UPS or Fedex for reliability? (packing, Uhaul, truck, cheaper)

[lvlpnd]

Hey guys, I'm sure this has been discussed a lot (and I've looked around here and on Google as well) but I was hoping to get a few more opinions on Fedex versus UPS for shipping across the country. I am not concerned with the price -- just reliability. From what I've seen so far it looks like people tend to recommend UPS over Fedex in terms of packages arriving in decent condition and everything.
Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

[flyonpa]

FedEx and UPS deliver on time like 99.9% of the time.

Bad weather can delay thing by a day sometimes.

If you pack it in good box it comes thru fine..

[joe from dayton]

Personally, USPS shipping with delivery confirmation (add priority and insurance, if needed). UPS is a second choice for me. I had a bad experience with Fedex a few years ago and avoid them at all costs. I've gone so far as to find a different vendor if I was not given a non Fedex option.

[lvlpnd]

Originally Posted by flyonpa

FedEx and UPS deliver on time like 99.9% of the time.

Bad weather can delay thing by a day sometimes.

If you pack it in good box it comes thru fine..

Thanks! Not too worried on time, just need everything to arrive! I'm definitely being overly cautious with the packing, I'm just scared something will get lost and that things will be thrown around way too much.

Originally Posted by joe from dayton

Personally, USPS shipping with delivery confirmation (add priority and insurance, if needed). UPS is a second choice for me. I had a bad experience with Fedex a few years ago and avoid them at all costs. I've gone so far as to find a different vendor if I was not given a non Fedex option.

Thanks! I was looking at UPS because I heard their insurance claim process is better than USPS and Fedex. But now Fedex is an option due to various reasons but they are good enough that I'm considering...

[reed303]

Based on 10 years experience as a shipping and receiving clerk for an auto parts dept, IMHO there is no real difference between FedEx, UPS or USPS. They all have good days and bad days. Good packaging and insurance are your best help.

In those 10 years, the only truly lost package was via a freight truck line. UPS, etc might mis-route or delay a package, but cannot remember anything that was never found. The paperwork would have been memorable (not to mention my boss's anger).

If anything arrived damaged, it was because it was poorly packaged.

[ranger17]

i deal with both ground carriers on a daily basis for work, and the high % of time packages arrive when they were supposed to and in good shape. BUT, i have seen occasional damage come thru both to our warehouse and to our customers, and have even had boxes tossed on my home's doorstep including one that was clearly labeled as containing ammo (guess it was easier to toss the carton to the porch rather then climb 6 whole steps lol).

So transit damage and delays can occur with any carrier. Pack everything up tight, don't overload the carton, and if concerned on it's contents add the insurance and it should flow just fine. Pack items loosely or don't protect fragile pieces and one is just asking for trouble.

[CCc girl]

Fedex can be unreliable much moreso than the others.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I've had equally good luck with both UPS and FedEx. Last time I checked, FedEx was cheaper for a large package.

[cmw0829]

We shipped four large boxes across the country by FedEx - our shipping store picked the cheaper alternative, but it wasn't that much cheaper.

Gotta tell you, I was a little surprised by the condition of the boxes when they arrived. Corners crushed in and a lot of wear on the boxes. But to be honest, I used boxes I purchased from UHaul and think, while they're labeled as good for shipping, they were lighter duty than I should have used.

My boxes arrived a day earlier than I expected.

All in all, my experience has always been that FedEx and UPS are pretty much the same.

[mdlee3_46041]

I would choose FedEx for 2 reasons and these are strictly personal reasons so can't say how much they help you out in making a decision.

1) I have an issue with the UPS guy that usually delivers in my neighborhood. He'd come to the door and knock like he's supposed to, he'd only knock once and only wait about 10 seconds before leaving. So if we were in the kitchen or the bedroom, we couldn't make it to the door by the time he was gone.

2) In my neighborhood at least, FedEx tends to deliver earlier in the day while UPS tends to deliver a little later. Every once in awhile the opposite happens, but usually Fedex gets there before 11am and UPS will show up around 3pm it seems.