Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
11-12-2010, 12:09 PM   #1
Inactive Account




Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: New Orleans
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 3,053
USPS vs. FedEx vs. UPS

USPS: had a net LOSS of $8.5 Billion for FY2010
FedEx: had a net PROFIT of $1.2 Billion for FY2010
UPS: is on track for a net PROFIT of $3-4 billion for FY2010

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we throw away almost everything that is delivered via USPS and keep almost everything that is delivered via UPS or FedEx.

11-12-2010, 12:11 PM   #2
Veteran Member
dgaies's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Maryland / Washington DC
Posts: 3,917
QuoteOriginally posted by mikemike Quote
USPS: had a net LOSS of $8.5 Billion for FY2010
FedEx: had a net PROFIT of $1.2 Billion for FY2010
UPS: is on track for a net PROFIT of $3-4 billion for FY2010

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we throw away almost everything that is delivered via USPS and keep almost everything that is delivered via UPS or FedEx.
Perhaps if the USPS would raise their prices, it would solve both issues; they could turn a profit and we'd all get less junk mail.
11-12-2010, 12:15 PM   #3
Senior Member
patriotap's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: South Jersey
Photos: Albums
Posts: 159
I shipped a lot with USPS Priority, found them reliable and affordable.
11-12-2010, 12:19 PM   #4
Senior Moderator
Loyal Site Supporter
Parallax's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: South Dakota
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 19,325
QuoteOriginally posted by mikemike Quote

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we throw away almost everything that is delivered via USPS and keep almost everything that is delivered via UPS or FedEx.
There is another possibility.
Two of those three are independent corporations.
One of them is a semi-independent Federal agency.

11-12-2010, 12:26 PM   #5
Inactive Account




Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,292
QuoteOriginally posted by mikemike Quote
USPS: had a net LOSS of $8.5 Billion for FY2010
FedEx: had a net PROFIT of $1.2 Billion for FY2010
UPS: is on track for a net PROFIT of $3-4 billion for FY2010

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we throw away almost everything that is delivered via USPS and keep almost everything that is delivered via UPS or FedEx.
It looks like we will be throwing away much of Fanny Mae and Mack stuff too. Maybe you are next with healthcare. (Snicker here)
11-12-2010, 01:18 PM   #6
Veteran Member
larryinlc's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Wisconsin USA
Posts: 993
The USPS has a mandate to deliver to every address in America. Did you know that there is still a rural star route in Arizona that must deliver by mule? Yes, they deliver where no FedEx or UPS driver would dare to go. Another thing. The for profit services regularly use the USPS for the last mile of delivery. Drop off a package at the nearest PO to save the added cost of a boonies delivery. Until the antiquated law of "all addresses must be served" is revised or eliminated, I can't fault the USPS for not being profitable. Still, priority mail is the way I ship. Isn't it also true the PO Kitty is government community property? Monies that get robbed from other government entities?

Larry
11-12-2010, 01:25 PM   #7
Veteran Member
GeneV's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Albuquerque NM
Photos: Albums
Posts: 9,830
QuoteOriginally posted by larryinlc Quote
The USPS has a mandate to deliver to every address in America. Did you know that there is still a rural star route in Arizona that must deliver by mule? Yes, they deliver where no FedEx or UPS driver would dare to go. Another thing. The for profit services regularly use the USPS for the last mile of delivery. Drop off a package at the nearest PO to save the added cost of a boonies delivery. Until the antiquated law of "all addresses must be served" is revised or eliminated, I can't fault the USPS for not being profitable. Still, priority mail is the way I ship. Isn't it also true the PO Kitty is government community property? Monies that get robbed from other government entities?

Larry
Exactly. First class letters are money losers and always have been. Only the junk mail keeps the losses from being more. If we decide that we don't need first class delivery at cheap prices, the USPS will do better financially. It is not surprising that Fedex and UPS do better. We allowed the private competition to skim off the profitable part of mail delivery..

11-12-2010, 01:36 PM   #8
Veteran Member
jeffkrol's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Wisconsin USA
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 8,434
QuoteOriginally posted by Parallax Quote
There is another possibility.
Two of those three are independent corporations.
One of them is a semi-independent Federal agency.
Where would veterans find good jobs? Kind of cold aren't we???? Considering what week it is..
I suppose they could hire a bunch of "immigrants", cut wages and make a profit to make you all HAPPY..
Then UPS and Fedex could follow suit........
11-12-2010, 01:47 PM   #9
Senior Moderator
Loyal Site Supporter
Parallax's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: South Dakota
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 19,325
QuoteOriginally posted by jeffkrol Quote
Where would veterans find good jobs? Kind of cold aren't we???? Considering what week it is..
I suppose they could hire a bunch of "immigrants", cut wages and make a profit to make you all HAPPY..
Then UPS and Fedex could follow suit........
Think about what you just said, Jeff. "Then UPS and Fedex could follow suit........" If UPS and FedEx don't do that now, and are profitable, then why would the gummint have to do it to be profitable.
The theme here is corporate management vs government bureaucracy.
11-12-2010, 01:53 PM   #10
Inactive Account




Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: New Orleans
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 3,053
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by GeneV Quote
Exactly. First class letters are money losers and always have been
Incorrect first class mail is or at least used to be profitable.
QuoteQuote:
Of particular concern has been the decline in the lucrative first-class mail, largely consisting of personal letters and cards, bills and payments and similar items. First-class mail volume fell 6.6 percent in 2010, 8.6 percent in 2009, and 4.8 percent in 2008. Traditionally, this mail has produced more than half of total revenue.
U.S. Postal Service Lost $8.5 Billion In 2010 : NPR

QuoteOriginally posted by GeneV Quote
We allowed the private competition to skim off the profitable part of mail delivery..
The first class mail got supplanted by fax machines, e-mail, text messaging, and social networking.

Maybe its that spineless politicians are unwilling to allow them to pass on the cost of doing business or adjust their business model. Why is it that everything the federal government touches goes to hell?
11-12-2010, 01:57 PM   #11
Senior Moderator
Loyal Site Supporter
Parallax's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: South Dakota
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 19,325
QuoteOriginally posted by mikemike Quote
............... Why is it that everything the federal government touches goes to hell?
Because the paychecks of the upper level [mis]managers aren't tied to the success of the program.
11-12-2010, 02:24 PM   #12
Veteran Member
jeffkrol's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Wisconsin USA
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 8,434
QuoteOriginally posted by Parallax Quote
Think about what you just said, Jeff. "Then UPS and Fedex could follow suit........" If UPS and FedEx don't do that now, and are profitable, then why would the gummint have to do it to be profitable.
The theme here is corporate management vs government bureaucracy.
TRY to send anything Fed-ex or UPS for 0.44cents...........no there products are under priced... that's really the bottom line.......
And to your line........ thanks for the joke.........
11-12-2010, 02:25 PM   #13
Veteran Member
GeneV's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Albuquerque NM
Photos: Albums
Posts: 9,830
QuoteOriginally posted by mikemike Quote
Incorrect first class mail is or at least used to be profitable.

The first class mail got supplanted by fax machines, e-mail, text messaging, and social networking.

Maybe its that spineless politicians are unwilling to allow them to pass on the cost of doing business or adjust their business model. Why is it that everything the federal government touches goes to hell?
For many years, I've read that a First Class letter would cost more than twice as much, without junk mail. Junk mail and the U.S. Post Office - EcoFuture resources on How to Get Rid of Junk Mail, Spam, and Telemarketers Now, if you would like to find some facts to the contrary, please do so because I'm genuinely curious whether this is an urban myth. Otherwise, "incorrect" is not very useful--results in a "is so, is not" discussion.

If you are in the business and legal world, you know that there are many, many laws and procedures that would need to be changed if first class mail were to disappear. In the legal field, the uses of mail are increasing rather than decreasing. Fax, email, etc. may be supplanting the social letter causing the volume to decline (and loss to go up), but there are numerous problems still with using them for more official notices.
11-12-2010, 04:22 PM   #14
Pentaxian
reeftool's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 9,543
I consider the USPS a worthwhile expense for my tax dollars. There is no way it will ever turn a profit with the before mentioned mandates it has to follow. There are also places where the mail is delivered by boat also. If they raised the rates on junk mail it would probably help. As for delivery, I would rather have the USPS deliver my mail order purchases then any of the other guys.
11-12-2010, 04:47 PM   #15
Senior Member
Capslock118's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: New Haven, CT
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 173
They've tried to reduce the number of days that the USPS delivers mail from 6 to 5 recently. I'm not sure if that is still on the table or not. I personally wouldn't see a problem with them dropping mail on saturdays.

The problem we have with raising the cost of mailing something is with the small magazines who have very little subscribers, say, in the hundreds. These are the type of companies who more than likely shut down at the smallest increase in shipping costs because they simply can't support their subscribers. I'm talking about *zines who have a niche market where they may be important to a very few subscribers, of which would feel a slight pain if they lost that service. They could be for-profit companies or non-profit.


But one thing that I keep brining up to my partner is that we still have those corner mail boxes at the end of our streets.

at the same time, when I have to mail something, i just put it in my personal mailbox and flip the little red flag up to tell the mailman (or mail woman on mondays) that we want our mail taken.

Why not just dismantle the blue mailboxes on our street corners? I know, that would be destroying a part of the romanticism of mailing letters, but I wonder how much money USPS would save if they didn't have to have their vehicles stop at these pick up locations. Someone with some data on that would be useful.

Last edited by Capslock118; 11-12-2010 at 04:54 PM.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
billion, fedex, profit, usps, vs
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
USPS - Undeliverable as Addressed deadwolfbones General Talk 18 02-26-2010 06:26 PM
fedex suck joele General Talk 31 10-28-2009 07:54 AM
Falling Pentax lens sales causes Fedex, UPS Cuts philbaum Pentax News and Rumors 0 03-20-2009 01:35 PM
The Bigma just came via FedEx!! TomInJax Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 53 02-04-2008 04:39 AM
FedEx Stinks new defination EvilPentaxUser General Talk 9 07-29-2007 08:04 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:30 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top