A package that is over 30 inches and over 2 cubic feet to have a $15 SURCHARGE for each beginning 4/3 or in just 9 days. It’s almost like things like packages of trees and shipping potted plants --and probably baby chickens and honeybees-- is something they intend to price to the point handling those comes to a stop.
Anyone else notice this price increase–and do you think it greatly impacts plant shipments?
USPS already has balloon and oversized shipping charges and it does not take much to reach those dimensions. At least in my experience many online mail order companies for plants use FedEx. I have only known a few to use USPS. Chickens are often times shipped in small packages with holes.
I really kind of expect UPS and FedEx to follow suit. I dont remember how long ago it was maybe 15 or 20 yrs but they had a ‘Fuel Surcharge’ it was a big deal back then.
Have you noticed any of the Amazon delivery trucks? I saw a fleet of them moving down the highway about a year ago… greyish and look like UPS or bread trucks? Probably for big cities…
In all honesty i think USPS wants to price people out of using them for large packages. They thrive on bills and junk mail. I dont think they really want to fool with large packages. In my experience Priority is hit or miss… sometimes you get it in 2 days sometimes it takes 8…
So double whammy. Not only are vendors going to raise prices due to inflation… the shipping is going to be expensive too.
No matter what i still hate FedEx Ground…and will pay the extra USPS always to avoid them.
My understanding is those sizes are being charged extra because they need to be hand sorted. That makes sense but it’s still an exorbitant increase and will drive me to UPS. I have 1200 boxes on hand that finish out at 30.5 inches. It nearly doubles my cost to ship a plant. I just hope UPS doesn’t follow suit this year.
It’s $4 for packages 22-30 inches. I can’t go below 22 and still ship a plant.
Thinking about this a bit more. If a worker can hand sort a mere 10 packages an hour this increase in shipping charges would bring in an extra $150 per hour per worker for the USPS. If he hand sorts 100 per hr it’s $1500 per hour extra income for USPS. Does that sound a bit exorbitant? It’s an extra $20-30K in shipping charges for my little business depending on how many orders are single vs multiple plants per order.
According to my old Postmaster you are supposed to through 105-170 something packages a hour. If they are massive packages like a TV I will be slow at 105 or less but if it is stuff I can just throw in the carts I can get 166 or more a hour. Not sure it is handled at a sorting plant where most are sorted.
People never use or dont know about 2 other services that USPS has.
I dont think ive ever received anything by either of these methods… im not sure the post office wants you to know about them.
Parcel Select
https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Parcel-Select
USPS Retail Ground
https://faq.usps.com/s/article/What-is-USPS-Retail-Ground-Service