Silk Road forums

Discussion => Shipping => Topic started by: jay92 on October 22, 2012, 07:12 pm

Title: Privatizing USPS
Post by: jay92 on October 22, 2012, 07:12 pm
So, ladies and gentlemen of SR, I'm sure, that all of you at some point have heard about the possible/inevitable privatization of the USPS that we all know and love so much. This means, that one of two companies (UPS or Fedex) will be buying and then running the USPS. Now for obvious reasons this is not good a good thing. This raises the question, especially for vendors, what is everyone planning on doing once this happens? How will vendors ship their packages? Cross their fingers and hope for the best? Just food for thought.
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: wsg on October 22, 2012, 10:44 pm
Privatization might mean that it is run by a private company but I would guess they will be contracted to run it under the current policies... I am sure that there will be changes but believe that it will still be a government mail system. Just my opinion
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: jakers on October 23, 2012, 01:44 am
the only reason they are having trouble is because 1) the government mandates their pension program such that they have to fund it forward so many years (5?) and 2) the government mandates the price of postage.  Funny, since they don't receive ANY taxpayer funds.  that's right, zero.

Lot's of companies and state govt's are going to have major trouble because of pensions in the next few years.  Lots of bailouts coming.. lots of inflation in fiat currencies (Bitcoin will see major deflation, gold will see much higher valuation in terms of fiat)
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: fredflintstone on October 23, 2012, 01:58 am
UPS/Fedex are able to scrutinize packages like they do because their mail volume is about 1/20th of USPS' daily volume.

You add the volume and plan to offer delivery standards of 1,3,7 days etc you cant scan all the mail.

It wouldnt be too disastrous IMO. I mean honestly you CAN ship Fedex/UPS and have a success rate of 90-95% if you use proper techniques.
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: Aidoneus on October 23, 2012, 03:46 am
Agree 100% with fredflinstone. I imagine we'll be fine.
.Hades.
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: Limetless on October 23, 2012, 03:49 am
Don't do it, we toyed with it over here with RM and it'd fuck it completely.
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: johnmtl on October 23, 2012, 03:57 am
. I mean honestly you CAN ship Fedex/UPS and have a success rate of 90-95% if you use proper techniques.

Thats what I've been saying for a while now.
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: fredflintstone on October 23, 2012, 04:09 am
. I mean honestly you CAN ship Fedex/UPS and have a success rate of 90-95% if you use proper techniques.

Thats what I've been saying for a while now.

But at the same time, your setting up 1 in every 10 packs to be busted/seized ... and I dont know how much volume you do but I'd kill my clients and bankroll off in about 2 months doing that lol.

You also have to show ID to ship Fedex/UPS at most locations now.

But I know we are both saying its more about packing quality than it is that Fedex and UPS are brilliant pack analyzers.
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: johnmtl on October 23, 2012, 04:16 am
. I mean honestly you CAN ship Fedex/UPS and have a success rate of 90-95% if you use proper techniques.

Thats what I've been saying for a while now.

But at the same time, your setting up 1 in every 10 packs to be busted/seized ... and I dont know how much volume you do but I'd kill my clients and bankroll off in about 2 months doing that lol.

You also have to show ID to ship Fedex/UPS at most locations now.

But I know we are both saying its more about packing quality than it is that Fedex and UPS are brilliant pack analyzers.

I have dealt with companies like this for a while.... I have never lost a package once... also... you can get a prepaid credit card and use ups and fedex drop boxes and just bill to the prepaid creditcard on the waybill..

even tho fedex and ups dont ship as much as canada post or usps they still are busy and dont have time to sit and play "guess whats in this box"

especially with overnight delivery!!!

I'd love to see ups or fedex take over the usps... the whole game will change for the better!

Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: Aidoneus on October 23, 2012, 04:30 am
Yea, overnight delivery takes a lot of inspections out of the equation. Also, while UPS/Fedex can take the time currently to inspect everything more thoroughly, they still typically need a reason to. It's not like they're just opening packages for the fun of it...

If they smell or are flagged by whatever other means... then sure. But as mtljohn pointed out, you can still be very successful using them as a courier as long as you're not a fool.
.Hades.

I hate UPS however... Fedex is so much better. lol
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: Harmful Hits on October 23, 2012, 04:39 am
At the very least the USPS needs a major over haul. In worst case scenario it may be best if the USPS was taken over by a private company in the parcel industry. However, I couldnt see any private company offering the similar low prices to ship as the USPS. If one company did take over it would be UPS. UPS is the best in the world at what they do but they are private. In all likely hood the government will just give USPS some money or work out some kind of deal.
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: fredflintstone on October 23, 2012, 06:48 am
Yeah I have dealt with Fedex and UPS one way in my business and its always been clean and without hassle. So it can be done no doubt.
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: LetGoOfYourEgo on October 23, 2012, 03:47 pm
Don't worry about what might happen in the future with the USPS, just take advantage of this incompetent government worker situation as long as you can. :-)
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: jay92 on October 23, 2012, 05:28 pm
. I mean honestly you CAN ship Fedex/UPS and have a success rate of 90-95% if you use proper techniques.

Thats what I've been saying for a while now.

But at the same time, your setting up 1 in every 10 packs to be busted/seized ... and I dont know how much volume you do but I'd kill my clients and bankroll off in about 2 months doing that lol.

You also have to show ID to ship Fedex/UPS at most locations now.

But I know we are both saying its more about packing quality than it is that Fedex and UPS are brilliant pack analyzers.

I have dealt with companies like this for a while.... I have never lost a package once... also... you can get a prepaid credit card and use ups and fedex drop boxes and just bill to the prepaid creditcard on the waybill..

even tho fedex and ups dont ship as much as canada post or usps they still are busy and dont have time to sit and play "guess whats in this box"

especially with overnight delivery!!!

I'd love to see ups or fedex take over the usps... the whole game will change for the better!

I would too. I actually believe sending packages UPS or Fedex next day is the best way to get the package to it's destination, and next day UPS or Fedex, is exactly that, NEXT DAY. Sure, it's more expensive but I don't mind paying if I know it will arrive safely and just as importantly, fast. Why more people don't use UPS more is really surprising to me. They are legitimate businesses, and want to make sure the packages arrives safely and on time, to help ensure customer satisfaction. USPS could give a shit less, and I honestly think UPS and Fedex could give a shit less what you're sending, they just want your business. I wasn't worried about the privatization of the USPS in my original post, I was just curious what everyone thought, since they seem to love the USPS so much, they only good part about it is that they need a warrant to open the mail, which isn't even hard for them to get. When was the last time you heard about a CD via UPS or Fedex though? ;) I think it is time we start to re-think are shipping methods guys. Just saying. 
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: johnmtl on October 23, 2012, 06:19 pm
Don't do it, we toyed with it over here with RM and it'd fuck it completely.


I just noticed you posted in here.... It would mess things up for a while... no doubt.... but in the long run its sure to pay dividends.. not only will the service improve so will the shipping times and prices!

 If lets say one of the big guys got the contract to take over and run the usps... Thats only gonna mean that the other is gonna have to go into hellasale mode and offer better services or cheaper prices to stay in the game.. It would change the shipping game bigtime.... Also.... If it gets privatized  that means that the American government  will same massive amounts of money and then could put that money aside to take care of its aging population which is in some dire need of positive cash flow!

I'm all for it.... I love UPS and Fedex and you cant forget DHL!   8)
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: jakers on October 23, 2012, 08:47 pm
I'm telling you, if you look at their financial reports, they are already profitable (USPS) if you take out the pension fiasco nonsense....  again, the government is mandating that they set aside BILLIONS for FUTURE retirement liability going forward something like 10's of years (I forget), on a 5 year schedule.  So every quarter they have to set aside billions for the next 5 years, or 4 years now, something like that.  It's nonsense, no other company has to do this.  Congress voted on it for some reason.  There is not much need to restructure them, although it wouldn't hurt to do so, from the perspective of the consumer (would be nice if they had a reliable tracking scheme..)..   but I say their reliability and speed is just fine.  I ship around 10 things per day for an unrelated business.
Title: Re: Privatizing USPS
Post by: Aidoneus on October 24, 2012, 03:40 am
I'm inclined to agree. For everything that is said about USPS, they are quite reliable and good at what they do.
.Hades.