Hypermiling the UPS truck, indrectly...

RichXKU · #1 08-28-2008, 08:48 AM

Timing is important during hypermiling, AND when your order stuff online. This week I needed to order items from 2 different companies that ship with UPS. One ships from Arizona, the other from here in PA, the latter usually arrives next day. The goal? Time my orders so they arrive at the hub in time to go out on the same truck in the morning.

1. Order from the distant company and get tracking info and estimated arrival date.
2. Watch progress until it leaves
3. Order from the local company before their shipping cutoff time the day before.
4. Refresh the tracking page every 30 seconds to see how well your plan is being carried out.
5. Get both boxes at the same time, saving UPS a trip to your neighborhood

Just one of the many ways you can save fuel without even getting in the car!

*This tip brought to you by someone with too much time on his hands*

PaleMelanesian · #2 08-28-2008, 08:50 AM

Hahahaha! That's great. I wouldn't have thought of that, but you're right. It would make a difference.

xmr · #3 08-28-2008, 09:01 AM

That is a great idea but hard to do. My son is a package car driver for UPS and he told me about an elderly couple that ordered steaks from Omaha steaks and A-1 sauce and tried to time it for both to arrive the same day. They never could seem to hit it and they would always arrive a day appart. (how could they use that much A-1 sauce?)

PaleMelanesian · #4 08-28-2008, 09:13 AM

Doesn't A1 sauce last a while? Just order it ahead.

Lugnuts001 · #5 08-28-2008, 04:21 PM

RichXKU,

I agree with your concept, but I've had difficulty getting the timing right also. I was expecting packages from two different companies at the same time, but they came at different times of the day for some reason. Right now I'm compiling a list of things I want to buy for my motorcycle. I'm making sure I figure out everything I want/need first before making the orders so I can reduce the number of trips and order from the fewest vendors possible. Unfortunately for some reason the delivery trucks here leave their trucks running when dropping off packages.

Phil

TheForce · #6 08-28-2008, 07:39 PM

I think FedEx has the hypermiling thing all wrong. Of course this was a few years ago.

January 19th 2005 I was expecting a few packages to arrive via Fedex. The first truck pulled up about 12:27:25pm ETS and delivered my 2 packages. As the delivery guy stepped into his truck about 12:29:04pm EST a second truck arrived at 12:29:05pm EST with a 3rd package. This guy delivered my package and left at 12:30:23 pm EST.

Elixer · #7 08-28-2008, 09:34 PM

It's true though that UPS hypermiles! They've made efforts to redo their routes to avoid left turns and have told their drivers to try to conserve gas.

However it's very difficult to make two packages arrive at the same time like you did. I know because I used to work as a loader for UPS. On groud shipping, UPS loads the trucks full, and then begins filling the next truck. However if a truck isn't full it generally stays until it is filled in the next shift. There are also cases where packages can take different routes depending on if a truck is filled or not. On the belt I was working in New Mexico there was one load which went straight to New York, however once that truck was full we would send packages with the same codes to middle America, a longer route as the packages would have to pass through more sort facilities.

TheForce · #8 08-28-2008, 09:45 PM

DHL is even worse. When I get home I will try to find and post the tracking route. The package went by my house a few times before I actually got it. The route FedEx takes goes to Columbus Ohio then down to Ashland KY, Then to my house. I could pretty much stop them on the highway and get my package a day earlier.

PTDixieGal · #9 08-29-2008, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheForce

DHL is even worse. When I get home I will try to find and post the tracking route. The package went by my house a few times before I actually got it. The route FedEx takes goes to Columbus Ohio then down to Ashland KY, Then to my house. I could pretty much stop them on the highway and get my package a day earlier.

Wonder what they'd be thinking if someone actually did that.

93Hatch · #10 08-29-2008, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xmr

They never could seem to hit it and they would always arrive a day appart. (how could they use that much A-1 sauce?)

How could they use that much A-1 sauce? Probably because they don't know how to properly cook steak!

Some people cook everything the same way: on high temp for 10 minutes!