MTFCA Forum

And it has to do with Model T. I ordered 2 trailer decals from the MTFCA Museum on 10 January for my new T trailer and they were accepted into Richmond P.O. on 16 January. From there they went to Des Moines on 20 January where they languished until arriving in Austin TX today ! 7 February and finally delivered ! I coulda received it quicker if delivered by a TT in low Ruckstell ! Costs greatly increasing and customer service on the way out

Get in a car - go make the drive to pick up
whatever you want at a distance - see what
it costs you in time & money.

Shipping is about keeping a truck full
headed in general direction - whatever
you have on that truck is a tiny part of
keeping that truck - and every other truck
Full ….

The USPS and every other shipping provider
do an excellent job given the volume of
what is delivered.

You should be grateful for the service provided.


FJ

FreighTer Jim wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 07, 2023 4:06 pm

Get in a car - go make the drive to pick up
whatever you want at a distance - see what
it costs you in time & money.

Shipping is about keeping a truck full
headed in general direction - whatever
you have on that truck is a tiny part of
keeping that truck - and every other truck
Full ….

The USPS and every other shipping provider
do an excellent job given the volume of
what is delivered.

You should be grateful for the service provided.


FJ

Makes me want to hire you for my next shipment....

GEORGE, I agree with your sentiment. Seems like it struck a nerve. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks"

Probably weather-related. It's also Flu Season. Remember Flu?
UPS is behind due to weather. (It's this January HEAT!)

In my area daily mail has gotten slower. I don’t know if they wait to get a big load and then deliver or not. But I was told this areas main collection center was moved about 100 miles from this area and that’s when mail delivery’s started getting 2-3 days slower.
So that means if you mail a letter, bills, or whatever to the local addresses to you it’s gathered up and sent off 100 miles and then delivered back to you when the person you mailed your letter to was 10 miles away.
And no I’m not going to deliver my local letter, mail or whatever to them in my car.

So no I’m not going to be grateful and be happy just so we get our mail in “whatever time it takes”.

So maybe it’s the “new normal” we all should know and love. And by the way this started happening before Covid and when the new normal started being mentioned.

First it was covid, then Amazon, short employees and so on. I have had stuff make it to Knoxville TN and then go to Detroit and back to Knoxville. The "informed delivery service" is a help but as their own foot notes say, its a maybe but not sure. As much as it costs to ship we should get better service. I can remember when the mail arrived by ten in the morning, now we are lucky if it comes by four in the afternoon.

Jim Eubanks, sometimes ours runs long after dark, used to be here around noon. Nobody wants to work.

George, I say if your item:
1) was not lost and actually arrived
2) was not damaged
3) was not stolen off your porch after it was delivered,

It was a win - win - win.

: ^ )

Keith

Well I will agree they handle alot of items and it takes man power and blah blah blah to quote Greta, but at the same time,the USPS has had DECADES,heck CENTURY'S, to get their system down pat and prompt. It seems in the last several years even with double postage and so forth it has gotten slower and the packages are handled worse than scrap metal at the junk yard.
It is a shame there is no feedback system or way for the common citizen to complain and it actually do any good.
It was not long ago that my bank 30 miles away could mail my statement to me on monday and it be in my hand on weds day. Not any more,it takes a WEEK for a letter to get 30 miles from me,goes 30 miles away from me in the other direction,has to PASS ME to get there only to be sent back.

During that period there were severe storms in some areas and power outages in others. Some flight delays as well. I will agree that some routes taken are not the most direct routes, however, it usually gets to its destination.
Norm

It amazes me how my Amazon orders from 120 miles away, sometimes delivered by USPS, get here overnite, when letters mailed here in the city takes 4 days or more! A recent order from one of the vendors arrived in two days via USPS for half the rate as FedEx and Fedex took 4 days at double what USPS charged.

There is a problem with small packages & letters. Its what I call bottom of the basket. White envelop on bottom of white basket to hard to see or bend over to reach for some

I sent a package USPS to Reykjavik, Iceland. It left Wisconsin and arrived in Reykjavik. A couple of days later it was back in the states. Then it was shipped back to Iceland and eventually arrived at its destination. What airline did the USPS use? Southwest?

Given the human capacity for error, be thankful that anything works at all.

Steve Jelf wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 07, 2023 11:59 pm

Given the human capacity for error, be thankful that anything works at all.

I blame the distraction of smart phones and social media... and probably the Model T Forum too

And here’s the rest of the story: When it appeared my decal parcel was lost, I called Justin at the museum and he very graciously said he’d send 2 decals again. So I finally received the first order in 3 days short of a month ! And I’m not “thankful that anything works at all” Steve since I paid $9.50 for shipping. What’s worse is our fine museum paid to send me replacements on 26 January and they’ve been languishing in USPS Purgatory in Cincinnati since 30 January. Look for yourselves; use USPS tracking
9449011206203574960275...IF I receive this second parcel, I get to pay another $9.50 to send back to the museum. Therefore my title ‘PITIFULLY SORRY USPS

Overall the work ethic has changed and the way work is thought of has changed in the last few years. Say it ain’t so Joe. But it has.

I kinda' think these delays, and the convoluted travels our packages go through, is nothing new at all. What is new, is our ability to track all of this and see all the seedy details. We know too much... None of this is any kind of an excuse. Just an observation.

And I’m not “thankful that anything works at all” Steve since I paid $9.50 for shipping.

Perhaps I should have said "...when anything works at all." Since USPS lost an item that cost me $80 and the so-called "insurance" proved worthless, I'm thankful when a shipment arrives safely.

Too much consolidation; too much traffic. Too many consultants. Too many rules. Drop a local bill in a local box for local delivery? YOU CAN'T DO THAT! Let's raise rates and make more rules!

Must have to do with what hubs the mail goes through. I have had no issues with getting my packages or letters in the required time, shipped USPS from many parts of the country.

In the old days they used Stage Coaches or Pony Express. Imagine how long it would take. Some places were small and didn't get much mail. In fact I can remember when I was a boy, my mother would call her sister from California to Utah. All the family at both ends would gather around and pass the phone. They didn't talk for long because of long distance rates. They would call the long distance operator to place the call and then wait a while for a return call when the connections had been made.
When my wife's grandparents crossed the country in on a wagon train it took months to get from St. Louis to Oregon! Now if things take a week or two we complain!
It might have gotten there faster with express mail, which costs more.
Norm

It only took 10 days for the pony express to deliver cross country.
Todays mail can take longer than the pony express.

Hi All,

I use FEDEX to send the parts even over sea.
All arrive in a week.
No problem whatever the season is.

Andre
Belgium

There seems to be a general, ongoing deterioration in a number of institutions.

We all have different experiences, and unfortunately bad experiences leave the longest lasting impression. My Latest Lang's order arrived last week, courtesy of usps, two and one-half days after I placed it. At the moment I'm very pleased with both Lang's and usps. ymmv, and often does, jb

This is an “ Off Topic “ subject.
It should not even be in “ General Discussion “.



FJ

OOPS , I mean UPS is getting lousy to.
the tracking system,is no good. I have no idea where my 138 dollar radiator is that is SUPPOSED to be here now,but the number is not updated at all.

I am testing it right now. I ordered some parts from Langs in Mass. They are headed to California. Almost as far as you can go in the continental U.S, They were sent by USPS yesterday. I got a conformation and tracking number from Langs. I expect them in a few days. I know I could fly up to Boston in less than a day. The wait to check in at the Airport is almost as long as the trip. I'll let you know when they get here.
Norm

Since USPS only insures the contents I include the shipping charge in the value. They do reimburse the shipping charge if the item is not delivered.
I did these filings on-line a not at the Local Post Office since they make you fill out paper work and then the send it off to a claims center.
The process was easy, used pictures off the INternet to support the value claimed. I also made 2 International Claims successfully. For one of those I made a claim with PayPal to get the shipping charge I paid to eBay back. Since eBay never responded to my claim PayPal automatically refuned the amount. ... Patience

Norman, if your parts going from MA to CA aren’t routed thru Cincinnati, you’ll receive in less than a week.
FJ: you think my business with our excellent professionals at the MTFCA museum should be “OT” but you whined about your trailer axle breakage last year causing an interruption in income on this Forum ? FWIW, I’ll report on the receipt of the second mailing of decals sent from Richmond IN on 26 January and still languishing in Cincinnati.

Down in my neck of the wood in South Carolina, seems like everything goes through the Atlanta Distribution Center where it boomerangs back and forth for 2-3 days or so. We have a saying here, "You can go to heaven or hell, but you have to go through Atlanta first."

George House wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 17, 2023 2:34 pm

Norman, if your parts going from MA to CA aren’t routed thru Cincinnati, you’ll receive in less than a week.
FJ: you think my business with our excellent professionals at the MTFCA museum should be “OT” but you whined about your trailer axle breakage last year causing an interruption in income on this Forum ? FWIW, I’ll report on the receipt of the second mailing of decals sent from Richmond IN on 26 January and still languishing in Cincinnati.

I assume that you have a Tracking number since you are noting it being stuck in Cincinnati. So Have you filed a "Missing Mail Report". I have done this in the past and got results 3 out of 4 times. Do it on-line! In the area for en explanation just explain stuck in Cincinnati fr almost a month. This is the only way to get reimbursed (both for the value of the items & postage since it wasn't delivered).
Go to https://www.usps.com/help/missing-mail.htm
If you don't have Informed Delivery create an account, its a great service especially in the winter. It will indicate what mail to expect in your mail ox that day (99.99% correct) with photo's of the envelopes. No sense in going out to check on 10 degrees days when its junk mail

Howdy Frank,
Yes, I inserted the USPS tracking number in my 14 Feb post. Oh, I’ll receive the decals eventually. The first iteration of this saga took 3 days less than a month to receive. If shipments from Richmond IN to south central Texas have to go thru Cincinnati, I’ll buy from the museum personally next Homecoming.

Looking at a map of U.S,A, Ohio is right nest to Indiana. Why would they ship to Texas. about as far south as you can go before you get to Mexico.
Norm

Well Norman,...a majority of Texans are still American citizens and, as such, have access to American money and the ability to spend it on mail order items. And you won’t be surprised to know that some Texans are life members of the MTFCA. This is only one reason “why would they ship to Texas”..

I guess I didn't explain what I really meant. Why would something from Ohio addressed to Indiana be sent first through Texas? Why not go directly to Indiana? Both Ohio and Indiana have big cities which should be big enough for postal hubs.
Norm

I think this thread has run its course...
Post Office sucks. Noted.

To sum things up : “ Say it ain’t so Joe”. But it is.

Glad you got it. I guess I should have gone back and read the original post before I made my last post. My memory is not too good for a whole week! Still remember things that happened when I was 2 years old. I guess my memory is like my computer. The memory is full and it takes longer to react.
Norm

Norman Kling wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 18, 2023 12:28 pm

Glad you got it. I guess I should have gone back and read the original post before I made my last post. My memory is not too good for a whole week! Still remember things that happened when I was 2 years old. I guess my memory is like my computer. The memory is full and it takes longer to react.
Norm

Yea, I know the feeling,my hard drive got shook up years ago and stuff is still in there but hard to sort thru.

Your outlook on life is admirable, Mack!

My last post on this thread. My parts were shipped by Langs Thursday 2/16 they got here today 2/18. From Massachusetts to Alpine, Ca 30 miles from San Diego. Not only did they come today, but they were on the porch. Our mail box is 1180' from the house, but they got to the porch and also todays regular mail! USPS was good to me.
Norm