Why can't FedEx/UPS estimate delivery times?

[Schfifty Five]

I'm not asking for scheduled times. I just want to be able to look at the package tracking, and know whether the package is likely to be here in the next half-hour, or if it's still least three hours away, etc.

Reasonable people can figure out that weather and unexpected issues will change those estimates. Bitchy people are going to bitch, that's just the cost of doing business.

They already tell you by which day you are getting a package. Anything more and it will cost them a lot. Why do you not see that?

You keep saying "it's so easy blah blah blah", and some of us have explained that it's not as easy as you think it is, yet you continue to think getting a delivery time within a half hour window and updates in real-time is some easy thing to implement.

First, think about how many millions of packages they send in a week. Then think about how to coordinate all the things that could affect delivery time for all those trucks. Then think about what it would cost to monitor/update/research things in RT. It's sooooooo much easier and less expensive to let someone like you rant on the internet about having to wait for a package than it is to actively update/track a package delivery time to the half-hour.

 

[sixone]

Because if they did people would show up at there home at the time they estimated, wait there 5 minutes, get angry that they did not show up at the scheduled time, then call up and bitch out some poor schmuck on the phone that their package didn't show up on time.

The OP specifically said "window".

Just knowing that it wasn't going to show up before the current time would have been extremely helpful.

 

[sixone]

They already tell you by which day you are getting a package. Anything more and it will cost them a lot. Why do you not see that?

You keep saying "it's so easy blah blah blah", and some of us have explained that it's not as easy as you think it is, yet you continue to think getting a delivery time within a half hour window and updates in real-time is some easy thing to implement.

First, think about how many millions of packages they send in a week. Then think about how to coordinate all the things that could affect delivery time for all those trucks. Then think about what it would cost to monitor/update/research things in RT. It's sooooooo much easier and less expensive to let someone like you rant on the internet about having to wait for a package than it is to actively update/track a package delivery time to the half-hour.

I haven't used the word "easy" a single time. You're the only one who has, in the entire thread.

They have bar codes and scanners to tell them where every one of those packages is, at any given time. If I have a package number, I can look it up, too.

GPS will allow them to track every truck - if they're not doing that already. Current technology will certainly allow them to link the two, and do a better job of estimating delivery than what they're doing now.

 

[Exterous]

I'm not asking for scheduled times. I just want to be able to look at the package tracking, and know whether the package is likely to be here in the next half-hour, or if it's still least three hours away, etc.

Reasonable people can figure out that weather and unexpected issues will change those estimates. Bitchy people are going to bitch, that's just the cost of doing business.

I understand what you are asking. It doesn't change the unpredictable nature of the business and the difficulty involved in giving possible time frames. You also underestimate the number of reasonable people and how people react to missed time frames.

I would disagree that bitchy people are just the cost of doing business. You can reduce the items/policies/offerings that would contribute to to people being bitchy. While we don't know if that is the reason why they have chosen to do that in this case I think its gross generalization to say that bitchy people are just a cost of doing business.

 

[Exterous]

GPS will allow them to track every truck - if they're not doing that already. Current technology will certainly allow them to link the two, and do a better job of estimating delivery than what they're doing now.

How do you know how they estimate delivery now and how good of a job it does? Unless you work for UPS you don't. (Or are intimately familiar with their setup) You also don't know what the cost associated with a more accurate system would be. You have been given several possible reasons they don't do it but in reality none of us know for sure.

It's very easy to say 'Why don't they do this' when you have no knowledge of how their tracking system is setup.

 

[Schfifty Five]

I haven't used the word "easy" a single time. You're the only one who has, in the entire thread.

They have bar codes and scanners to tell them where every one of those packages is, at any given time. If I have a package number, I can look it up, too.

GPS will allow them to track every truck - if they're not doing that already. Current technology will certainly allow them to link the two, and do a better job of estimating delivery than what they're doing now.

Fine sorry, change easy to "not difficult".

The rest of what I wrote still stands. The answer to you question on why they don't have it where you can get your delivery time to the half hour window is because it costs money to do all that. And it is more difficult to accomplish than you think it is.

Did you also think about what happens when they miss a delivery window? Bitching/complaining/suing, etc. A headache they don't need or want to deal with.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

FedEx charges extra for delivery by appointment. Shipper (paying shipping charge) has to specify it.

I've never seen an online retailer offer it as an option.

 

[Krazy4Real]

I haven't used the word "easy" a single time. You're the only one who has, in the entire thread.

They have bar codes and scanners to tell them where every one of those packages is, at any given time. If I have a package number, I can look it up, too.

GPS will allow them to track every truck - if they're not doing that already. Current technology will certainly allow them to link the two, and do a better job of estimating delivery than what they're doing now.

Yeah, if they could do something on the tracking page like.

Your package is out for delivery. The truck is approximately 35 miles away from the destination. Last updated at 2:30pm.

No time window, but say every 30 minutes UPS grabs the current location of every truck. Then you can say, "ok, as of about 27 minutes ago, the truck is still 35 miles away. Let me wait 3 more minutes and see how close it is, then I can decide if I can run to the store to grab something quick and be back before the truck gets here."

It's not perfect, but better than what it currently is. I also don't think the implementation would be overly complex or cost prohibitive. They already know which packages are on which trucks, and I'm not 100%, but I'm pretty sure each truck is already tracked by them with GPS.

 

[torpid]

I could swear that UPS delivery routes were almost entirely computerized by the time they drive them already. Didn't they save a crap ton of money by having the routing engineers set the routes to make fewer (or no) left turns? I would imagine that this actually would not be anywhere near as difficult if I am remembering correctly about how the routing is done in the first place.

On the other hand, I am unclear how they would limit access to this information to just the recipient without a lot of work.

 

[sixone]

I understand what you are asking. It doesn't change the unpredictable nature of the business and the difficulty involved in giving possible time frames. You also underestimate the number of reasonable people and how people react to missed time frames.

I would disagree that bitchy people are just the cost of doing business. You can reduce the items/policies/offerings that would contribute to to people being bitchy. While we don't know if that is the reason why they have chosen to do that in this case I think its gross generalization to say that bitchy people are just a cost of doing business.

But that's the beauty of the GPS system. Those time frames can be adjusted for unexpected events, as the truck progresses through that day's route. If it's all automated, the only effort is on the part of the customer.

I realize that it's no small hurdle. I'm not one for underestimating the stupidity of John Q. Public. But such a system would help a lot more people than it would anger.

 

[sixone]

Yeah, if they could do something on the tracking page like.

Your package is out for delivery. The truck is approximately 35 miles away from the destination. Last updated at 2:30pm.

No time window, but say every 30 minutes UPS grabs the current location of every truck. Then you can say, "ok, as of about 27 minutes ago, the truck is still 35 miles away. Let me wait 3 more minutes and see how close it is, then I can decide if I can run to the store to grab something quick and be back before the truck gets here."

It's not perfect, but better than what it currently is. I also don't think the implementation would be overly complex or cost prohibitive. They already know which packages are on which trucks, and I'm not 100%, but I'm pretty sure each truck is already tracked by them with GPS.

Exactly!!

Maybe the system doesn't have to locate the truck until/unless a customer requests an update for a specific package on that truck. Keep it simple.

 

[Exterous]

But that's the beauty of the GPS system. Those time frames can be adjusted for unexpected events, as the truck progresses through that day's route. If it's all automated, the only effort is on the part of the customer.

I realize that it's no small hurdle. I'm not one for underestimating the stupidity of John Q. Public. But such a system would help a lot more people than it would anger.

They can only be accurately adjusted if you know how long the delay will take. If the delay is because the delivery took 1 minute longer because someone took forever to sign for the package that is one thing. Trying to update the delivery time because the driver is stuck in a dead stop traffic jam with an unknown amount of time till it clears up is another

It also removes flexibility from their system. If they need to turn around or suddenly change their route a lot of people may suddenly see their delivery progress go in the opposite direction they expected - a sure way to generate irate phone calls

 

[Exterous]

Yeah, if they could do something on the tracking page like.

Your package is out for delivery. The truck is approximately 35 miles away from the destination. Last updated at 2:30pm.

No time window, but say every 30 minutes UPS grabs the current location of every truck. Then you can say, "ok, as of about 27 minutes ago, the truck is still 35 miles away. Let me wait 3 more minutes and see how close it is, then I can decide if I can run to the store to grab something quick and be back before the truck gets here."

It's not perfect, but better than what it currently is. I also don't think the implementation would be overly complex or cost prohibitive. They already know which packages are on which trucks, and I'm not 100%, but I'm pretty sure each truck is already tracked by them with GPS.

I wonder if they think that would result in an increase in theft attempts from their vehicles. I know Best Buy had to suspend deliveries during certain time periods in the Metro Detroit Area several years back because they were being specifically targeted.

 

[sixone]

They can only be accurately adjusted if you know how long the delay will take. If the delay is because the delivery took 1 minute longer because someone took forever to sign for the package that is one thing. Trying to update the delivery time because the driver is stuck in a dead stop traffic jam with an unknown amount of time till it clears up is another

It also removes flexibility from their system. If they need to turn around or suddenly change their route a lot of people may suddenly see their delivery progress go in the opposite direction they expected - a sure way to generate irate phone calls

The system should be designed with allowance for unexpected delays. That's just common sense.

A need to turn around or suddenly change the route SHOULD generate irate phone calls. It's a sign of bad planning - critical to a business.

 

[Red Storm]

They probably look at this way:

"After we spend the time and money to do this, is it going to make us more money? Probably not."

 

[GrumpyMan]

I was a contract courier for Airborne, DHL, Emery, etc. for many many years when I was younger. The problem is that your route is always different and has to be run differently everyday. It would be nice to be able to run a set route the exact same way every day. But you have to remember that each driver has Next day, 2 day, 3 day and ground all in the same truck. You have to plan your route according to those deliveries times that you have to meet and in that exact order. In other words all the next day by 10:30 AM stops must be delivered first, it doesn't matter if they are miles apart and you have other stops you could do in between. And especially during the holidays your deliveries triple or quadruple that time of year. The timelines advertised must be met at all costs or you get fired.

 

[Krazy4Real]

They probably look at this way:

"After we spend the time and money to do this, is it going to make us more money? Probably not."

I don't use USPS since their tracking is pretty terrible. I use FedEx and UPS since they are pretty equal. If UPS or FedEx started to use a tracking method that is superior to the other's, then I would exclusively use them.

I absolutely think it could make them more money if they were to offer an improved tracking service and if they were to market it as a key difference between themselves and the competition.

 

[sixone]

I don't use USPS since their tracking is pretty terrible. I use FedEx and UPS since they are pretty equal. If UPS or FedEx started to use a tracking method that is superior to the other's, then I would exclusively use them.

I absolutely think it could make them more money if they were to offer an improved tracking service and if they were to market it as a key difference between themselves and the competition.

I'll second that.

 

[sixone]

I was a contract courier for Airborne, DHL, Emery, etc. for many many years when I was younger. The problem is that your route is always different and has to be run differently everyday. It would be nice to be able to run a set route the exact same way every day. But you have to remember that each driver has Next day, 2 day, 3 day and ground all in the same truck. You have to plan your route according to those deliveries times that you have to meet and in that exact order. In other words all the next day by 10:30 AM stops must be delivered first, it doesn't matter if they are miles apart and you have other stops you could do in between. And especially during the holidays your deliveries triple or quadruple that time of year. The timelines advertised must be met at all costs or you get fired.

The route for each day's deliveries should be adjusted when each package is scanned, as it goes on the truck.

 

[JoeBleed]

UPS has a nasty lil habit of shipping packages to my city, then putting them in the mail. Since USPS doesn't deliver to our street address, and UPS won't take PO box addresses, this is a problem.

I hate this so much. I've moved twice and still have this problem... It adds to the problem when the seller just picks the shipping method but refuses to take a po box with a street address. If they would just take both, this wouldn't be a problem.

 

[GrumpyMan]

The route for each day's deliveries should be adjusted when each package is scanned, as it goes on the truck.

With the volumes this time of year that is impossible and the scanners they have are not that sophisticated. It's up to the driver to route the deliveries.

 

[GrumpyMan]

I hate this so much. I've moved twice and still have this problem... It adds to the problem when the seller just picks the shipping method but refuses to take a po box with a street address. If they would just take both, this wouldn't be a problem.

It's against the law for anyone other than the USPS to deliver to PO Boxes.

 

[sixone]

It's against the law for anyone other than the USPS to deliver to PO Boxes.

Yes, but if UPS won't accept a PO Box, even as a secondary delivery address, they can't communicate the correct delivery address to USPS.

 

[sixone]

With the volumes this time of year that is impossible and the scanners they have are not that sophisticated. It's up to the driver to route the deliveries.

That's what the GPS is for. Granted, they need something more sophisticated than a TomTom, but it can be done.

 

[GrumpyMan]

Yes, but if UPS won't accept a PO Box, even as a secondary delivery address, they can't communicate the correct delivery address to USPS.

Both the UPS and the USPS prohibit the placement of both a PO BX and a physical address on an address label.