What is better these days: UPS, FedEx of USPS?

[Robert M]

Space,

UPS. Fedex Express and Fedex Ground (treat them as different entities since different vehicles handle the pickups and deliveries). Fedex Home Delivery. Lastly, _anything_ related to the USPS including deliveries done by UPS and Fedex where they give an item to the USPS for the last portion of delivery. The reason? The USPS had way too many issues prior to the pandemic. Now? Even worse.

Robert

[Markintosh]

USPS is an absolute junk show in my area. Things arrive a week late much of the time. Some days there's just no deliveries at all, reportedly due to snow. Snow was not an issue more than one or two days a year until the last three years or so.

If you have to actually go to the PO to mail something? Fugheddaboutit. The last time I was there, the line was about 45 minutes...indoors.

Nobody can afford to live in our area on USPS wages, so they are super short staffed.

UPS is my preferred choice.

[Zoidberg]

I pretty much ship everything USPS Priority Mail these days. Beyond my eBay and forum sales (visit! your fellow forumites want to sell you or give you stuff!), most of my shipping/mailing is between where I currently live (outside of Little Rock in AR) and near New Orleans in LA.

Until that fuc[redacted to keep this on the non-political side]mp made certain changes to the USPS, I had regular-stamp making it there in a day. Now it's usually about 2 or 3 days, which is the same with Priority Mail.

As far as cost & shipping, it's hard to beat the USPS for Priority Mail rates IMO. Flat rate stuff is great as well, esp when you factor in the free supplies. For heavyweight items, it's almost a given to go with USPS. Again, though, I can only speak from experience, and my experience using it has been good to great.

[ADDED] Reading a few posts that I missed, I guess I'm in a lucky area. I've got a great Post Office about 10 minutes from me; staff is friendly and helpful. I have a PO Box there. Our local mail delivery has improved greatly in the last half decade (our old mail lady from when I first moved here used to cram stuff in the mailbox like she was loading a cannon). Shipped USPS packages (that are too big for my curbside mailbox) are always at my doorstep, and usually placed behind a plant or out-of-sight in some way.

[Wags]

I ordered a pocket knife from a shop in Germany. It took the USPS over two months to get it to me.

[mattkime]

Who do you want to be mad at?

[Dennis S]

There was a thread on this a few days ago that might have more information for you. You can probably find it by searching "USPS."

[Michael]

I'm agnostic between UPS and FedEx for shipping.

But when I receive things that need to be signed for I really like FedEx because I can divert things to local Walgreens for free.

[space-time]

Wags wrote:
I ordered a pocket knife from a shop in Germany. It took the USPS over two months to get it to me.

That may be a delay at the Deutsche Post, customs, etc. Not necessarily a USPS delay.

[pdq]

As noted above, USPS first class up to a pound (cheapest, now tracked too).

For things that fit, Priority Mail standard packages. (Also insured).

For larger boxes, FedEx ground is cheapest.

[$tevie]

I seem to get things quickly via UPS, however nobody seems to use UPS these days except my pharmacy.

We are still having TERRIBLE problems with usps and I am still waiting for a couple of packages. Christmas cards still trickling in. I wouldn't use usps if you paid me.