Parcel tracking as a measure of system collapse - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 12:39:28 pm
content: Does anyone else have a tracked parcel in transit in the USA?How is it going atm?Till the last couple of days everything I had in the US postal system was still moving. A couple of things arrived at my reshipper in LA OK, even though one was from San Francisco after the general lockdown was ordered in that city.But one parcel that was still in motion, going from the East Coast to LA by road, seems to have stalled ... somewhere. Tracking doesn't even say where, and that's unusual. The last entry on the status page went from "In transit, arriving on time" to "in transit, arriving late", stayed that way for days, and yesterday changed to "In transit to the Next Facility." But it's now two days overdue from the original delivery estimate, and showing no sign of being anywhere near destination.It's with USPS. Probably a bit too early to assume the process has actually dropped dead from COVID-related disruptions. We'll see.Yesterday and today I bought a couple more small things in the USA, to go to the reshipper in LA. Partly to see how they move. Neither one has actually been posted yet. Maybe even that won't happen?For anyone else who has read "The Collapse of Complex Societies" by Tainter, you'll understand my interest. Widespread infrastructure collapse - go a little way down that path and there's no returning. Instead you get to go all the way, without any choice in the matter.Edit to add:Here's a relevant article (fromhttps://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/from-a-paramedic-in-the-uk) about road transport in Europe atm:Quote

author: schmitt trigger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 01:24:11 pm
content: Not noticed the collapse of physical deliveries (yet).What I've definitively experienced is a significant bottleneck in web based meeting apps.There have been a few teleconferences which have been cancelled because half the people could not connect.And certain video streaming sites have become sluggish.And what you mention, the collapse of modern societies, is the stuff of horror movies.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 01:28:57 pm
content: Quote from: schmitt trigger on March 27, 2020, 01:24:11 pmWe definitely need an easy to use, decentralized teleconferencing system based on open source software. Relying on the cloud turns out to be not such a good idea after all. Add in mesh networking and it won't even be relying on centralized infrastructure.For distribution of content, there's already an open source system that has proven itself to be resilient and scalable - Bittorrent.

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 01:37:20 pm
content: I sent an overnight envelope from California to Indiana on Tuesday, with a guaranteed* delivery time by 3pm Wednesday. It took 25 hours to go from the full-service USPS Post Office I mailed from to the Regional Facility about 20 miles away. After that it moved quickly and got delivered at 1:30pm local on Thursday, a day late. Luckily for my purpose, 2 days was soon enough, but that's not the point. USPS failed.I've no idea if it was a one-off problem, or if it is a systematic problem. Just a data point.*guaranteed in this case means I can ask for a full refund, since it wasn't delivered on time.

author: schmitt trigger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 01:59:02 pm
content: One thing is certain, one can live with a degraded infrastructure with minor inconveniences during normal times.But in emergencies, that same degraded infrastructure can cause a total collapse.Anyone who has played Jenga know this. The tower stands erect, until it doesn'thttps://jenga.com/

author: daqq
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 03:13:19 pm
content: We're not experiencing problems with deliveries so far and I've seen the normal suspects (GLS, UPS) working as usual, delivering goods to places.Also, the news and futures are not all gloom and doom. There seems to be several promising symptom management drugs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_drug_repurposing_research) and with a shitstorm looming, red tape may get cut (https://news.expats.cz/weekly-czech-news/czech-health-ministry-approves-use-of-experimental-medication-remdesivir-to-treat-coronavirus/).Also, what the hell is wrong with the adds on the site you linked? Screenshot included.

author: hans
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 03:38:29 pm
content: Most retailer shops inform people that deliveries are delayed.I ordered some cooking equipment last Tuesday, because many "non-essential" big shops are now closed.It was supposed to be here on Thursday. I'm still waiting on parcels, as it's not even shipped yet.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 03:38:54 pm
content: Quote from: daqq on March 27, 2020, 03:13:19 pmBetter than 'symptom management' there is at least one actual, fast-acting cure. (Although it does not confer immunity.) It's the one Trump pushed into rapid trials, running this week. See attached letter, and recent (at end) entries in chronologicalhttp://everist.org/archives/links/__Coronavirus_Preventatives.txtQuoteI included a source link as courtesy, plus the actual text so you didn't need to be subjected to the ads. Site owner seems to have a host service funding problem. According to him.Edit: As always the image posting system screwed up the order, 1st one appears last, and I cbf to redo it.Btw it's been pointed out to me that 3000 vans is something like 0.05% of EU trucking capacity (3000 / 6 million.)So the big question is what are the rest of them doing?

author: mark03
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 04:12:51 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 27, 2020, 03:38:54 pmThere, FTFY. As if the constant, hammering use of the term "Chinese virus" when everyone else calls it the coronavirus wasn't an obvious tip off.BTW, the virus is actually mutating more slowly than typical influenza:https://www.npr.org/2020/03/26/822107691/the-coronavirus-is-mutating-relatively-slowly-which-may-be-good-newscontrary to this guy's scaremongering-without-a-citation.

author: jfiresto
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 04:52:55 pm
content: I have a USPS First Class International Package that has seen no updates for eleven days:QuoteNormally, it should have made it to the U.S. East Coast and then Germany by now.

author: Kleinstein
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 05:14:36 pm
content: A significant part of the air- mail goes with normal passenger planes that are not fully loaded. With less air traffic there is less of this side use path has stopped. So there is a backlog with international mail. It may take some time for additional special mail / freight connections to be installed. Chances are it is worth to remove the seats from a few planes.Also for shorter distances by land transport there are some interruptions, e.g. at borders that were open before.The last letters I got by regular German mail took some 3 days - in normal times some 95% arrive the next day inside Germany (I know we are spoiled by this service). So as long as the delay is not too bad I don't mind. Life has slowed down anyway. Delivering the mail only every 2nd day can safe quite a bit for the distribution, especially in more rural areas.

author: ajb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 06:02:59 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 27, 2020, 03:38:54 pmThis is a dangerous overstatement. Trials of chloroquine for COVID-19 have been small and of limited rigor, and even being optimistic about it's known mechanism of action it isn't a "cure" in the sense that most people would think, it's a therapy that seems to slow the replication of the virus and thereby allows the immune system more leeway to do its job. A big downside to chloroquine is that the therapeutic index is small, which means there's a very narrow window between an effective dose and a potentially lethal overdose. People have already died after taking chloroquine on their own in a misguided attempt at protecting themselves. Although it is a therapy worth investigating, chloroquine and similar drugs have not yet been demonstrated to be broadly safe and effective against SARS-CoV-2. Saying that there is a "cure" at this stage is premature and only encourages people to downplay the risk of infection and ignore effective measures against the spread of the virus.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 06:29:30 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 27, 2020, 12:39:28 pmSeveral, and everything seems to be normal, including the usual error rate.QuoteThose "in transit" statuses were recently added to the system. It looks like they are generated automatically when the package isn't scanned for a day. They don't seem to mean anything.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 06:55:24 pm
content: 30 miles from NYC, I just received a package from China that was ordered over a month ago. So, if it get to en-route/in-transit status, it will probably get there if a little slower than usual.Since the OP is USA delivery specific, let me get into some details here. USA, being rather larger, situation differs across the country:- On thewest coast, thing are bad (Washington State and California). LA is actually (per mayor of LA) is planning to cut power and water to non-essential businesses that stays open to force a closure. In some cities (Washington State and California),stay-at-home orderis in place and only essential trips such as getting food.- On theeast coast, New York State is the worst State in the USA right now. It started just north of the city first, and now the whole NYC metro-area is in deep doodoo. New York State has 1/2 the cases in the USA. It is spreading outward with NYC being the center of the spread. NJ, being next to NYC, declared Emergency as of a few days ago.Stay-at-homeorder is in NJ/NY state wide. Connecticut (CT) has a few hot spots and Pennsylvania (PA) is going to be next no doubt.- In themid-west, most are normal except major cities notably Chicago in Illinois. Illinois is probably worst in the mid-west as of now but things changes very quickly.- In thesouth/south-east, most are normal. Last check, Texas (TX) and Florida (FL) issue interstate travel order requiring self-quarantine for people coming from out of state.Self-quarantine doesn't work so well.Around a month ago and prior to the stuff hitting the fan (Feb 28), there was an event at (or host by) Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in New Hampshire (NH) for Hospice Care staffer/people. A guy who was suppose to be self-quarantined ignore his status and went to the event- this is going to cause problem. A second DHMC staff is now (March 4) tested positive. Besides those in DHMC for other reasons, those in the area Hospice Care are already dying, they may be in contact with staffers who may have been attending that event. This is not going to help.Irresponsible behavior is causing problemeven from those not in self-quarantine. Some idiot kids in Kentucky held a "Virus Party". As of now, one of them is tested positive. Of the Spring Break go-ers, at least 5 UT (Univ. of Tampa) is now tested positive.Stay safe, everyone, andbest of luck to you and your family.References: Business Insider article: LA's mayor says he will cut off water and power to businesses that don't comply with the coronavirus lockdownhttps://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-la-mayor-cut-water-power-companies-defy-lockdown-2020-3?op=1 Yahoo.com article: New Hampshire Coronavirus Patient Breaks Quarantine to Attend Dartmouth Eventhttps://news.yahoo.com/hampshire-coronavirus-patient-breaks-quarantine-190256729.html The Dartmouth article: DHMC employee with coronavirus broke isolation; second person infectedhttps://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2020/03/dhmc-employee-with-coronavirus-broke-isolation-second-person-infected USA Today's Courier Journal article: One person tests positive for COVID-19 after attending 'coronavirus party,' Beshear sayshttps://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2020/03/24/coronavirus-kentucky-one-ill-after-coronavirus-party-beshear-says/2911870001/ WSTS ABC Action News article: 5 University of Tampa students test positive for coronavirushttps://www.abcactionnews.com/news/coronavirus/4-university-of-tampa-students-test-positive-for-coronavirusEdit: added (fixed) a reference

author: ciccio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 07:49:20 pm
content: In the region where I live (norhern Italy) the epidemic is running fast and I see no positive news, but delivery services, both couriers and post, are working, without too many problems.There is a very strange situation with postage (letters) coming from US..A close friend of mine is a retired US citizen who receives his retirement money form US via mailed cheques. It seems absurd but it's the only allowed method: bank transfers are not allowed. When he needs money he call the US and asks for a cheque be sent (by standard air mail, insured or registred mail are not allowed.It usually takes about three weeks for delivery and other two week for the cheque to be cleared by the Italian bank.A cheque mailed on January 13 ha not yet been received, as one other mailed on February 20.We called the Italian Post Office and they said that no standard postage is leaving the US for Europe because there are no flights leaving the US to Europe.In any case, they could not help us because we had no tracking number.It seems impossible, but this is what I learned.On the other side, I got a package from Bangood via registered mail in 4 weeks (mailed from China on February 17 and received in Italy on March, 13.EDIT : the cheque mailed on January 13 arrived on May 15.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 09:20:24 pm
content: Quote from: ciccio on March 27, 2020, 07:49:20 pmThe USPS is not reporting any problem with mail to Italy:https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Mail-Service-Alerts-and-UpdatesI mailed a package from the US to Europe on March 5, and everything was normal (maybe faster than usual).He could ask the bank to stop payment on the lost checks and send replacements.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 10:22:44 pm
content: Quote from: Rick Law on March 27, 2020, 06:55:24 pmPerhaps hospitals should deprioritize caring for those idiots (allowing responsible people to get care instead) and/or insurance companies refuse to cover for "self inflicted harm".

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2020, 11:34:47 pm
content: I've shipped hundreds of items by USPS (though not in recent years), every now and then one would just "disappear" from their system for a short while, then continue on as if nothing happened. I only remember it occurring a few times and the longest was about 10 days.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2020, 03:07:36 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 27, 2020, 12:39:28 pmI had two that arrived yesterday. No problem with the tracking and the senders (amazon and Ebay) both sent me notifications that they had been delivered within about 30 seconds after they had been dropped off. The only problem that I've seen is that the delivery people are working their butts off because they're making so many deliveries these days."How is it going atm?"What??? ATM = Automatic Teller Machine.

author: chickenHeadKnob
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2020, 03:34:24 am
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on March 27, 2020, 10:22:44 pmWhile that sounds reasonable it would require something like a "Universal social credit score" and continuous monitoring of personal behaviour to implement. Oops. Don't think you want to go there.TerraHertz asked about shipping in US/North America. I am about to place two orders with Mauser and Digi-key. I haven’t decided on the carrier yet. Will report back here on the progress to Canada. I can tell you one thing Western Canada Select crude price has hit a record lows, now at $7.20 a barrel and heading to zero. Can't even give that shit away.Oil and copper price are leading indicators for the economy in the next quarter and longer.

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2020, 04:06:31 am
content: I haven't noticed any issues as of yet in the US. If an original route was disrupted for some reason the re routing can really cost some time though. Not getting "real" updates isn't so uncommon it'd worry me. It usually just means it's not stopping anywhere just being routed. I have some family working for USPS and they're not having any special issues related to covid-19 but are, like usual, somewhat understaffed. With the increased shipping from covid-19 I'm sure things might not seem to move as quickly at busier locations. How far across the US was it going?

author: Helix70
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 28, 2020, 04:07:57 am
content: I have had 2 Digi-Key orders delivered to Brisbane, Australia from Thief River Falls, Minnesota in record time in the last week. UPS is very fast right now. Took 3 days, usually takes 4.

author: MathWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2020, 06:38:36 am
content: yup, I have books, toys, and parts, either already delayed or will be once the get here

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2020, 11:26:24 am
content: I prefer buying with tracking, even if it costs a few euros more, but this year, I've seen packages simply vanish on the way; and some showing just the initial record ("tracking number provided"). Among the twenty or so orders this year, a third (six or seven) have been a no-show! Annoying as hell.I just noticed that one of the packages I ordered (for 6€) from eBay hasn't arrived, with 22nd the expected arrival date, but since it has been 62 days since the initial order, there does not seem to be any way to report the order either...

author: tunk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2020, 10:22:58 am
content: AFAIK you can use eBay's Resolution Center up to 30 days after it should have arrived.Edit: Contact the seller and ask for a refund. If you don't get a refund within maybe a coupleof days, contact the seller again and say that you will use the Resolution Center if youdon't get a refund within e.g. two days.

author: olkipukki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2020, 01:31:21 pm
content: International UPS, Fedex and DHL delivery works like a swiss clockMeanwhile, UPS has temporarily (really??) increased prices cover workarounds due to Covid

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2020, 01:46:36 pm
content: How is that "article" anything but obviously personal and very unconfirmed ramblings? We all have a duty not to spread rumours and disinformation. People are easily spooked as it is and a harmful rumour mill is the last thing we need.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2020, 02:34:44 pm
content: Quote from: tunk on March 29, 2020, 10:22:58 amI disagree - don't ever make threats. You never know what eBay customer service will make of them. Just send one factual message to the seller, and open the claim if they don't reply after a couple of days.

author: blacksheeplogic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2020, 11:16:11 pm
content: I've found the opposite, my medical supplies arrived next day, usually they take a few days to arrive. It looks like the reduction in commerce has freed up capacity for the couriers so the systems moving packages as fast as they get them.

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2020, 07:45:30 am
content: I ordered a Leo Bodnar pulser and it's due to arrive tomorrow(or today depending on how you account for time). Let's just say it'll arrive today and it shipped yesterday.

author: jfiresto
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2020, 06:39:07 pm
content: Well, my above, USPS First Class International ePacket finally landed in my mail box, 10 1/2 weeks after it was mailed from California. The German Post and Customs were unusually fast and got it off the plane into my mailbox in three days.

author: engrguy42
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2020, 07:34:23 pm
content: I dunno, I've been pretty amazed at how fast stuff is shipping lately. Last week ordered some PCB's from China on Monday and they arrived at my front door on Friday. And I've been receiving stuff (mostly USPS) just about every day for the last few weeks, and usually stuff arrives (from Amazon mostly) faster than predicted. Ordered something yesterday and it arrived today. And ordered something this morning and it's supposed to be delivered tomorrow. Damn.I know people love that doom and gloom, but I'm not seeing it. Many countries have been dropping in the number of daily new cases for weeks now (including US). Now of course the scattered idiots make the news because we love to mock others, but just because people are out and about doesn't mean they're getting too close and not being safe. Yeah, there's the idiots, but that doesn't define everyone.Anyway, I kinda figured that with everyone staying at home the online ordering business would be insanely busy and shipments would grind to a halt. Apparently not.EDIT:Hey wait a minute...this thread is from two months ago !!! WTF???

author: jfiresto
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2020, 05:33:13 am
content: Two months is notthatlong and I did not want to leave folks in limbo. Perhaps I have a longer time horizon than most. I have had design problems that I had evaded, apparently left on the back of the brain and realized how to nicely solve decades later.When I asked the shipper a month ago, they reported I was not the only one suffering long delays on USPS first class mail to Europe. Anyway, thank you for the update!

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2020, 06:01:05 am
content: Could be that USPS is sending some stuff by boat instead of air, since I doubt they have enough of their own planes to carry it all. A lot of air cargo used to travel on passenger planes that aren't flying right now, which means rates are way up because the overall air cargo capacity in the system is down.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2020, 07:15:06 am
content: It's pretty much returned to normal in the UK. I ordered some 3D print filament next day and it was delivered at 8.30am in the morning. And that wasn't even a big supplier like Amazon.International deliveries are slowed, primarily because of the reduction in passenger flights so there's less space for cargo.