New FedEx Ground and USPS Arrangement


This is a heads up to members involved in a sale where the goods are sent by FedEx Ground. FedEx and the USPS now have an arrangement whereby FedEx Ground delivers the package to the postal facility in the recipient’s zip code and the USPS completes the delivery to the recipient’s door. I’ve encountered this new arrangement twice in the last ten days, once as the shipper and once as the recipient (neither shipment was audio related).

Based on my experience, you can expect two changes from the former service by FedEx Ground. First, total delivery time can take another day because the USPS delivers the package as part of its once-a-day regular mail run. Whenever the package arrives at the postal facility after that day’s mail has already been sorted and given to the mail carriers, the package won't go out until the next day. Second, FedEx’s tracking number system now tracks the delivery of the package only to the postal facility. This can be disconcerting to the recipient who has not yet received his package but reads on FedEx’s tracking site that the package has been delivered.
dougmc
I think the change has more to do with the UPS effort to cause Fedex to have to unionize. You can type into google "ups tried to make fedex unionize" and you'll see articles about this. I originally read the article in the WSJ. The first link that comes up describes the situation:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2009484986_will17.html
Leaving aside all the conjecture, I can't see any change. Got two FedEx ground packages yesterday -- delivered by FedEx -- and one package in the afternoon USPS delivery. All was well but for very minor issues, and has been for years, with both of them. Nothing scrawny about my USPS people either. Guess I'll wait before panicking. Dave
If you have shipped a package over 75 pounds through USPS, it was UPS that moved it to the recipients post office, not USPS. They are phasing out their handling of overweight items.