
- ​

​

Shipments made using a Call Tag.

- ​

​

Packages subject to a Delivery Intercept

or Delivery Change Request.
- ​

​

Packages that are delayed due to causes

beyond UPS’s control including, but not
limited to, the following: the unavailability or
refusal of a person to accept delivery of the
shipment; acts of God; acts of public
authorities acting with actual or apparent
authority; acts or omissions of customs or
similar authorities; insufficient information
provided by a customer; Hazardous
Materials packages improperly offered for
transport; the application of security
regulations imposed by the government, or
otherwise applicable to the shipment; riots,
strikes or other labor disputes; civil unrest;
disruptions in air or ground transportation
networks; and natural disasters.
- ​

​

International shipments for which the

shipper has selected the Receiver or Third
Party as the payer of any applicable duties
and taxes and delivery is delayed until
payment arrangements are made.
- ​

​

UPS Ground shipments or UPS Standard

shipments that are picked up or scheduled
to be delivered during the fourteen​

calendar days before December 25.

Link

Also, these terms are the standard tarriff for retail customers. Contracts with large shippers can outline terms different than what's in the standard tarriff. You and I don't know the terms of those private contracts.

And, if that weren't enough, UPS can post temporary changes at any time. For example, while the exclusions mention Ground during peak, for the last couple of peaks, even Air isn't guaranteed even with the relaxed commitment times.

I think you might be surprised at the gap between the marketing, and the actual terms of the "guarantee".

But even so, packages are not being held for the guy in the original post.

​

 

[yeldarb]

There isnt much that is rural about Salt Lake...The hub has 200 package car drivers, with only 2 or 3 of those being over 200 miles. Most routes are within 20 miles of hub. The extended routes are along I80 going east and west.