Is there an easier way to ship things?

[Chris142]

We are parting out a jeep at my work. Guy wants me to ship something. I have to remove the part,box it up,take it to the post office,wait in line 65 minutes at the post office to get a shipping quote. Take it back to work and email the guy then take it back to the post office and wait another hr there then finally send it off.

Hardly worth 3 hrs of my time.

 

[eljefino]

Get a harbor freight scale and print postage thru paypal. You also save around 8%.

I think if it's over 1/2 lb you still have to drop it at the PO, but you might be able to call for pickup.

 

[danster]

/\. Yes! You need a scale. And an account with FedEx with billing to your charge card. They have an online shipping calculator. After you print a label and put it on the package you can drop it at any of their locations and run away. Go around the line of people that don't have the label.

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
We are parting out a jeep at my work. Guy wants me to ship something. I have to remove the part,box it up,take it to the post office,wait in line 65 minutes at the post office to get a shipping quote. Take it back to work and email the guy then take it back to the post office and wait another hr there then finally send it off.

Hardly worth 3 hrs of my time.


Find a less busy post office?

 

[Nate1979]

Just went to my local post office yesterday. Line was less than 5 min.

 

[marc1]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
I have to remove the part,box it up,take it to the post office,wait in line 65 minutes at the post office to get a shipping quote. Take it back to work and email the guy then take it back to the post office and wait another hr there then finally send it off.

Hardly worth 3 hrs of my time.


Yes same issue with me except my times are not as severe as yours, I can get stuff prepared from sitting in my garage to being shipped in under an hour usually. To make me happy I just build that into the cost of the part quite frankly. Don't forget the nickel and dime stuff beyond your time that adds up (bubble wrap, a box, tape, Sharpie, etc.). Before I list a part for sale I look at my cost (time and materials) to prepare and add that to the part cost. I ask the guy to pay this plus the ride (raw cost at the post office). I used to fret about S&H charges from companies I deal with then I realized... yeah it is a big deal to take a raw part and get it into the post office / UPS / Fed-Ex system. Obviously my personal time "cost" isn't my hourly rate I make at my normal job but it has to at least be enough for a burger and fuel while I am out ferrying this parcel around. I generally don't sell items under $100-$150 via shipping... not worth it as you note.

 

[3800Series]

Depending on the size have you consider flat rate?

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: Nate1979
Just went to my local post office yesterday. Line was less than 5 min.
next closest one is about 25 minutes away 1 way.the one in hesperia where i went today only had 1 guy working the counter and the line was out the door

 

[sleddriver]

When you know both the weight & box size, you can go on-line at USPS and it'll give you a shipping quote. You can also pay on-line and print a label. Then just drop it off.

 

[spackard]

I use the same TIF scale I have for HVAC work, which I bought used on EBay. It reads 0.1 oz increments to something like 200 lbs. When you're finished parting the jeep out you could resell the scale. Maybe your shop has one that's not integrated into the big refrigerant recycling machine.

If you print the postage digitally (like through USPS.COM) through an account then just leave it at your doorstep and the postal worker will pick it up. That 13 oz max weight limit before you have to bring it to the P.O. is only if you use (anonymous) stamps.

Flat rate is always a good deal. Back when it was an "oh my god, how do you ship it so cheap?" deal I got a starter motor shipped from Motorrad Electrik for something like $15. He claimed he was the biggest abuser of flat rate. I was in awe.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: sleddriver
When you know both the weight & box size, you can go on-line at USPS and it'll give you a shipping quote. You can also pay on-line and print a label. Then just drop it off.


Pardon my ignorance, but how do they know you are giving them the correct weight?

Say I am shipping you oil and tell them it weights 5 lbs, but it turns out to be 10 lbs.

 

[bdcardinal]

We have a UPS account at my work. I ship out things everyday without issue. As for the weight discrepency, if the driver suspects something wrong they double check us and rebill accordingly.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
When you know both the weight & box size, you can go on-line at USPS and it'll give you a shipping quote. You can also pay on-line and print a label. Then just drop it off.


Pardon my ignorance, but how do they know you are giving them the correct weight?

Say I am shipping you oil and tell them it weights 5 lbs, but it turns out to be 10 lbs.

The Postal Service will figure that out, one way or another. Try mailing a letter...even a letter, with insufficient postage and see what happens.