TOPIC: USPS follies

i believe memphis is where their main terminal is.

smakdown wrote: i believe memphis is where their main terminal is.

Right but it takes twice as long to drive from Indy to Memphis as Indy to Chicago. So it just doesn't make much sense.

Fiddy wrote: As much fun as we make of USPS, I just had a FedEx package take a detour to Memphis, TN on its way from Chicago to Indianapolis.

It’s my understanding that basically all FedEx packages (Midwest ones, at least) go through Memphis. Even intra-city packages. So a FedEx sent from once Chicago address to another will go to Memphis overnight and come back in the morning.

BeLinda Mathie wrote:

Fiddy wrote: As much fun as we make of USPS, I just had a FedEx package take a detour to Memphis, TN on its way from Chicago to Indianapolis.

It’s my understanding that basically all FedEx packages (Midwest ones, at least) go through Memphis. Even intra-city packages. So a FedEx sent from once Chicago address to another will go to Memphis overnight and come back in the morning.

That is just crazy and doesn't seem very efficient.

jedibcg wrote:

BeLinda Mathie wrote:

Fiddy wrote: As much fun as we make of USPS, I just had a FedEx package take a detour to Memphis, TN on its way from Chicago to Indianapolis.

It’s my understanding that basically all FedEx packages (Midwest ones, at least) go through Memphis. Even intra-city packages. So a FedEx sent from once Chicago address to another will go to Memphis overnight and come back in the morning.

That is just crazy and doesn't seem very efficient.

It’s a hub-and-spoke system. I heard about it when a FedEx overnight package I sent from Chicago to another Chicago address was delayed due to weather—in Memphis. (It was fine in Chicago, but Memphis had an ice storm.) This was years ago, so perhaps things have changed, but given Fiddy’s recent experience, it sounds like they haven’t.

Woo Hoo! Got the label created email. Now begins my watch.

I see my package has been accepted by the post office, and is listed as Saturday delivery. With any decent luck it could arrive tomorrow. But I doubt it; the vortex will likely pull its shenanigans.

Mine still just says label created. hope it just got skipped in scanning and its on its way!

KingThor wrote: Mine still just says label created. hope it just got skipped in scanning and its on its way!

I have that happen were it sat in label created and then suddenly popped up in Cincinnati without any St Louis or Indy scans. So who knows.

jedibcg wrote:

BeLinda Mathie wrote:

Fiddy wrote: As much fun as we make of USPS, I just had a FedEx package take a detour to Memphis, TN on its way from Chicago to Indianapolis.

It’s my understanding that basically all FedEx packages (Midwest ones, at least) go through Memphis. Even intra-city packages. So a FedEx sent from once Chicago address to another will go to Memphis overnight and come back in the morning.

That is just crazy and doesn't seem very efficient.

It makes a lot of sense from a large logistics viewpoint. This way they only need to have sorting equipment in a few centralized hubs-all the smaller offices need to do is drop it into the "overnight" bin and then sorting (and, at least equally important, the delivery route scheduling) gets done in a location outfitted to handle it. That plane from Chicago to Memphis is making that round trip every day no matter what and an individual package adds a negligible amount to the cost overhead when it's added to a full cargo hold.

NightGod wrote:

jedibcg wrote:

BeLinda Mathie wrote:

Fiddy wrote: As much fun as we make of USPS, I just had a FedEx package take a detour to Memphis, TN on its way from Chicago to Indianapolis.

It’s my understanding that basically all FedEx packages (Midwest ones, at least) go through Memphis. Even intra-city packages. So a FedEx sent from once Chicago address to another will go to Memphis overnight and come back in the morning.

That is just crazy and doesn't seem very efficient.

It makes a lot of sense from a large logistics viewpoint. This way they only need to have sorting equipment in a few centralized hubs-all the smaller offices need to do is drop it into the "overnight" bin and then sorting (and, at least equally important, the delivery route scheduling) gets done in a location outfitted to handle it. That plane from Chicago to Memphis is making that round trip every day no matter what and an individual package adds a negligible amount to the cost overhead when it's added to a full cargo hold.

NightGod hit it on the head. I live in Memphis. The FedEx operation is massive and why Memphis is the biggest cargo airport every year. Someone mentioned driving distance earlier. FedEx doesn't utilize trucking to the extent USPS does. They move the bulk of their cargo via planes and that plane is flying regardless. It may not be as efficient cost wise, but it gives FedEx a service speed advantage which is what they built their brand on.

Jeff Greene wrote:

NightGod wrote:

jedibcg wrote:

BeLinda Mathie wrote:

Fiddy wrote: As much fun as we make of USPS, I just had a FedEx package take a detour to Memphis, TN on its way from Chicago to Indianapolis.

It’s my understanding that basically all FedEx packages (Midwest ones, at least) go through Memphis. Even intra-city packages. So a FedEx sent from once Chicago address to another will go to Memphis overnight and come back in the morning.

That is just crazy and doesn't seem very efficient.

It makes a lot of sense from a large logistics viewpoint. This way they only need to have sorting equipment in a few centralized hubs-all the smaller offices need to do is drop it into the "overnight" bin and then sorting (and, at least equally important, the delivery route scheduling) gets done in a location outfitted to handle it. That plane from Chicago to Memphis is making that round trip every day no matter what and an individual package adds a negligible amount to the cost overhead when it's added to a full cargo hold.

NightGod hit it on the head. I live in Memphis. The FedEx operation is massive and why Memphis is the biggest cargo airport every year. Someone mentioned driving distance earlier. FedEx doesn't utilize trucking to the extent USPS does. They move the bulk of their cargo via planes and that plane is flying regardless. It may not be as efficient cost wise, but it gives FedEx a service speed advantage which is what they built their brand on.

I found it odd more because Indianapolis is also a hub in the FedEx network. Not to the size of the Memphis superhub, but one of the "regular" hubs.