More than one ereader

[shalym]

Originally Posted by montalex

I always travel with 2 Kindles. If I drop one, I have another. Should one freeze, I have another. I used to bring several books when traveling, not because I'd read them all, but because I might like to switch from one to another, and the kind of books I enjoy one doesn't find in airport bookstores. I'd hate to be stuck on a 5 hour flight with nothing good to read! Even on weekend trips to my cottage an hour from town I bring 2 ereaders. Have I ever really needed an extra one? No. But why not be prepared? They are so small and light...

Exactly this. If I am going anywhere for longer than overnight, I bring 2 e-readers with me, just in case one gets lost, stolen, or broken. I can't imagine being without one.

Shari

[Apache]

Originally Posted by theducks

Have you ever seen what it takes to sort that volume? I have (I did 5 xmases with them).
Driver Routes are split apart from their regular covered areas and/or a Morning and Afternoon load split because there were too many BIG packages to fit. . The loaders have seconds to pull the package and put it at the correct package car.

In a Metro area, drivers are close and a Sup or meet exchange is possible when a mis-load is spotted. On a rural route, the package has to return to the station at the end of the route.

Automation (those smaller white, EDD stickers with a route # on it) has helped reduce errors. But volume has more than doubled since the days it was just the loaders eyeball and route knowledge.

I realize that bit, Ups only started having this problem a couple of years ago. And Fed Ex does not have problems with the handling of their shipments. I think UPS is hiring less temp help than they used to.
Apache

[sjfan]

Originally Posted by Apache

I realize that bit, Ups only started having this problem a couple of years ago. And Fed Ex does not have problems with the handling of their shipments. I think UPS is hiring less temp help than they used to.
Apache

UPS's problems were at their worst in 2013 and 2014, when the level of Internet-based mail order traffic first spiked. They've been improving slowly since then, despite the fact that the number of packages has increased by 25% in that time (from 600 million to 750 million this year), but "improving" still means they struggle with the load.

And the amount of temp help UPS hires has not declined in recent years; they have about 355,000 year-rounders, and add 95,000 extra for the holiday season. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...-idUSKCN1BV1PR

They've been slower than FedEx to automate and streamline their routing, but since about 2015-2016 they're starting to catch up. And FedEx does have problems during peak season, too, though not quite as bad; they're only at about 94% on-time delivery rate during the holidays, which is substantially below the 99% that both companies have during the regular portion of the year (UPS is usually around 92% during peak).

[barryem]

Originally Posted by Apache

Maybe it is the shipper and not B&N. UPS has already had numerous problems getting packages delivered this Christmas Season. I have already had vendors, that use UPS exclusively, tell me that they can not guarantee even overnight packages. And UPS has not delivered packages on time because they loaded the packages on the wrong vehicles. So far this year I have not had a problem with Fed Ex.
Apache

Nope. The notice that it'll arrive on Wednesday was from B&N and when I tried tracking it UPS hadn't even picked it up yet. This was right after I got the notice.

Now tracking shows it's in Mesquite Texas so a Friday delivery seems likely.

Barry

[barryem]

By the way, I'm an Amazon Prime member and I've been ordering stuff for myself and my neighbors and thus getting a package every day. Nearly all are ordered with 2 day shipping. One did arrive a day late and it was UPS's fault. He gave me someone else's package and then left and didn't bring my package till today. It was due yesterday.

I've had a delivery nearly every day this week and last week and that's the only delayed one, and actually it was here. The driver just got confused.

In past holiday seasons UPS has sometimes been pretty spotty but this time they've done a pretty good job.

Barry

[Apache]

Wednesday I had three packages on three different trucks and another that they did not know where it was. They finally located it, still at the UPS office. This has been the worst year for me with UPS shipping. Today the driver dropped off two packages and picked up one. He then left leaving the package for shipping on the counter. They are definitely overworked. The drivers are putting in some crazy hours here.
Apache