Its certainly "spotty" at best. I've sent packages out priority via my "click-n-ship" account while others have sent me packages 1st class and they would arrive faster than priority. I've also noticed that packages appear to travel one direction faster than the other (from my experience anyhow). Its also not mentioned often (I've shared this with many who've I've done deals with) but look into the regional rate boxes, you have to order them (free and delivered for free) as they don't offer them in the USPS stores/offices. The rates typically rival if not beat the flat rate sized boxes and you can stuff more items/stuff into them (i.e. their regional rate "A" sized is priced at the small flat rate but the size of a medium box).
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USPS Priority
- Thread starter on_the_edge
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Peter Hartwig
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Flight times/schedules may also play into this. I have had a few that you could see it just didn't make it in time for the carriers to sort and take out that day, but was real close. If it is going to miss the carrier even by a couple minutes it is another day.
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You can see delivery time maps based on your home zip code at https://www.usps.com/priority-mail/map/
2-day vs. 3-day priority is just their delivery estimate based on the "from" and "to" zip codes. It's based on business days (including Saturdays, but excluding Sundays and federal holidays), and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Edited to add: note it's largely based on proximity to shipping hubs, not absolute distance. I'm in California. The map tells me that sending a package to rural Nevada will be three days, while sending one to downtown New York City is only two.
2-day vs. 3-day priority is just their delivery estimate based on the "from" and "to" zip codes. It's based on business days (including Saturdays, but excluding Sundays and federal holidays), and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Edited to add: note it's largely based on proximity to shipping hubs, not absolute distance. I'm in California. The map tells me that sending a package to rural Nevada will be three days, while sending one to downtown New York City is only two.
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Big city to big city is faster than if one or both of origin or destination are out in da' sticks. Uncle Bill sent khukuries from Reno, and if mailed Monday morning, they arrived in my Cleveland close suburb Wednesday afternoon 75% of the time. Winter weather could add a day. I thought that was amazing service.
My PITA issue is like the package from North Carolina that came to me, just east of Cleveland, by way of Olympia, Washington. Olympia is a nice little city, but it's nearly 4000 miles out of the way.
Then there's the package USPS claimed circled over the Atlantic for almost nine days. It wasn't in a pile at JFK. Nooooooooo.
All my mail is scanned as delivered when it goes on the local truck 5-6 hours before delivery - which may be in a heap at the side of our country road in the rain or snow.
USPS will lose $5-6,000,000,000.00 this year.
My PITA issue is like the package from North Carolina that came to me, just east of Cleveland, by way of Olympia, Washington. Olympia is a nice little city, but it's nearly 4000 miles out of the way.
Then there's the package USPS claimed circled over the Atlantic for almost nine days. It wasn't in a pile at JFK. Nooooooooo.
All my mail is scanned as delivered when it goes on the local truck 5-6 hours before delivery - which may be in a heap at the side of our country road in the rain or snow.
USPS will lose $5-6,000,000,000.00 this year.
on_the_edge
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That is a great link that I have not seen before. It shows what is going on even if it does not do much to show you why. Still, good stuff!
As far as 2-day vs 3-day, I have to wonder why they don't just do away with that terminology and call it "Priority". It would certainly end at least some of the confusion that giving it a name can create, such as in my instance. For example, I have no problem if it takes four days for my package to get to its destination, but I think it's misleading to call it 3-day Priority and then tell me in the next instant it's going to take four days. I guess it's only semantics, but the kiosk knows what the day is as well as whether it's a holiday, so why not just factor that in automatically? The USPS never calls it 3-day Priority and then tells you it will be delivered in two days, but they don't seem to mind moving expected delivery times in the other direction, calling it 3-day Priority and then telling you expected delivery will be in four days.
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I ship frequently from East Tennessee to Seattle and my priority or flat rate priority boxes have always been delivered in two-business days with the exception of around Christmas... add a day during that high rush period. I like USPS priority for reliability but also they ship on Sundays if the package is already in transit. For example I can ship on Friday or Saturday and the package will be delivered on Monday. Never lost a package to date and I ship a fair amount of valuable things. The value is primarily my time....
UPS's insurance rates are less than USPS if it matters, but I seldom ship UPS. I avoid FedEx if I can unless the client insists on using FedEx and I charge extra, the difference to Seattle is about $60 for 1 lb package next day afternoon delivery. FexEx two-day is about half that rate.... but is no more reliable than USPS Priority. The difference is they guarantee delivery and will credit your account if they miss their delivery schedule barring natural disaster scenarios.
I just purchased a knife from the Fredricksburg VA area and the tracking said delivery in 3 days. But it was delivered in two business days via USPS. I buy regularly from the Myrtle Beach (NC) area retailer and they ship USPS.... takes two business days to my door. UPS takes the same amount of time. Smart Post or similar adds a couple days.
UPS's insurance rates are less than USPS if it matters, but I seldom ship UPS. I avoid FedEx if I can unless the client insists on using FedEx and I charge extra, the difference to Seattle is about $60 for 1 lb package next day afternoon delivery. FexEx two-day is about half that rate.... but is no more reliable than USPS Priority. The difference is they guarantee delivery and will credit your account if they miss their delivery schedule barring natural disaster scenarios.
I just purchased a knife from the Fredricksburg VA area and the tracking said delivery in 3 days. But it was delivered in two business days via USPS. I buy regularly from the Myrtle Beach (NC) area retailer and they ship USPS.... takes two business days to my door. UPS takes the same amount of time. Smart Post or similar adds a couple days.
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I will be the first to say I have never lost a package that was in their hands, knock on wood.
That said, can someone please explain to me what the deal is with Priority? Sometimes they formerly call it 2-Day Priority, sometimes they call it 3-Day Priority.
^ +1
I still have a100% success rate, as both a shipper/receiver, using the USPS (knock on wood
). 
I can't explain why the USPS goes back & forth, when describing their priority shipping services. What I can say however: regardless whether it's 2, or 3 day priority, approximately 75% of the packages I ship, always arrive within the 2 day window. Holiday's are the exception.
^ I live in an area of San Diego with a very convenient USPS location. The staff of clerks, are all very friendly/helpful. I always have fun interacting with all of them on a first name basis...& I always bring them treats like a Snickers bar or Cliff energy bar.
And, they've loved seeing a few of my knives I've showed them.
^
Key word's: "reliability" & "value." < & the reason why, I continue to use the USPS.Another major convenience (for me), is the fact that my local USPS also has a kiosk, which remains open until around 11 p.m., 7 days a week. I don't use it often, however, a few over the years, I've used it to ship out a package on a Sunday, or after work, when the main USPO is closed.
USPS ROCKS!!!
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I've been a customer of Nordic Knives formerly in Solvang, CA for a while. I order on Monday and the knife arrives Wednesday, like clockwork. I'm in middle TN and our mail is delivered in the late afternoon but it leaves the P.O. at about 0830. I've never had any problem with USPS but I have had folks who print out the label and call it "shipped" when USPS has not received it.
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If we're talking eBay, eBay's software automatically sent a "shipped" message to the buyer when the seller used eBay to print a shipping label. eBay told me they would not change the software. Now it seems too say the seller is going to ship -going from lies to meaningless prattle.
In order to maintain multiple shipping statuses like USPS does, eBay will require several software calls to USPS. Now considering the volume of these calls, USPS tracking system will be overwhelmed causing a disruption to their software, which is potentially a reason why eBay marks an item "shipped" as soon as a label is printed (since that is the natural next step the human is waiting for) and includes a link to the tracking which the human is expected to follow-up on. There is no business case here for eBay or USPS, so this ain't changing for sure.
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^^^ ... AND - most often I don't weigh - just use flat rate priority - though I do have a scale for the occasional 1st class package. AND print my labels on regular paper then seal them to the box (completely covered) with GOOD - clear package tape. Has never compromised USPS scanning of the label. YMMV
Ray
What I do is very similar to this, except I leave a small band at the top of the barcode uncovered with tape. That way if the carrier has trouble scanning over the tape, they have the small uncovered band. The rest of the label os covered and well taped to the box.
