Shipping charges .... Did they really go to insane levels ???

[SeymourDumore]

This is a question buried in a mild rant...

What the hell happened to shipping charges lately?

Just went to McMaster and put two items into my cart.
10' of 4" dia rubber flexible ducting and 10' of 4" dia clear poly ducting.
Total package weighs all of 4 pounds, fits into a 12 x 12 x 12 cube and yet, shipping from NJ to CT is $50.55!!!
Not to be a materialistic bastard, but WTH?
McMaster doesn't even give you an option for plane jane UPS ground, only next day or next day air.

Same thing last week, ordered a set of front and rear brake rotors with pads for a sedan, shipping from OH to CT came to $148 and change?

I don't have a UPS account as I rarely ship out, but you think I could get a better rate if I used my own? ( McMaster allows for that )

 

[memphisjed]

10’ is an oversized charge.

 

[dalmatiangirl61]

You should try getting some quotes on shipping 200 lbs on a pallet. Yes, yes, the shipping companies have lost their ever loving minds.

 

[SteveEx30]

Dammit I was supposed to order my stuff from McMaster today totally forgot...

 

[specfab]

The McMaster shipment may need larger boxes. They have been charging handily for stuff sent in mailing tubes, or 12x12x48 (or 36) boxes. Your charges sound like that. They were indeed cheaper a few years back for shipping of 3-4" diameter tubes x 6ft long.

McMaster basically does next-day shipping for ground rates on everything "normal" like boxes of hardware coming in 3x6x8 boxes for $9.00 or so. Try doing an overnight shipment by UPS yourself these days. $100 easy for a small package with no weight. 20" cube box at 22 lbs is about $280 overnight CA to AZ via FedEx. Madness.

Forget about your own account for this kind of stuff. Unless you ship the volumes of stuff that McMaster does, and you have a good cost and contract negotiator, you will pay far more on your own account.

 

[JBTR]

That does seem high if they are coils that will fit into a 12 inch cube. I just placed an order of 5 small items (largest a 1' long 5/16 steel rod) with McMaster today, and UPS shipping was $7.63. But I check the shipping charge after adding each item to the order. Sometimes I see the shipping charge double or more, and that might be because it's a long item like a 3' rod, or it might mean that item is out of stock at the Chicago warehouse and it will ship separately from a different warehouse. Then I might delete that item and look for something in stock locally.

 

[Digital Factory]

Not sure about your situation specifically, but shipping charges in general are as much as double what they were just a few years ago, all else equal.

Can't even ship a 1/2 pound item within the state for less than $10 anymore unless it goes out via USPS Lowpriority Extraslow with no tracking and guaranteed delivery to the wrong address.

 

[Freedommachine]

20" cube box at 22 lbs is about $280 overnight CA to AZ via FedEx. Madness.

Does it actually show up when it's supposed to? Everytime someone uses FedEx to ship something to me, it gets held up...2,3 or 4 days before it arrives and delivery date changes twice a day during that time as well.

I have a package inbound from FedEx right now valued at $8k and the contents cannot easily be replaced. It only took 36 hours before they f'ed it up. Now it's stuck in GA, I'm in OH and it's currently "pending".

 

[SeymourDumore]

10’ is an oversized charge.

Guys, for the record ..
when I wrote 10' flexible ducting, I was talking about these: https://www.mcmaster.com/products/duct/blo-r-vac-very-flexible-duct-hose-for-fumes/?s=flexible+duct

 

[Speedie]

Dont like it get in your bike and try it. UPS is entering the wage hike season with the local union
Heard its gold on the menu.

 

[moonlight machine]

Just ordered 2 taillight Lenses from across the pond, 155.00 shipping. Est. delivery time 3-4 weeks.

 

[cg285]

i have had a ups account since the early 80's. i have noticed prices rising. on another note i am in central fl and i can ship to california cheaper than 60 miles away
in another big city
i had a RL frt account. i now go through goship and what rl quoted i get for around a third of that and often with rl

 

[memphisjed]

Fed ex 2 or 3 day is always reliable for me. Just had drives from ca shipped Thursday, label created after 5 pm, in my hand before I went to work Friday afternoon (3 day). All of 25 usd.
Never use fed ex ground if fed ex has “slow” comparable option. Ground has a lot of sort facilities it zig zags thru- air will go to one or two, be it across the street or across the ponds.

I rarely use ups, McMaster mostly with two days to a week from ATL. Random.

 

[Murf]

Hardinge wants $26 and some change to ship one 5c collet ground LOL.

Murf

 

[Seesecurity]

Should see the shipping rates USA>Australia
Australia>USA to the same addresses is less than half the price...

 

[Philabuster]

Just went to McMaster and put two items into my cart.
10' of 4" dia rubber flexible ducting and 10' of 4" dia clear poly ducting.
Total package weighs all of 4 pounds, fits into a 12 x 12 x 12 cube and yet, shipping from NJ to CT is $50.55!!!

What are the item numbers? Perhaps the system thinks the box is 10' long vs coiled up.

 

[standardparts]

The question: "What the hell happened to shipping charges lately?"

Higher cost of oil translated to higher cost to produce and ship goods. Oh, yeah, inflation.

And some----use shipping as a profit base.

So, depending on how critical the need some of us take a look at shipping and pay it because there are few alternatives for the time needed consider it as "beggars can't be choosers".
Just pass on the added costs to your customer--that is usually what some on PM advise.

 

[standardparts]

Does it actually show up when it's supposed to? Everytime someone uses FedEx to ship something to me, it gets held up...2,3 or 4 days before it arrives and delivery date changes twice a day during that time as well.

I have a package inbound from FedEx right now valued at $8k and the contents cannot easily be replaced. It only took 36 hours before they f'ed it up. Now it's stuck in GA, I'm in OH and it's currently "pending".

Just had a few inbound FedEx shipments requiring "Proof of ID and signature" and found them all laying in front of the house. Also---last couple of orders had the banner that "shipper no longer is able to honor stated delivery times"
Modern times do not seem to mean improving service---for some stuff I'm just happy that they still have not blacklisted delivery.

 

[Fish On]

Guys, for the record ..
when I wrote 10' flexible ducting, I was talking about these: https://www.mcmaster.com/products/duct/blo-r-vac-very-flexible-duct-hose-for-fumes/?s=flexible+duct

I just added 10' of the two options they have in 4" to my cart. $24.29 ground shipping from Atlanta to Mobile Al. $97 for 'overnight' (even though ground will arrive next day).

My account shows ground listed as ground. Does yours not?

 

[memphisjed]

18 dollars from atl to memphis. Ground, I didn’t look at overnight. Ground expected to arrive overnight. Overnight from when is questionable.