Shipping Issues, Options, Ideas etc.....

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
shues said:
Parcel Post is now known as Standard Post. When compared to Priority Mail, Standard Post gets substantially less expensive as weight and/or distance increase, and more permissive with the size of the parcel as it relates to being charged by dimensional weight.

The only USPS mail with a guaranteed date is Express. USPS is trying to cut costs. Priority goes by ground a lot more than one would think. As the distance gets farther and the item bigger, standard / parcel post becomes much cheaper. At my local post office the clerks know to just give me the standard post and priority rates to compare for each item. If you are sending documents like catalogs, media mail is cheaper many times.
 

chief1562

Member
Mar 18, 2011
5,840
Slaterville/NY
Just learned something new yesterday.


Sent a couple of domes to Hoser and used a wine box.


When the wife came back from the PO she said that if you wine boxs everything on the box has to be either covered over or Xed out. Who knew? Not me.
 

shues

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
10,269
NW Indiana
chief1565 said:
Just learned something new yesterday.
Sent a couple of domes to Hoser and used a wine box.


When the wife came back from the PO she said that if you wine boxs everything on the box has to be either covered over or Xed out. Who knew? Not me.

USPS has probably had this requirement forever. When I was young, I remember my father using some "cardboard colored" spray paint to prepare boxes so that they could be reused for shipping.
 

minig0d

Member
Mar 29, 2013
689
LA & TX
chief1565 said:
Just learned something new yesterday.
Sent a couple of domes to Hoser and used a wine box.


When the wife came back from the PO she said that if you wine boxs everything on the box has to be either covered over or Xed out. Who knew? Not me.

Any markings on the box that are not officially related to shipping (like writing media mail or priority mail or heavy) are technically supposed to be covered or x'd out. But they will often let that slide if you are shipping a product in an original box (like slapping a shipping label on a DVD player box). But they are probably extra cautious on a wine box being the alcohol thing.
 

tsquale

Lifetime VIP Donor
Oct 12, 2010
10,510
Minnesota, USA
chief1565 said:
Just learned something new yesterday.
Sent a couple of domes to Hoser and used a wine box.


When the wife came back from the PO she said that if you wine boxs everything on the box has to be either covered over or Xed out. Who knew? Not me.

That's been a rule for a long time. I used to use various boxes from the liquor store to ship because they have a nice assortment of sizes. I finally got sick of having to wrap them in packaging paper...
 

chief1562

Member
Mar 18, 2011
5,840
Slaterville/NY
First time I've ever used one.


They told the wife if I use one again make sure everything is Xed out or like you said wrapped.


Got lots of leftover christmas paper :D


Oh I hope hoser doesn't think I sent him a case of wine instead of a set of domes.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
minig0d said:
Sharpie or some of those ups 4x6" labels. I ain't got time to gift wrap lol

Actually USPS discourages wrapping boxes. It gets pulled off and tangles machines. Per the three post offices I use, the big ass sharpie is the way to go.
 

minig0d

Member
Mar 29, 2013
689
LA & TX
JohnMarcson said:
Actually USPS discourages wrapping boxes. It gets pulled off and tangles machines. Per the three post offices I use, the big ass sharpie is the way to go.

Haha. From rain sleet and snow to crybabies about everything. The evolution of the USPS.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
minig0d said:
Haha. From rain sleet and snow to crybabies about everything. The evolution of the USPS.

More like the automation of everything. The 12 guys that used to do that machine's job used to be able to handle paper wrapping... but the robot is less gentle. USPS is struggling to survive. Online payments and the commercial shippers are killing them.


I will say that for smaller boxes USPS is still my go to based on price.
 

minig0d

Member
Mar 29, 2013
689
LA & TX
JohnMarcson said:
More like the automation of everything. The 12 guys that used to do that machine's job used to be able to handle paper wrapping... but the robot is less gentle. USPS is struggling to survive. Online payments and the commercial shippers are killing them.

I will say that for smaller boxes USPS is still my go to based on price.

Oh I love em. Ups complains about everything and love drop kicking my packages. FedEx just doesn't bother showing up for a few days and writes customer unavailable.


USPS isn't really hurting from a operations efficiency standpoint. It's all from the massive amounts they owe out in retirement benefits and congressional mandated payments and some lost revenue from less letters and adverts b/c email. Package wise I hear they are pretty profitable. And all their new package changes I like. ($50 free insurance etc). Now if they'd stop confusing people with bumping up stamp prices twice a year. Bump it up 5 cents every 5 years or something and stop confusing people.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
minig0d said:
Oh I love em. Ups complains about everything and love drop kicking my packages. FedEx just doesn't bother showing up for a few days and writes customer unavailable.

USPS isn't really hurting from a operations efficiency standpoint. It's all from the massive amounts they owe out in retirement benefits and congressional mandated payments and some lost revenue from less letters and adverts b/c email. Package wise I hear they are pretty profitable. And all their new package changes I like. ($50 free insurance etc). Now if they'd stop confusing people with bumping up stamp prices twice a year. Bump it up 5 cents every 5 years or something and stop confusing people.


Their issue is multiple problems... Huge pensions, benefits etc is the cost end. The profit end has been seriously hurt by online payments. Standard mail is decreasing. There is a good article on it here: Postmaster: Postal Service In Dire Financial Straits : NPR


The post office actually wanted to get in on the online payment racket, but it didn't happen. I think USPS should combine their money order system into a digital payment system as a direct paypal competitor.
 

minig0d

Member
Mar 29, 2013
689
LA & TX
The post office actually wanted to get in on the online payment racket, but it didn't happen. I think USPS should combine their money order system into a digital payment system as a direct paypal competitor.

A PayPal/money order/moneygram or whatever those services are called/utility bill paying service rolled up into one would be pretty cool
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
minig0d said:
A PayPal/money order/moneygram or whatever those services are called/utility bill paying service rolled up into one would be pretty cool

That's what I said... an online component to their existing money transfer options.. that would be their saving grace. I'm sure there are hurdles.
 

minig0d

Member
Mar 29, 2013
689
LA & TX
JohnMarcson said:
That's what I said... an online component to their existing money transfer options.. that would be their saving grace. I'm sure there are hurdles.

Haha I'm sure someone in congress or one of his cronies is on the board of PayPal and gets the idea shut down or an antitrust investigation initiated.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
minig0d said:
Haha I'm sure someone in congress or one of his cronies is on the board of PayPal and gets the idea shut down or an antitrust investigation initiated.

The postal service is a government service, so you are probably right.
 
Jun 18, 2013
3,708
PA
I just shipped 2 bars from West Coast back to PA. 

I was short on time, and used UPS.   It cost me about $90 each to ship via Ground with insurance.

My biggest problem was locating boxes,   My solution was to buy mutliple smaller boxes from either Wallyworld or Homederpdom and stack them together to make the larger box.    This worked.   Both the Twinsonic and the Aerodynic survived.   

However I did take the domes off the twinsonic as I didn't trust them surviving.
 

tsquale

Lifetime VIP Donor
Oct 12, 2010
10,510
Minnesota, USA
Uhaul has a ”grand wardrobe box” that is only $11. Dimensions closed are 48x 24 x24, however, the flaps are very large so you can easily modify it to safely package larger bars. Very thick and sturdy cardboard.
 

MEVS06

New Member
May 23, 2010
3,485
San Antonio, TX
I get my boxes and shipping supplies from a local container company 48" X 15" X 15" for like $3.47 per box.... Best bet is to search locally for a container manufacturer.
 

tsquale

Lifetime VIP Donor
Oct 12, 2010
10,510
Minnesota, USA
I have recently started using shipnerd.com to check pricing for shipments. They are better on pricing about 50% of the time. The catch (there always is one) is that you don't choose the carrier you are shipping with. You enter all the details for the shipment (addresses, size, weight) and then choose the speed you want it shipped. It then gives you the rates. Once you pay, you find out who it is shipping with.

Just throwing it out as another option for folks to say on costs.
 

Skulldigger

Member
Aug 23, 2015
1,739
Georgia / USA
FYI, Lowes has 12x12x16 shipping boxes, heavier duty than the USPS boxes for just 88 cents. Most beacons and other items will fit in them just fine with plenty of rrom for packing. They have larger size boxes for just over a dollar each. Don't forget you can combine boxes to make them wider or taller too.

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=boxes
 
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Sparky_911

Supporting Donor
May 15, 2013
2,646
Central Illinois
This is how I ship bars....
UPS golf bag box x2...15 each
Uhaul sports utility box x2...5-6each 15x15x48
Uhaul lamp box x2...4-5each. 12x12x40.
Uhaul packing peanuts x2-x5...4-6each
Uhaul bubble wrap....varies

Pick your poison...golf bag boxes are heavier duty.
Lamp boxes will hold twinsonic type bars.
Sports utility boxes are best for xl type bars.

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