Adventures in Package Tracking

I know that it's way too easy to pick on shipping companies this, or any, time of year. Still, recently I've had a couple of packages that have been routed in what can only be said to be very creative ways.

I made an order from onecall.com, who physically reside in Spokane, Washington. I'm in Puyallup, Washington -- separated by the Cascade mountains, but still the same state. My order was shipped via FedEX air from Spokane to Oakland, California, before heading back to Seattle, then onto trucks from there. On the positive side, it was on time.

My prize winner however, is a FedEX ground (?) shipment. It was originally due in 12/4. Currently, it's estimated to arrive on 12/8. Kent, WA is about ten miles from here. Apparently, since arriving in Kent on 12/4, my package went back to Wisconsin, then back to Kent again, where it's taking three additional days to make the final ten miles.

KENT, WA December 6, 2006 5:45 AM
NEW BERLIN, WI December 4, 2006 12:01 PM
KENT, WA December 4, 2006 10:08 AM
MARTINSBURG, WV December 2, 2006 1:32 PM
MARTINSBURG, WV December 1, 2006 1:55 AM
JONESVILLE, SC November 30, 2006 4:00 PM

I had a similar experience on a book that I bought from Amazon last year. It still arrived on time but mine went from somewhere in CA, to somewhere in the mid-west, back to CA, before showing up at my door unexpected.

My 580 EX came from Coventry, a couple hundred miles away. It was sent next day delivery. the tracking information provided was several hours slower to be updated by the courier company, but the item went from Coventry to the East sussex depot to my door in less than 24 hours. As it should have!

There are some advantages to living in a tiny little country!

I went to post something to the US the other day and was told that surface mail would take 6-8 weeks to get there! shocking!

kind of sounds like the wife and i's luggage on our honeymoon.

chicago to atlanta
atlanta to salt lake city
salt lake city to LA
LA to atlanta
atlanta to mexico city
mexico city to cabo san lucas...

got it 2.5 days later....

my best brown truck chasing story was when my wheels for my car where coming in after traveling around the country for a couple of weeks. missed them at my house, and called up the UPS place and they gave me an area that he would be in... ended up getting him on the street and offloading the wheels from his truck right there.. didn't want to wait another day for them

steved110 wrote in post #2368419
My 580 EX came from Coventry, a couple hundred miles away. It was sent next day delivery. the tracking information provided was several hours slower to be updated by the courier company, but the item went from Coventry to the East sussex depot to my door in less than 24 hours. As it should have!

There are some advantages to living in a tiny little country!

I do find most things I order in the UK arrive when they should, usually next-day - I have regularly ordered something late afternoon and by 10am the next day it's in my grubby little hands

I often see horror stories about the US postal/courier services and wonder how they manage it!

They can get a man on the moon...

yea, but getting a man on the moon is easy compared to trying to ship one small package to you in the quickest and most convenient way. well at least that is how it seems sometimes.

I had one package - a CISCO switch - had "out for delivery" on the status, and then it was rescheduled and then it went from Portland, OR to Seattle, WA, back to Portland, and then to me - took 3 days longer!

ibdb wrote in post #2367569
I know that it's way too easy to pick on shipping companies this, or any, time of year. Still, recently I've had a couple of packages that have been routed in what can only be said to be very creative ways.

I made an order from onecall.com, who physically reside in Spokane, Washington. I'm in Puyallup, Washington -- separated by the Cascade mountains, but still the same state. My order was shipped via FedEX air from Spokane to Oakland, California, before heading back to Seattle, then onto trucks from there. On the positive side, it was on time.

My prize winner however, is a FedEX ground (?) shipment. It was originally due in 12/4. Currently, it's estimated to arrive on 12/8. Kent, WA is about ten miles from here. Apparently, since arriving in Kent on 12/4, my package went back to Wisconsin, then back to Kent again, where it's taking three additional days to make the final ten miles.

KENT, WA December 6, 2006 5:45 AM
NEW BERLIN, WI December 4, 2006 12:01 PM
KENT, WA December 4, 2006 10:08 AM
MARTINSBURG, WV December 2, 2006 1:32 PM
MARTINSBURG, WV December 1, 2006 1:55 AM
JONESVILLE, SC November 30, 2006 4:00 PM

You do realize that the shortest distance between 2 points is never a straight line.

rklepper wrote in post #2376611


You do realize that the shortest distance between 2 points is never a straight line.

You could hardly call that route a Great Circle though...