[Jerry Cochran]

Folks, I recently parted out an entire panel and shipped almost all by UPS. I had used them before and never had a problem, but this time they chose to destroy an altimeter and an ASI, most fortunate those were fairly inexpensive.

Now you would expect a company as large and admired as UPS to stand behind their service but in these two cases it was not to be. I just got a call from a customer who still has not had a resolution after 6 weeks or more.

Turns out they use a third party trucking company to move cross country "ground" shipments, NOT those nice brown ones we see out and about. I suspect those 3rd party folks could care less about aviation instruments, even though they were clearly marked as fragile (or maybe because of...) and packed by the local UPS store.

Can you tell I am disappointed with UPS? My advice is this: Let them pack it, that way they can't blame you, and be SURE to insure same. Better yet, try FedEx or (gasp!) the post office...

Sorry for the rant, and YMMV...



XX

 

[wingtime]

They use trains!

I was talking to my UPS driver and asked him why my shipment went from Texas past us to Jacksonville then back down to Tampa Bay. The response surprised me, but then made sense. He said long distance ground shipments are sent via rail. They pack the shipments into trailers and then the trailers are loaded on flat cars and sent to regional rail depots. It makes sense since trains are the most fuel efficient mode of ground transportation available, there is no traffic, driver rest stops, and it is almost nonstop.

From my own experience those trailers can get knocked around on those rail cars. We had shipped a semi trailer via rail only to have it arrive with part of the cargo protruding THROUGH the trailer door! This happened when the rail cars are slammed together when they couple them. Just imagine your ASI flying thru the air inside the trailer when this happens.

 

[bhester]

USPS is faster and cheaper

I have started sending items via US postal service via Priority Mail faster and usually cheaper. They even provide the boxes for you!

 

[dmaib]

I have started sending items via US postal service via Priority Mail faster and usually cheaper. They even provide the boxes for you!

Same here. USPS seems to be faster, cheaper, and just as reliable for parts and many other things I have shipped in the past year.

 

[Mark Burns]

UPS is not what it used to be.

UPS leaves my packages at my neighbors house about 25% of the time, even though my house numbers are easy to see.

The FedEx drivers don't seem to have a problem reading numbers

Mark

 

[9GT]

My wife and I ship daily with our eBay sales. USPS Priority is by far the best value for smaller items that fit in their boxes. We always pack as if the handlers WILL TRY to break whatever is inside. Note that you need 2" of good packing material on all 4 sides, otherwise they can (and will) deny an insured damage claim.

 

[L.Adamson]

More than not, those who have had problems... will be the ones that reply...

So here it is. In 15 years, I have had no problems whatsoever with UPS. I use them when I can. My wife's business ships with numerous carriers. She'll
often tell me that problems can develop with other carriers too, or everything turns out just fine with ALL of them.

Of course, I only ask her when threads such as this came up. So I just went in and asked again. Her position on the subject hasn't changed..

L.Adamson --- RV6A

 

[Jerry Cochran]

Failure rate

Here's the deal and it might be an anomaly, but I shipped 18 items, of which two were damaged hence a failure rate of 11%.

I just heard from my local UPS guy, who is a friend, that "Checks are in the mail" However, it took him, my customer, and myself to raise enough H*** to get it done.

My daughter is a high volume eBayer who uses USPS and highly recommend same as have previous folks here.

Lessons learned. UPS, clean up your act.


YMMV

 

[Jamie Aust]

USPS has been great for me, I choose UPS / Fed-ex always second. Most parts sent from USA to Australia get here in 1 - 3 weeks, at half the price.

 

[8CW]

I've never had problems with any of them, but if if I'm shipping, I most always go with Priority Mail, much easier. If I'm receiving and want good solid tracking, I choose UPS first and FedEx second.

 

[tinman]

Since UPS granted me .5 hour of MD-11 sim time in Anchorage Alaska last summer, I feel good about going Brown...

Now about the sim... the MD-11 is a strange bird to taxi with you being so far out in front of the nose gear. I wonder if it is offered in a tailwheel configuration??? She was a joy to fly and I left the evolution with even more respect for the training and skill of our heavy metal brothers/sisters.

 

[N395V]

I use UPS almost exclusively. In 10 years only 1 problem that they resolved promptly. The UPS driver knows I am building a plane and when he has a package that looks aviation related by the name of the sender he will stop by the airport to deliver if I am there and has even chased me down in town or at work to deliver the package.

When I have used USPS I have also had excellent result. The only thing I do not like about USPS is an inability to track the package duriong the long delivery times from Oregon, Calif etc.

Fed EX on the other hand has been terrible. Half the time my package is delayed. I go to the tracking site and see that they "attempted delivery" and no one was home even when I have someone sitting on the front step waiting for them.

Any more I will not order anything for anyione who exclusively uses fed ex.

 

[RV8RIVETER]

Ditto, have had good experiences with UPS. Have a great and friendly regular driver.

USPS has never failed me and is usually faster. My first preference.

FedEx has been a nightmare here in San Antonio. Won't deal with them if I have any say about it.

 

[DCat22]

Similar for me... UPS and USPS have been good. UPS often delivers early. Ground shipments from Avery and Mouser in Texas (to a biz address) are guaranteed next day, and I've never had them miss.

Fedex...this is just a "feeling" but they almost seem to make sure that your ground packages don't arrive prior to estimation. I've had the same issue with "customer wasn't there" which was just a lie.

I spent a lot of time shipping with UPS commercially....although that was many years ago. I always liked them then, and was treated well when showing up at the distribution centers 1 minute before the nightly cutoff, etc. They even came through for me, making a special drop off trip on the afternoon of 9/11 to deliver semi-emergency replacement insulin pump (diabetic) supplies to my girlfriend, that had shipped next-day the night before.

Freight shippers...were interesting to deal with. Once we found a company that didn't seem to break our IT equipment we shipped on pallets...we stuck with them.

 

[blackbeard10]

I avoid UPS go with Fedex Ground

Though the drivers for UPS may be friendly, just try and collect when one of your inbound shipments is damaged. They will use every trick in the book not to pay. Also they own the insurance company that "covers" your loss. It is in their interest not to pay. Also, if you ship from a "UPS store", the shipper is not really UPS. The shipper of record is whoever is the franchisee who owns the store. Therefore, if you have a damaged shipment, the shipper that you have a
claim against is not UPS, but the store owner. My bad experience was 4 or 5 years ago and I will use Fedex Ground every chance I get to vote with my money. I have had zero problems with Fedex Ground. When UPS went to the"go brown" slogan, it reminded me of something else that is usually brown
My two cents.
Mark Wyss
RV4 finish
Cincinnati

 

[Flybuddy2]

Fedex is the way to go, UPS is more interested in efficiency and cost savings than in customer service. USPS has been good ever since they started moving their packages via Fedex 7 years ago.

 

[koda2]

UPS

Don't get me started. I have a collection of trashed packages and their contents from UPS.
-They came close to destroying a new Sensinich propeller in a new factory box. It had been thrown around so much the prop was holding the box together.
-Had the mechanical stage knocked off a microscope.
-A gallon can of West epoxy was partially crushed. Had to have been dropped or thrown from about 6 feet. Luckily it didn't rupture
-The wooden case enclosing a surface height gage was broken inside the package. The gage was intact but turns hard
-Had a corner knocked off a granite surface plate 2" thick.
-Bent some aluminum tubing that was in a three-cornered box
-Some dings and bent corners in aluminum sheet
-Bent precision drill rod
I have more if I go look it up.

One vendor told me recently that Consumer Report did a study (I haven't verified this) and UPS was the worst. He dealt with repairing expensive non-aircraft radios and would not accept or send any packages UPS.

A couple of years ago, a UPS store representative tried to explain why he wouldn't take my package (believe me it was good for an air drop). He said UPS was having a real high damage rate because all the packages get thrown on a conveyer belt and are dropped off at the end. People weren't packing their boxes well enough and so Aunt Martha's collectible china was ending up next to Bubba's new intake manifold. He said UPS was refusing to take a package that was re-used, no matter how stout. So he inclosed my heavy duty package in a lightweight new box 2" bigger in all dimensions, filled it with a few peanuts and charged me considerably more to ship the bigger package. That was without insurance.

I have stopped dealing with companies that are sending susceptible items and only use UPS.
Dave A.

 

[CNEJR]

I only had one problem..........

with UPS. I sent a "Brand New Loaner" GNS430 W back to Garmin. When it arrived they called and ask if I was mad at Garmin. The Radio was literally broken in half. From pictures Tim sent me it looked like it had been thrown out of an airplane at about 15k (no make that 20k). I had ask them if they wanted me to insure, but they indicated "No". I had packed in the original shipping carton.

I bet Garmin had something to say to UPS on that one. Value about $10k

 

[jchang10]

Same here. USPS as much as possible. Quicker (by air) and cheaper.

I'm disappointed that Aircraft Spruce is so committed to UPS, which always seems to be their preferred or cheaper shipping option. This makes absolutely no sense when USPS advertises nationally about their flat rate boxes, which is always far cheaper AND faster than what Spruce or UPS charges. jeesh.

I spoke with Spruce's customer support about this even, but mostly got the "UPS is usually cheaper" canned response. He even claimed never seeing the national advertising by USPS. I guess Public TV never made it to LA?