If you’re waiting on a package to land on your doorstep from UPS, you’re not alone. Reports are popping up across social media showing delays with the shipping carrier.
Some tweets show packages ping ponging multiple times between distribution centers and delivery trucks.
So @UPS @UPSHelp has had my package in ATL for almost a week, no delivery date, no delivery attempts. Just keeping it?? pic.twitter.com/FvQPwKPBhj
— Adam J. Reid (@read_reid) December 4, 2017
The UPS twitter response? A heavy holiday volume of packages.
It’s that time - getting ready to call @UPSHelp to find out why my package has been at my local facility for 5 days and counting. #upssucks
— Peter Suazo (@Suazo67) December 4, 2017
We are working on getting these packages delivered as soon as possible. Due to high holiday volume we are working to get these shipments processed as quickly as possible. ^ML
— UPS Customer Support (@UPSHelp) December 4, 2017
A UPS spokesperson confirmed there are indeed delivery difficulties happening in a couple of markets including metro Atlanta as a result of quote “unprecedented shipping volume experienced during Cyber Week.”
The company says it has seasonal hires to help with the 750 million packages expected during the season. UPS is also shipping 40 million more packages than last year. The company released the below statement in regards to 11Alive's inquiry:
You are hearing about some isolated occurrences in a couple of markets as a result of unprecedented shipping volume experienced during Cyber Week. We have added additional employees in your area to address the higher than anticipated delivery volume and expect to have any delivery delays resolved later this week, well in advance of Christmas gift-giving.The vast majority of the 750 million packages UPS ships during this holiday season will be delivered in accordance with the service commitments for the specified time-in-transit. Any reported delays do not reflect the overall performance of the UPS delivery network.
An alternative to waiting at home? Select UPS Access Point when shopping. The delivery option is available with eligible packages and allows you to pickup from locally designated stores.
Shoppers should also note that UPS Ground and UPS Standard guarantee is suspended for packages picked up or scheduled for delivery between Nov. 20 – Dec. 2 and for Dec. 18 – Dec. 22, according to the company. Commitment times for Air and International Air packages delivered within the U.S. will be extended by 90 minutes on: Nov. 24, the week of Dec. 18, and Dec. 31.Guarantees still apply to UPS Air and international services.
It's not clear if FedEx is experiencing the same delays but their spokesperson said they’re also expecting a record 380-400 million packages for the holiday. FedEx released the following statement in response to 11Alive inquiries about holiday shipping and staffing:
FedEx is proud of the outstanding service we’ve been able to provide during the first week of the peak Holiday season. We are well-positioned to meet anticipated record demand, and we look forward to helping deliver the holidays for our customers around the world. We plan and collaborate closely with our customers year round and engineer our networks to be ready to meet the significant surge in demand for residential deliveries. Customers can continue to track the status of their shipments or check updates on FedEx Service Alerts at http://fedex.com. FedEx also offers additional convenient delivery options for customers, such as the opportunity to redirect packages via FedEx Delivery Manager to more than 10,000 FedEx Hold locations as part of the FedEx OnSite network, which includes Walgreens, Kroger, Albertsons and more than 1,800 FedEx Office locations.
