UPS vs FedEx vs USPS: Holiday Shipping Made Easy - Viewpoints

You know that you are going to have to make at least one shipment this holiday season, and those shipping costs can add up fast! The alphabet soup of carriers can get confusing: U.P.S vs. U.S.P.S. Which is faster or most affordable? The important letters to remember are: O.P.T.I.O.N.S, and we’ve created this simple post to help you know what those are. By comparing the United States Postal Service (USPS), FedEx, and the United Parcel Service (UPS), we’ve found that you can save $28 just by choosing the right carrier. Check out all of the the recommendations below for easy holiday shipping.

Same Day Delivery

 Choose: UPS or FedEx

Why: Both offer same day delivery options. USPS does not offer this service. Same day delivery could cost hundreds of dollars. Pricing is customized for each same day delivery request so there is no real “ballpark” figure when considering same day delivery. If you desperately need something delivered by today, contact either UPS or FedEx to speak to a customer service representative.

Overnight Delivery

 Choose: USPS

Why: It’s cheaper. For typical holiday shipments like small packages and letters, USPS does the job with the least damage to your wallet. You can calculate overnight shipping costs online for all three shipping providers. Below you can see a sample price comparison for an overnight holiday gift shipment. We saved around $28, $27.83 to be exact, in this sample shipment by choosing USPS over UPS. (These calculations are based on shipping a 5 pound package from Pittsburgh, PA to San Diego, CA.) 

 

Two-Day or More Delivery

 Choose: USPS or FedEx

Why: Again, either of these options is probably cheaper than UPS. If you do not need to deliver your package urgently it’s smart to calculate the price of your shipment online. USPS is still likely to be cheaper than other options but it’s worth it to check online before choosing which service to use.

USPS Rate Calculator: http://postcalc.usps.gov/
FedEx Rate Calculator: http://fedex.com/ratefinder/home
UPS Rate Calculator: https://wwwapps.ups.com/ctc/request?loc=en_US&WT.svl=PNRO_L1

International & Military Shipments

It’s important to remember that international and military shipments take longer than domestic shipments. Mail can be delayed during the holiday season so if you are planning to make a shipment to a loved one overseas you need to act early. Use the holiday shipping calendar posted by USPS to find shipment cut-off dates for international and military shipping. Even if you do not use USPS for your shipment, the deadline chart is a great resource to ensure that your package gets there in time. 

Convenience

Choose: USPS

Why: You can do all of your holiday shipping without ever having to leave your house! They offer an online shipment process in which you plan your shipment, order shipping supplies, and print postage at home. Once your package is ready to be shipped you arrange for an at-home pickup. FedEx also offers an at-home pickup service but the USPS online process is more user-friendly.

Sources: http://www.usps.com/holiday/shippingcalendar.htm, http://www.ups.com/, http://www.fedex.com/us/holiday/index.html,

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Do you have holiday shipping tips? Leave a comment below, or write your own review of FedEx, USPS, or another shipping service.

via viewpoints.com

Great tips for shipping holiday packages!

Sincerely,
Jason Archambault
Fastpack Packaging Inc.
www.fastpack.net

Posted via email from Shipping Headlines & Tips by Fastpack.net

Which is Better for Taping Parcels? Paper or Plastic Shipping Tape « Shipping Coach

By Guest blogger Jay F. Perdue

We are grateful that a real expert answers the question today about which is better for sealing packages, paper or plastic tape. Jay has 25 years of experience delivering packages for UPS and has seen more packages than just about anyone. Here is his guest post.

Will that be paper or plastic Sir?

When it comes to shipping packages you have two choices for sealing your box: Paper tape or plastic tape. Most small shippers don’t even know that there is more than one option and use plastic tape. The larger shippers sometimes use the reinforced 3″ water activated paper tape using a tape dispenser. You can set the dispenser to give you a specific length of tape. Then, pull the lever and it gives you a perfect piece of tape every time. Sounds great, and it is fast and accurate.

 DON”T USE IT!

After delivering packages for UPS for 25 years I have seen what happens to the packages that are sealed with paper tape and it is not pretty. I end up resealing at least 50% of these packages with plastic tape to keep them closed because the paper tape is either broken or not sticking anymore.

• Paper tape will not stick to plastic tape if you are recycling a box with old plastic tape still on it
• Paper tape does not do well in the extreme heat of summer
• Paper tape is not flexible like plastic tape and will break when during the handling process

My recommendation is to use plastic tape with a hand tape gun. Even the cheap tape at about $1.50 a roll is a lot better than paper tape and the tape guns are cheap also running about $15 or so. It is about as fast as a paper tape dispenser and just as cheap.

Every sale you make is important to you and equally important to your customer. If you take special care to use the right size box and pack your item properly make sure you use plastic tape to keep it sealed tight.

Note from Mark: Jay has moved to Minneapolis/St Paul. If anyone needs a real shipping expert in the logistics field, Jay is available. Here is his LinkedIn profile.

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 30th, 2010 at 12:18 pm and is filed under Packaging Tips, Shipping Tips, Shipping for Beginners. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

via shippingcoach.wordpress.com

Good advise, although our tape and tape dispensers are even less than he suggests, so you can save even more money.

Sincerely,
Jason Archambault
Fastpack Packaging Inc.
www.fastpack.net

Posted via email from Shipping Headlines & Tips by Fastpack.net

End of Year 2010 Delivery Holidays

2010 U.S.P.S Service Holidays:

• Veterans Day – November 11, 2010
• Thanksgiving Day – November 25, 2010
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2010
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2011

2010 UPS Holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day – November 25, 2010
• Day after Thanksgiving – November 26, 2010
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2010
• New Year’s Eve – December 31, 2010
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2011

2010 FedEx Holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day – November 25, 2010
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2010
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2011

2010 FastPack Packaging Holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day – November 25, 2010
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2010
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2011

Sincerely,

Jason Archambault

www.fastpack.net

Posted via email from Shipping Headlines & Tips by Fastpack.net