4 ms·

FedEx & UPS are whole different beast vs. gov't run USPS, way out of my depth on that comparison. But in general, history is chock FULL of once-dominant, massiv

FedEx & UPS are whole different beast vs. gov't run USPS, way out of my depth on that comparison. But in general, history is chock FULL of once-dominant, massively scaled businesses that decline sharply in the face of new competitors. The exact reasons vary. Sometimes it's people: execs, unions, culture being unwilling to change. Sometimes it's intrinsic characteristics of a business that make it impossible to adapt as fast as a new market entrant. The answer here is probably: software.

throwaway5752 6y ago
You used to pay lots of money to trade stock, and annual fees for credit cards!
bronco21016 6y ago
Software.... that's definitely Amazon's delivery advantage. Their software is ingenious in that it sends drivers circling my sub-division and pulling in and out of driveways to turn around. I don't watch FedEx and UPS trucks aimlessly wander. I wonder why that is.
- bigtex 6y ago
  Or geofences that require the driver to be at a certain spot on your driveway in order to deliver the package, requiring a chat with Delivery support to move the geofence
- Aperocky 6y ago
  If it looks crazy, it might just be the most optimized route. Like how google tells you to drive on a dike and then over some one lane dirt roads through a hill to get there 10 minutes faster.
  - bronco21016 6y ago
    It’s definitely not. They drive by a house, turn around, deliver a package there, then turn around again, and keep going. I don’t know the operation so I can say exactly what is happening but I would imagine some of the factors are: poor mapping software, poor routing software, poor training, high employee churn. Ever since Amazon began delivering in my neighborhood it’s been a disaster. Packages frequently say out for delivery and don’t show up for two days, after saying out for delivery. Packages frequently sit at the “distribution partner” for days. Delivery targets are missed frequently. Packages are just chucked into the front yard. All of this was pre-COVID. It’s obviously worse now. Prior to Amazon delivering, my packages typically came via USPS. The target was pretty much always made and I can’t remember a time where I had a rash of issues. Aside from all the issues of tracking and delivering packages, I generally find the Amazon vans drive more erratically and the drivers typically seem rushed, distracted, and overall less knowledgeable of the roads and respectful of the fact that it’s a residential road and not a divided highway as compared to FedEx, UPS, and USPS.

throwaway5752 6y ago

You used to pay lots of money to trade stock, and annual fees for credit cards!

bronco21016 6y ago

Software.... that's definitely Amazon's delivery advantage. Their software is ingenious in that it sends drivers circling my sub-division and pulling in and out of driveways to turn around. I don't watch FedEx and UPS trucks aimlessly wander. I wonder why that is.

bigtex 6y ago
Or geofences that require the driver to be at a certain spot on your driveway in order to deliver the package, requiring a chat with Delivery support to move the geofence
Aperocky 6y ago
If it looks crazy, it might just be the most optimized route. Like how google tells you to drive on a dike and then over some one lane dirt roads through a hill to get there 10 minutes faster.
- bronco21016 6y ago
  It’s definitely not. They drive by a house, turn around, deliver a package there, then turn around again, and keep going. I don’t know the operation so I can say exactly what is happening but I would imagine some of the factors are: poor mapping software, poor routing software, poor training, high employee churn. Ever since Amazon began delivering in my neighborhood it’s been a disaster. Packages frequently say out for delivery and don’t show up for two days, after saying out for delivery. Packages frequently sit at the “distribution partner” for days. Delivery targets are missed frequently. Packages are just chucked into the front yard. All of this was pre-COVID. It’s obviously worse now. Prior to Amazon delivering, my packages typically came via USPS. The target was pretty much always made and I can’t remember a time where I had a rash of issues. Aside from all the issues of tracking and delivering packages, I generally find the Amazon vans drive more erratically and the drivers typically seem rushed, distracted, and overall less knowledgeable of the roads and respectful of the fact that it’s a residential road and not a divided highway as compared to FedEx, UPS, and USPS.