OT: Need help with shipping question

slum22

I need to ship about $8k worth of contact lenses for my business. I wanted to get some opinions on the best service to use: FedEx, UPS, USPS, etc. The more specific the better, for instance USPS Priority vs. just saying USPS. I have used USPS for most hobby related shipping in the past and I don't know the service levels for FedEx and UPS so if you are recommending a particular vendor if you can shed some light there that would be great.Thanks.

mbz430e

Every parcel company I have used has lost something of mine over the last 5 years or so. Difficult to say which is the lesser of the three evils. The less opportunity for any parcel to change hands or reload at a different hub cuts down on the possibility of theft or loss. I deal with these parcel delivery companies for a living and the best advice I was given by my UPS driver was to always double box packages of any type of value and use the ribbed packaging tape unless of course the use of a security box is an option. There is CCTV at every hub but none in the trucks. Transfer of boxes from one truck to another is where most of the mischief transpires. With this being said and not knowing how shipping charges affect the overall margin of your product I would use some type of Express shipping to cut down on the transferring and handling of the package. It costs quite a bit more but there are reasons for it and it's not just convenience and time. I must intentionally omit my personal preference but hope this helps. Check your PM.

jsanz

I ship for my business and I always feel like FedEx and UPS are more reliable but they lose packages too. At that dollar amount I would be a little worried with USPS.

slum22

Thanks guys. Went with FedEx express. Appreciate the help.