At 04:43 PM 12/11/02 -0600, Paul Root wrote:
>.... my shipment arrived. ....
>.... We were unable to access the invoice online. And could talk to no human.
>
> It was shipped UPS. The label on the side says 11/26 but when you go
> to ups and look up the tracking number, UPS didn't scan it until 12/9.
> Strange.
For sure the shipping lable is applied when it's packaged, and it might
even be printed when the order is entered, long before packaging. Batch
processing of shipments is common. If they wait until they fill a UPS
truck trailer they get better discounts on the shipping rates. A UPS
tractor will pick up the loaded trailer, usually at a fixed time of day,
usually not more often than once a day (ulless there is a huge volume), and
maybe not even daily depending on how many loads per week (or month). Then
the full trailer goes to the nearest UPS depot where it is unloaded and
scanned for the first time by UPS, always within hours of ariving at the
depot. The largest part of the delay you are encountering will be the time
between when your order is received by H.F. and when the trailer departs
from their premisis.
>Plus the shipping label reads Dillon, SC, but the UPS scan is Addison, Il.
>Could it be that they fill a bunch of orders and wait to fill up a truck
>or container or something and get it themselves to a bigger UPS
>distribution center? And, if so, for UPS, wouldn't Mephis be a better choice?
To reduce shipping charges it is common to ship from a supplier's
distribution center which is closest to the customer destination. There is
a fairly new H.F. center in Aurora, Illinois (12 miles west of Naperville),
and the nearest UPS depot to that is probably Addison, Illinois (13 miles
north-east of Naperville), both locations easily connected via
expressway. I wouldn't be surprised if every shipping lable is printed
with the company home address, or the address where they might want to
direct any returns or undeliverable packages.
>I think, I'll be going to N.E. MPLS in the future.
>....
Good idea. Now that there is a H.F. facility new me, I will also likely
buy in person rather than via mail order.
Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA with an attitude
http://www.ntsource.com/~barneymg
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