Keeping time for yourself

It seems that everything is supposed to save you time - and everyone talks about this fact that seems to work in reverse - I have a new coffee pot with built-in grinder - it takes longer to clean the grinder than it takes to grind the coffee in mytraditional old grinder and put it into the paper filter.... And then there is the stress factor - if you listen to the news enough you'd have the impression that we are killing ourselves with all the stress. Well, maybe we are, but that isn't the point of this blog. Several friends and I have gotten together to work on being healthier - and everyone agrees there just isn't enough time to "take care of ourselves". So, carrying these thoughts into the workplace has made me look at a few things a bit differently. Daily I speak to companies who are sending out a staff member to deliver a package or run an errand - then everyone else has to absorb that "errand runners" workload. While the errand runner does get out for a few welcome minutes of sunshine, they then have to deal with the deadlines that will be squeezed every minute they are away. And what happens if there is an accident? Everyone's stress level gets out of whack - and then it is a legal/insurance/management problem. Yikes! Before fax machines, email and internet people depended on couriers to run the errands. It was simple - you picked up the phone, told them what you needed and they did it. One little phone call and your problem was solved. Then technology blossomed and suddenly some people hesitate to call a courier - they try to make it work with what seems easy... Sending the "errand runner". Life can be smoother and simpler - we just need to remember what our forefathers knew - utilize each person for what they do best and life just works better.

Disaster Recovery Plans

Have you noticed all the natural disasters? Well, of course you have, and not only have you noticed, you are probably exploring your own disaster recovery plans. Here are a few things to keep in mind… Time. Use it to your advantage. Sounds simple, but do you really know how long it takes to back up your entire computer system? Now, remove part of the staff that normally works in IT, figure only one or two individuals are actually going to stick around for the back-up tapes to finish – now – how long is it going to take? When considering this, also consider that airports shut down cargo shipping prior to people moving. Let’s look at Hurricane Rita for an example: XYZ Company planned their backup carefully and in good weather. I called them a few days before Rita was due to hit, they felt they had it “under control, Rita wasn’t going to be so big”. I called again the day before – “no problem!” they said. The morning of Rita I got a call asking to get the back-up tapes out of Houston. They wouldn’t be finished for another hour – there was one guy left to finish them. The problem – the airlines had discontinued moving cargo, focusing on people instead. The freeway system had come to an absolute halt, and couriers were fleeing just like everyone else. There was no way (by road) to get the tapes to the airport before it shut down completely. The tapes traveled with that lone, faithful employee and he wasn’t able to leave Houston either. They waited too long. Another client, ABC company has a very proactive disaster program. Anytime a hurricane is projected to come within 75 – 100 miles of them, they move the backup tapes 18 hours before the storm hits. They move it out of the entire region, and if the storm is set to hit them dead-on, two sets of tapes go out – one to the west coast and the second to Atlanta. Which brings me to today – I received a call asking out moving backup tapes in the event of an emergency… they were thinking of moving them 150 miles away. Why not? Well, it a storm system is going to hit your geographic area, odds are that 150 miles isn’t going to help. I recommended they work out a reciprocal agreement with an institution in a very different region of the United States. The cost to fly a package is essentially the same – so why not get your tapes far out of the way? People. Who has authority when everything gets crazy? Who can tell the courier where to bring the tapes when the company starts up again in a new location (because their old one was destroyed – think Katrina).We request every company utilizing our services for disaster protection provide us with the names and cell numbers of three people who have the authority to authorize a disaster physical location change. With that information we can resume the normal operations you require of us – and get back to work faster. Disasters happen, some small and some large. Planning for them can only make life easier to manage when they do happen. And during a time of panic that planning can afford you the time to evacuate the people you care about without that gut-wrenching concern about work and livelihood. Sites to help you plan: http://www.disasterplan.com; http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/family.htm; http://www.fema.gov/rrr/famplan.shtm; http://www.e-janco.com/DRP.htm

Katrina and the Courier - What you can do

We all know that Katrina - the hurricane- struck with lethal force. We know that many of those who had a car managed to escape her wrath. What can you do to help? There are very specific things you can do that directly benefit everyone - yet provide you with the knowledge of who is getting what. Consider the bike couriers and walkers. We are still waiting to hear from them. We've posted a query on www.craigslist.com, so if you have heard anything, please let us know. But onto the real issues that need consideration. Couriers are not wealthy, and many live near poverty - the loss of their work or their mode of transportation (a bike or car) has devastating consequences. Not only personally, but for the community as well. Bikes don't use crude oil - therefore they offer a clean means of getting things moved quickly without gasoline. Drivers are able to cause benefit as well since they are carrying multiple packages at a time - maximizing each gallon of gas. And gas is hard to find in the South right now. Speaking if fuel shortages - couriers are willing to run medical necessities from hospital to hospital - and hospitals are begging for it - but alas, there is no gas to fill the cars - therefore the medication simply isn't moving (and remember, no one can find a bike messenger). So the magnitude of the tragedy continues to expand. Fuel, if you happen to have a tanker truck with extra fuel sitting around, please contact us and we will put you in contact with the right people. What can you do to help? There are very specific things you can do that directly benefit everyone - yet provide you with the knowledge of who is getting what. First, check out the www.bicyclemessenger.org. They openly list who is giving what and who is receiving it. They also verify the courier is indeed a courier. If you donate monetary funds - you must specifically state is for Couriers affected by Katrina. To donate to any type of courier, please contact The Messenger Courier Association of America - www.mcaa.com. If you'd like to donate bikes, please let us know and we will work with you and the couriers to insure they go to bicycle messengers. If you have a job to offer or any other ideas - please share them with any of the above organizations. Thank you for any help you can offer.

Overnight vs. Next Day Delivery

Seems like it should be the something since both provide a package is delivered the very next day. Apples and Oranges are both fruit, but they are most definitely not the same. Traditional Next Day delivery requires you get the package to their drop off box/store or employee by a set time, typically anywhere between 4:00 in the afternoon to 7:00 in the evening. Your package gets dumped into batches of other envelopes - flown to Memphis or where ever their sorting facility is, where it is sorted, dropped from conveyor belt to conveyor belt, put on another plane and delivered to its target distribution center. It is an impressive process to say the very least. But once at that distribution center things sort out differently, pun intended. Due to geography and populations, not everyone can get their package in the morning, some not even in the afternoon. Saturdays are questionable in many places throughout this great country. Next day doesn't always mean "next day". I shipped several overnight packages for delivery by 10:30am to Nevada City, CA – it arrived at 6:30pm – and I was still charged for Priority Delivery. Sometimes it arrived a day late. Nevada City is an hour northeast of Sacramento – up in the Sierra foothills, it doesn’t seem like it would be out of the way, but it is as far as FedEx is concerned. I think it is important to say that I do not fault FedEx, UPS or the USPS for this. They are very impressive operations. The sheer mass of mail and packages they handle each and every day is, well, breathtaking. And they do a great job. They just have limits and sometimes you need to work outside those limits to get your specific job done. That is where USA Couriers can make a difference. Overnight-ing a package can mean our courier picking the package up from you as late as 9:00pm in California, midnight - or even later - on the East Coast, and delivering it to your recipient by 9:00am the next morning - mileage permitting. No massive sorting operations that can loose or destroy your package. It is personal service, care and putting the customer first. It does cost more than traditional Next Day service – but it gets there – fast.

Same Day Delivery-Packaging

OK, you've decided to ship your package via a same day service. Depending on the contents, weather and transportation mode - packaging will vary. Let's take a look at the various methods and just how it effects your shipment. Local Deliveries - The most frequently used methods for in town deliveries are bike or car. Letters should be in envelopes, in fact loose paper is always a bad idea. Envelopes and bags are preferred to protect your work. Tubes should be rolled inside paper or placed inside a protective tube - this is very important if you are using the services of a bike messenger. Also, keep in mind that the sky may not be sunny and blue, but rather wet and the wind may be whipping. While our couriers carry extra large plastic bags for such days, you might consider placing your item in a plastic bag. Kitchen garbage bags work very well for most packages. First Flight Out™ - for packages that need to be flown to their destination. Have you ever watched your luggage as it was sent to the plane? If you are shipping a small document please, please consider that a single envelope can get caught in a conveyor belt or lost inside the belly of the plane. It can be overlooked and miss it's flight. Put your envelope inside a large package. A small box or overnight pack. This gives it some visual bulk so havoc is less likely to occur. If you are trying to keep it under one pound, fine - give the courier the empty box and the envelope - most airlines are fine with seeing an envelope put into a box at the airport. Some airlines will even do it automatically. If your cargo is bigger - be sure it is packed well for what it is. Bubble wrap and cardboard are often used as buffers. Always let the courier know what the contents are so we can be sure your package is handled properly. High value items, such as crystal, glassware, art, laptops etc...should be "insurance wrapped". This includes the item be carefully packed in to a box - sorrounded by padding. This box is then placed inside a larger box with the inner space between boxes packed tightly with popcorn stuffing or bubble wrap. Many people have this type of packagin done at a store specializing in packaging such as Mail Boxes Etc.

Trucking and Freight - The BIG Stuff. Large items or large quantities are usually palletized (be sure to include pallet measurements when calculating your dim weight). Make sure items are securely placed on the pallet. If your item isn’t palletized, just be sure there is a safe means for picking it up and some protective outer layer. Always inform your courier about what it is, how much it weighs and if it requires special handling – such as tie down straps. It is also great to know if you have a loading dock and if the receiving end has a dock as well.

And a final note: Label everything for the end recipient.

For more information visit our Packaging Information pages

Of course, you can always call our customer service department and we will be happy to advise you on what your best options are. Anything. Anyhere. Anytyime. USA Couriers is your delivery solution.

Choosing A Courier

You are holding a package and you need it delivered. If it were an overnight package, perhaps you would send it FedEx; Airborne if price were a matter of concern. If it were going to another country you might call DHL - and if it were heavy or could take a few days - you'd probably call UPS. You, like millions of others, identify these companies with these services. But your package is urgent. You need it “there” now. Same day delivery nationwide. Perhaps "there" is Ventnor City, NJ, Las Vegas, NM or Macon, GA. Who do you call? Like everyone else you go to the internet for a solution. This takes time and the names are unfamiliar. Names come up on your search such as “The Fast Guys”, “Horace's Wheels”... And many others you've never heard of, but then, they haven't heard of you either. Dutifully you begin at the first name and number - it's been disconnected. The second number doesn't accept credit cards and won't bill you since you are unknown and perhaps out of state and out of town. Perhaps the forth or fifth guy will agree to do it - but he is vague and won't promise anything, after all, you are a nobody to him who won't call much if ever again. Is this the person you are going to trust with your package? Before you give up all hope of fulfilling your obligations and trusting someone you wouldn’t trust to walk your dog, your coworker walks by and suggests you call USA Couriers. One company with the power of getting the package delivered anywhere. One company with the ability to get the couriers attention and have him not only deliver your package on time, but does so professionally. Your proof of delivery can be provided quickly. It can be this simple. Of course there are other things you might consider - such as price, insurance and security. It's amazing how many shippers find out their present courier is not insured for more than the state's minimum driver requirements. Loss prevention departments discover this and get really agitated at this discovery, as they should. You should. Think about the many hours you spend working, probably more time than you spend home with your family... isn't it worth it to know your efforts are being treated with the respect and consideration it deserves? USAC provides insurance, the amongst the best coverage in the industry. Of course, this brings in the subject of proper packaging... And what about price? The old adage -"You get what you pay for." does mean something. Everyday I speak with people from all over the country - many are frustrated with their courier's lack of performance or bad attitude - attitudes that seem to get worse with the fuel prices. A courier who knows his efforts are appreciated is a happier courier willing to do more for you. And this doesn’t mean you have to pay a lot, just a fair rate for services rendered. So, next time you find yourself scrambling to meet a deadline, consider your option and consider USA Couriers.