USPS Follies

Senex · March 4, 2013 12:35AM

Here's what the USPS is doing to a package sent to me on Long Island from a spot about 15 miles away.

Accepted at USPS Origin Sort Facility
2013-03-01, 22:39:00, REGO PARK, NY 11374

Processed at USPS Origin Sort Facility
2013-03-01, 23:54:00, BROOKLYN, NY 11256

Depart USPS Sort Facility
2013-03-02, 00:00:00, BROOKLYN, NY 11256

2013-03-03, 01:47:00, NEWBURGH, NY 12555
Processed through USPS Sort Facility

So it went from Queens to Brooklyn to upstate NY. No wonder they're losing money!

BAJJERFAN · March 4, 2013 12:37AM

But those trucks were going to those places whether your package was on them or not.

Goldbully · March 4, 2013 12:53AM

I shipped a package Priority medium flat rate box at 4:40pm EST Saturday via the main Baltimore post office downtown.
It will be at its destination in Des Moines, Washington by noon PST today.
Never fails......I must admit, USPS parcel service is efficient and economical.

Senex · March 4, 2013 1:41AM

To be honest, I must say the USPS generally handles my packages (going and coming) pretty well.
I did have one package I sent in early December not arrive until early February - but it DID make it.
I just wonder how come a package sent from Queens to Long Island winds up in upstate NY?

mrpotatoheadd · March 4, 2013 1:47AM

<< So it went from Queens to Brooklyn to upstate NY. No wonder they're losing money!

>>

If your package is the only one on the truck, it probably doesn't make sense to route it like that. If your package is riding along with other packages though, it may be perfectly reasonable to route it the way the post office did.

LindeDad · March 4, 2013 1:51AM

Wasn't one of the major USPS hubs destroyed last year in that area?

Broadstruck · March 4, 2013 1:55AM

Sometimes there's good flukes though as I just got a 1st class shipment next day which was sent from a 4 day zone

drwstr123 · March 4, 2013 1:55AM

Ha! What logical reasons.

Senex · March 4, 2013 2:06AM

<< Wasn't one of the major USPS hubs destroyed last year in that area? >>

Not that I am aware of.

BAJJERFAN · March 4, 2013 2:17AM

<< I shipped a package Priority medium flat rate box at 4:40pm EST Saturday via the main Baltimore post office downtown.
It will be at its destination in Des Moines, Washington by noon PST today.
Never fails......I must admit, USPS parcel service is efficient and economical. >>

On Saturday 03/02 I sent a registered flat rate box to North Platte, NE and a first class package to NJ and both are already there.

dollarsandcents · March 4, 2013 3:07AM

You should send them a strongly worded letter on how they should be routing their packages more efficiently. Don't forget to site your credentials on how you know how to run their business better than they do.

mrpotatoheadd · March 4, 2013 3:26AM

<< I just wonder how come a package sent from Queens to Long Island winds up in upstate NY?

>>

Probably because mail goes through sorting facilities before being directed to its destination. Can you imagine how inefficient it would be to have every recipient post office sending a truck to every destination post office for all the packages they receive? Makes a lot more sense for recipient post offices to send all their stuff to one place for distribution to the proper destination.

BAJJERFAN · March 4, 2013 3:33AM

If I send mail to someone here in Ames, it goes to Des Moines [approx. 35 miles south] first before it comes back to Ames. Our forwarding PO for Ames is in Wichita, KS so if I get my neighbor's mail and choose to forward it [rather than put it in his mailbox] it goes to Wichita first.

mrpotatoheadd · March 4, 2013 3:50AM

<< If I send mail to someone here in Ames, it goes to Des Moines [approx. 35 miles south] first before it comes back to Ames. >>

There's no street delivery of mail where I am- everybody has a PO box. If you mail something from this post office to another PO box here, it goes to a sorting facility 30 miles away before coming back for delivery. Makes sense if you account for the amount of time it would waste sorting through the outgoing mail looking for local addresses instead of just shipping it all out and dealing with it along with the rest of the incoming mail on the way back.

hammer1 · March 4, 2013 3:55AM

If you had to live with Canada Post, you would be thankful for USPS.

CyStater · March 4, 2013 4:15AM

My niece and nephew in DC got their Christmas present last week. We had assumed it was stolen but it finally showed up. I think I could have slow walked it to DC and back myself in that time.

BAJJERFAN · March 4, 2013 4:19AM

My little PO here sends 3 semi loads of mail to Des Moines every day.

Senex · March 4, 2013 10:54PM

<< You should send them a strongly worded letter on how they should be routing their packages more efficiently. Don't forget to site your credentials on how you know how to run their business better than they do. >>

No need to be so nasty.

lcoopie · March 4, 2013 10:57PM

<< 

<< You should send them a strongly worded letter on how they should be routing their packages more efficiently. Don't forget to site your credentials on how you know how to run their business better than they do. >>

No need to be so nasty. >>

that's called sarcasm (not nasty) IMO

s4ny · March 4, 2013 11:01PM

Looks like it got on the wrong truck when it went to Newburgh. That facility
will probably send to a sort facility in Nassau County and then to you.

coindeuce · March 4, 2013 11:22PM

<< " Makes sense if you account for the amount of time it would waste sorting through the outgoing mail looking for local addresses instead of just shipping it all out and dealing with it along with the rest of the incoming mail on the way back". >>

And it would make even more sense if the local area had collection boxes dedicated for local delivery addresses only. But the resident forum genius already knew that.

okiedude · March 4, 2013 11:37PM

Yes they mess up once in a while, and as the OP stated shipping routes occasionally make no sense. But USPS is still a heck of a bargain, my local PO employees are great and will bend over backwards to help with a problem, to the extent that they can.

Senex · March 5, 2013 12:51AM

<< 

<< " Makes sense if you account for the amount of time it would waste sorting through the outgoing mail looking for local addresses instead of just shipping it all out and dealing with it along with the rest of the incoming mail on the way back". >>

And it would make even more sense if the local area had collection boxes dedicated for local delivery addresses only. But the resident forum genius already knew that. >>

My PO has a box for local (in town) deliveries in front of the building and a slot for same inside. That mail doesn't get sent to the processing hub but stays in house for delivery the next day.

BAJJERFAN · March 5, 2013 1:17AM

<< 

<< 

<< " Makes sense if you account for the amount of time it would waste sorting through the outgoing mail looking for local addresses instead of just shipping it all out and dealing with it along with the rest of the incoming mail on the way back". >>

And it would make even more sense if the local area had collection boxes dedicated for local delivery addresses only. But the resident forum genius already knew that. >>

My PO has a box for local (in town) deliveries in front of the building and a slot for same inside. That mail doesn't get sent to the processing hub but stays in house for delivery the next day. >>

IIRC mine does as well, but I rarely mail anything to my own town.

ricko · March 5, 2013 1:43AM

Actually, the hub sort system was pioneered by Fedex.... and you can see how it works for them. Cheers, RickO

mrpotatoheadd · March 5, 2013 4:27AM

<< And it would make even more sense if the local area had collection boxes dedicated for local delivery addresses only. >>

The post office here used to but gave it up because they still had to sort the mail due to people not using the right boxes.

<< But the resident forum genius already knew that. >>

Why such a smartass?

RGJohn · March 5, 2013 5:07AM

<< I shipped a package Priority medium flat rate box at 4:40pm EST Saturday via the main Baltimore post office downtown.
It will be at its destination in Des Moines, Washington by noon PST today.
Never fails......I must admit, USPS parcel service is efficient and economical. >>

Yup. My experience of them too. Simply the best.

Res · March 5, 2013 5:13AM

<< 

<< So it went from Queens to Brooklyn to upstate NY. No wonder they're losing money!

>>

If your package is the only one on the truck, it probably doesn't make sense to route it like that. If your package is riding along with other packages though, it may be perfectly reasonable to route it the way the post office did. >>

Are you the postmaster general or something? There is no way that this is reasonable route.

dollarsandcents · March 5, 2013 5:37AM

<< Are you the postmaster general or something? There is no way that this is reasonable route. >>

Please go on to tell us what the reasonable route should be. Please also site your own qualifications and expertise in routing packages. Thanks in advance, champ!

mrpotatoheadd · March 5, 2013 6:15AM

<< Are you the postmaster general or something? >>

No, just someone who talks to the people working at the post office on occasion to find out how they do stuff. Try it sometime- you might be surprised at what you find.

<< There is no way that this is reasonable route. >>

Without more information, there is no way to know that with as much certainty as you appear to have.

Unknown · March 5, 2013 7:14AM

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USPS Follies

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