Fed Up with FedEx. Readers of this site will remember my ongoing problems with UPS and FedEx. While one must but marvel at companies that can move hundreds of thousands of packages from point A to point B in such a short time, for which they are to be applauded, there is a problem.
My problem is their business model that seems to artificially place Hawai'i at a disadvantage. On the mainland, shippers have several different ways of conveying your packages: long-haul jet, short-haul jet, train, truck, and vans. Hence, a business model can be rationalized that charges more for the faster modes of transportation versus the slower ones.
But, there is only one way to the islands and that is via long-haul jet. Hence, no matter which level of service you pay for, all packages will be arriving via the same mode and at the same time. This poses a problem to these businesses because how can you charge more to one customer when lower paying customers would otherwise get their package at the same time?
The answer is to hold packages at their warehouse. This artificially creates a multi-tier system in which some packages will be delivered before others, even though all arrive in Hawai'i at the same time.
Such is the case with the first of six Dell computers we ordered last month. Below is the tracking information from FedEx:
Scan Activity Date/Time Scan Exceptions ------------- ---------------- --------------- Package status HONOLULU HI 06/20/2003 11:32 Package in FedEx location Package status HONOLULU HI 06/20/2003 11:32 Package not due for delivery On FedEx vehicle for delivery 06/20/2003 11:05 On FedEx vehicle for delivery 06/20/2003 10:58 Arr at FedEx Dest HNL HI 06/20/2003 09:23 Package status HONOLULU HI 06/20/2003 07:04 Package in FedEx location Arrived at FedEx Ramp HNL 06/20/2003 07:04 Left FedEx Sort Fac MEMPHIS 06/20/2003 03:31 Held at Sort Facility MEMPHIS 06/19/2003 14:50 Held at Sort Facility MEMPHIS 06/19/2003 14:45 Arrived at Sort Fac MEMPHIS 06/19/2003 13:29 Left FedEx Ramp AUSTIN TX 06/19/2003 07:02
Notice the top four lines. The package was put on the truck for delivery last Friday at about 11:00am. It was then pulled off the truck at 11:30 because "Package not due for delivery". This is not the first time this has happened. But usually, they catch the error before they load the truck and all I see is a notation that the package is held at their warehouse for later delivery.
I guess this system is better than charging everyone the highest price but I have to wonder if there isn't a better way?
Ring My Dell. So the first of six Dell OptiPlex 260D PCs arrived yesterday afternoon. It has a Pentium IV 2.66GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, 40GB hard drive, DVD/CDROM burner, and a lovely 17-inch flat panel LCD monitor. I think I like it. ;=>
Riding Wide. See this site here to see what it would like to run a flight simulator in front of 12 monitors.
Aloha!
