# Rant: Fedex sucks, IMO **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 2, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032 "2020-12-02T18:17:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/1 "2020-12-02T18:17:37Z")
They never send the same driver twice, I honestly don’t know where they keep getting new people for every delivery. Service suffers when the drivers can’t learn their route and the customers that live there. Their tracking sucks, packages will sometimes bounce back and forth from facility to facility, the tracking will say the package is 2 states away today, but expected delivery is yesterday. The tracking never says “Out for delivery” any more, the package just shows up with no warning. They hand write the street address (but not city/state/ZIP) on every surface of the box. That isn’t annoying, just weird and inefficient. Saturday it was raining and they threw a box into a puddle on the edge of the porch instead of putting it 2 feet further back on the dry part. Last week they threw a breakable item in the middle of the concrete sidewalk, 5’ from the covered porch, and broke it. Today they were walking towards the covered porch with a printer, dropped it, then decided to walk to the other side of the garage door, out of sight of the front windows, and leave the box there. If Walmart and Amazon would let me opt out of FedEx I would in a heartbeat. In the meantime they can just keep refunding broken and missing items. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/2 "2020-12-02T18:28:50Z")
FedEx sub-contracts a lot of their deliveries to local companies. Around here, even though it’s FedEx marked vehicles, they’re labeled as “Operated by Incompetent Couriers, Inc.” Remember, in general, _you’re_ not the customer. It appears that replacing damaged shipments is cheaper than operating their own vehicles and using their own drivers. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/3 "2020-12-02T18:35:11Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > FedEx sub-contracts a lot of their deliveries to local companies. I stopped in to make the exact same point. I draw a distinction as clear as black and white between Fed Ex Ground (mostly used for packages) and Fed Ex the Original for envelopes. No problems at all with envelopes. I know the driver well and he’s a sweetie. Fed Ex Ground… I avoid them as much as possible. Just awful. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/4 "2020-12-02T18:37:02Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Remember, in general, _you’re_ not the customer. It appears that replacing damaged shipments is cheaper than operating their own vehicles and using their own drivers. Yes. This is a point of endless frustration, as you, the recipient, are not actually their “customer”; you are, to them, essentially inconsequential. They act like they’re doing you a favor by delivering your stuff. As the recipient you have basically no recourse, and even as the sender, your options are limited at best. UPS is exactly the same way, and they too can go fuck themselves. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/5 "2020-12-02T18:42:35Z")
Them being FedEx contractors explains a lot. In the past FedEx was somewhat better, they always sent drivers that looked like college bros and were generally blasting music, but the service wasn’t that much worse than UPS. Now it’s much worse. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/6 "2020-12-02T18:49:35Z")
A couple of years ago, I signed up for the FedEx Delivery Manager service. It provides advance notice of incoming packages and the ability to redirect them to another address. In my case, there is a FedEx Office location very nearby, so I have them sent there. So they’re safe and I can pick them up after work. UPS has a similar deal, called UPS My Choice, although the free tier doesn’t offer as many options as the paid one. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/7 "2020-12-02T19:18:40Z")
The FedEx hub nearest me sucks swampwater!! You can’t rely on their delivery info. Once they left my package at the end of my driveway, out of sight of the house, in the middle of a flower bed! Calling is a useless exercise. I would never voluntarily use them, and I worry these days with so many people shopping on line (like me) that the drivers just get tired/worn out/fed up and they just can’t be bothered to make any sort of effort. Yes, FedEx sucks. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/8 "2020-12-02T19:31:10Z")
My biggest complaint is they charge you to deliver it at a certain day and time. If any normal person tried this they’d be arrested for blackmail. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/9 "2020-12-02T21:23:17Z")
Don’t know about the US, but in Canada, there are towns and regions FedEx and UPS don’t even deliver to, unlike Canada Post, which delivers everywhere, right to your door or community mailbox, is usually cheaper unless you really want next day service, and has many more benefits. It also pays its workers much better, and because they are unionized, they have better, safer working conditions. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/10 "2020-12-02T21:32:52Z")
My employer ships hundreds of packages a week, mostly with FedEx but some UPS, all over North America. We recieve a similar number with about half from each carrier. We also get at least a few pallets of freight a day, too. Granted, it’s almost all business to business but it’s actually amazing how seldom anything goes wrong, even a little. Often, when there’s a problem, it is for a good reason like a snowsorm caused a delay or a customer/vendor did a lousy job packing or labeling the box. We also get the same drivers for a pretty long time and they have regular routes. When I was more involved with shipping & receiving, I’d really get to know them. We’d be on a first name basis, ask about each other’s vacations, always nice and pleasant. I hear similar exchanges with the current warehouse folks today. Sorry everyone else has problems but I can report very reliably good experiences with each company. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/11 "2020-12-02T21:42:25Z")
FYI, the [Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ups-slaps-shipping-limits-on-gap-nike-to-manage-e-commerce-surge-11606926669) reports that UPS set limits on pickups from some large retailers, such as The Gap, Newegg and LL Bean. The article is saying that both FedEx and UPS are being stretched to their limits by the volume of shipping due to the holidays and COVID ordering. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/12 "2020-12-03T02:20:40Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > We also get the same drivers for a pretty long time and they have regular routes.- From your description, those are the routes that would get the quality drivers. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/13 "2020-12-03T02:55:08Z")
Apparently FedEx got bad enough last year that Amazon quit using them for a while: [https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2019/12/18/amazon-blocked-sellers-from-using-fedex-and-now-we-know-why/?sh=70e5bac92da1](https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2019/12/18/amazon-blocked-sellers-from-using-fedex-and-now-we-know-why/?sh=70e5bac92da1) > FedEx on-time delivery performance has dropped to 68.3% from 77.5% in the same period in 2018. And FedEx is not alone. The same analysis shows [UPS’](https://www.ups.com/us/en/Home.page) on-time stats are down too, from 86% to 80%. Most likely, the increase in the number of packages and the higher percent going to consumers’ homes is overwhelming the companies’ systems and accounts for the decline in on-time performance. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/14 "2020-12-03T04:00:50Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > From your description, those are the routes that would get the quality drivers. No doubt and it’s because business shipments can have far more impact and need critical timing than household orders. And they probably also have a better margin by shipping our single package for $28 than three packages for $10/each. For example, an offshore research vessel operator calls us on Thursday desperate to get an instrument before the scheduled departure the following Tuesday. Ok, yes it’s not too late in the day, we’ll have time to get it packed and we can count on 2 day air to get it on their dock in plenty of time on Monday for $70. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/15 "2020-12-03T04:35:15Z")
I was a shipping manager, and hated them. Now my kid works for them. Not sure how this improves the metric. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/16 "2020-12-03T08:02:08Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > If any normal person tried this they’d be arrested for blackmail. I think you mean extortion. And, yes, they suck. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-fedex-sucks-imo/927032/17 "2020-12-03T12:38:08Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Apparently FedEx got bad enough last year that Amazon quit using them for a while: [https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2019/12/18/amazon-blocked-sellers-from-using-fedex-and-now-we-know-why/?sh=70e5bac92da1](https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2019/12/18/amazon-blocked-sellers-from-using-fedex-and-now-we-know-why/?sh=70e5bac92da1) > > … I’ve heard that FedEx didn’t renew with AZ over a business decision to concentrate on their core overnight business delivery as opposed to home delivery. They said that most of the money is in b to b overnight and the rest (home, 3 day etc.) was just to fill up the plane. They did’t want to go into such a home delivery business (though they bought what became FedEx ground), but just was using it to top off their core business. They realized that Amazon was causing them to lose their soul so to speak and backed away.