UPS vs. FedEx: Battle of the Brands

Now FedEx delivers on Sunday, Mother's Day. FedEx express delivered this past Valetine's Day on Sunday. Somehow I don't think the union would allow this to happen at UPS.

Tracked a UPS package that was coming to me. Tracking info said package was out for delivery, so I waited at home all day. That day at 7pm, after waiting all day, the tracking info said package delivery date rescheduled. Thanks for having me wait all day for nothing UPS.

I vote for FedEx

Ordered an iPhone by FedEx from USA to Spain and took me almost 2 weeks to arrive at home.

I also made an order of 3 albums from Amazon.com (USA) by UPS and took me only 1 week. Half time than FedEx, these are facts boys and girls.

Today I've recieved a UPS package which had to be delivered next day and I got it at the scheduled time with no issues and no damage. In this case the shipping was 3 shirts coming from Italia.

From my experience I preffer UPS all day.

For me I'd like to use Fedex but I use UPS. I use to use Fedex most of the time until they couldn't find an address from Flroida to Tennessee. I like the fax Fedex is much less expensive and delievers on Saturday. I do however do feel more secure my package will get where it's suppose to on time with UPS.

But then again I hate the idea sending a ground GPS from Fla to kansas for $18.00. which takes 5 days. and if you have a weekend in the middle it takes longer. I also hate the fact if you are not home UPS most of the time does not leave the package at the door. But you can only pickup your package at the hub between 9-5 and no weekends. So as I said I hate this company but If I need to send something important and it must get there no matter what ups is the way to go. I'd use Fedex if mailing a package to a major city. I think the best bang for the buck is priority mail but the tracking on that stinks.

1 mo ago i sent an automotive part to one of my ebay buyers insured UPS , its a 700 dlls part,it was 100 lbs and was packaged in double wall, single use box, the package was "damaged and lost the contents" now i thought oh well at least i insured it ,well guess what, this clowns at UPS called me back after i called them just to tell me that they were not liable because the box wasnt sturdy enough ,BS the boxes i use for my products are designed for what i ship ,so i asked for proof and they said they dont have the box ,WTF then how do they know the box wasnt sturdy enough? thats big BS and im 700 dlls poorer , now its FEDEX for me ,to hell with these clows at UPS of S***.

Deathly not a fan of ups..... I've never had to call fedex to track a package I can always check online and everything seems to be up to date! many times ups claim to not know where my package was they blame it on the sender & the sender claims at ups had my package even emailed me a receipt. UPS FAIL.... so when ever I order something I check to is who the company uses!!!"

I felt bias in ths article leading positively to FEDX and negatively to UPS but after all is said and done, most people voted for UPS. GO BIG BROWN.

I understand that UPS has an additional 200+ leased airplanes making the 3X comment incorrect.

I have found that FedEx has different drivers every day on our route..and they can never find our house..UPS has the same driver for the past seven years..I told FedEx to give my packages to the UPS diver because they always find us..we are NOT hard to find...

I found the comparison article concise and straightforward. Preference for one company over the other is more likely, matter of personal experience rather than either company having realized advantage. Just the same, I voted for UPS because that is my livelihood;)

regards, john debba

IM LUCKY IF FEDX DELIVERS ONE DAY A WEEK UPS DELIVERS EVERY DAY . RON R.

I LIVE IN A RURAL AREA AND IM LUCKY IF FEDX DELIVERS ONE DAY A WEEK . UPS DELIVERS EVERYDAY . RON.H. R

Art, I believe the article considered planes owned by the respective companies, and not leased and contracted planes. I dare say with FedEx having more than twice the volume of UPS air shipments, they probably have over 900 planes to handle the load.

regards, john debba

UPS BY FAR IS THE MORE SUPERIOR DELIVERY COMPANY, BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL. WE HAVE BEEN USING UPS FOR OVER 18 YEARS AND THROW THE FEDEX SALES PERSON OUT EVERY TIME THEY COME IN WITH A PRICE OFFER. FEDEX WILL NEVER COMPARE TO UPS....FEDEX IS WAY TO EXPENSIVE WITH TO MANY SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS....THANKS UPS, KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK...

All said, I would suggest the author ask those at UPS about the packages they contract with the United States Postal Service to deliver on their behalf! Thats right, that premium you pay for UPS is to pay the USPS to deliver that package you should have taken to or been picked up by the USPS and you just paid more for the same service, imagine that!

The big difference between the two carriers is thatFed Ex employs "independent contractors" to deliver their packages. These "contractors" avoid any extra effort that will cost them time and/or money. Fed Ex cannot hold them accountable so the service suffers. Fed Ex pay less to these drivers thereby lowering their cost to serve.

Hi Keith,

You made a hard-hitting point, but author was not intending an exhaustive or critical analysis. It is true USPS is used to handle UPS ground packages, I am unsure if this includes air packages: But you may be correct. Of course, as you may expect, there does exist a UPS corporate rationality for justification. However as taxpayers and/or employees of UPS competitor, we should be concerned with UPS and USPS arrangement which amounts to corporate welfarism

regards, john debba

There are way to many factors to compare and certainly the article highlights some of the majors. However one factor that is rarely revealed is that UPS runs at 98 percent on time as compared to Fedex in the mid to upper 60's. In other words if UPS says it will be there overnight, 2 days,3 whatever, it will be. And they gaurantee it.

UPS gets my vote every time. I haven't ever heard of a UPS center that's chaotic and out of control. My impression of the local FedEx depot, when I was trying to get a package that had vanished into some sort of depot limbo, was that the inmates were running the asylum. I have never seen so many clueless individuals shuffling about aimlessly. I'm not the only one--my colleague at work has similar problems with FedEx delivery, and neither of us live in remote or difficult-to-find areas.

When my package was finally located and I went to collect it, all of the security measures at the place were overridden. I was able to just walk in after hours, had to shout to get someone to come and acknowledge that I was collecting my package (sitting on a chair in the middle of an office area with the delivery log on top), and could very easily have just roamed the depot collecting parcels at will, typing at random on the computers and generally been up to no good at all. This is not good management practice.

The article misrepresents FedEx commitment times. Priority Overnight is due by 10:30am and standard overnight is due by 3:00pm. There is also confusion as to which branch of FedEx is being referred to. FedEx Express does not employ independant contractors. Those people work for the actual corp. located in Memphis. FedEx Ground and Home Delivery employs independent contractors. The comparision is mostly denoting FedEx Express services, so you can't say the pricing is lower due to this. FedEx is also moving mail for the USPS in their airplanes. Have you ever noticed there is a FedEx dropbox near most post offices, but never DHL or UPS? It is part of an agreement the USPS has with FedEx Express to move their priority freight for them. FedEx Express does not have a 60% ontime rate as c phillippi suggests. It is absurd to think that FedEx would still be in business with that type of ontime rate. The actual rate of the FedEx station in Las Vegas, Nevada (LASA) is 99.86%. Not a bad number for moving 12,000 boxes per day around Christmas. That would be about 16.8 packages arriving late per day. I agree that some FedEx facilities can be chaotic, but I believe it depends on the time of day you arrive. If you come during the day its not bad at all. When you arrive 30 minutes before the deadline cutoff and have to fight your way through the other 100 people who have arrived at the same time as you and want their package delivered tomorrow morning to meet the deadline or there boss will be mad, well I guess that would be chaotic now wouldn't it? If you were allowed to roam the facilities after hours, however that WOULD be an issue. I've noticed a security guard at the Las Vegas station several times when I have gone. I would hope that you brought up the fact that you were roaming around the station to a manager!