# FedEx Option for Expensive Gear



## YuengLinger (Oct 22, 2020)

I've had enough FedEx deliveries to now see a clear pattern in our area: Ordering what B&H calls "Next Day Super Saver" routes the gear differently, which means a crew different from the ordinary, free shipping option handles the packages all along the way.

Result? Instead of a usually unmarked truck driven by a guy who looks like he borrowed the uniform from somebody way too small, we get a smartly dressed, very professional delivery person in a clean van with the FedEx logo painted front, back, and both sides. All the packages in these vans are stacked neatly and securely.

Like a completely different company is doing the delivery.

For my R6, I paid just under $15 USD extra. Well worth it!

I hope this works for others, and saves them some of the frustrations I've experienced just defaulting to the free shipping.


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## koenkooi (Oct 23, 2020)

That sounds a lot like how DHL behaves here in my part of the Netherlands: Sometimes you get the proper van with a uniformed driver, but most of the times you get the guy in a rental car who took cues from cartoon Santa to fill the backseat section with packages. Or he shows up in a smaller car full of pre-filled "You weren't home, ktnxbye!" slips.

This is the reason I try to avoid using Amazon.{de,nl}, those use DHL.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 23, 2020)

YuengLinger said:


> I've had enough FedEx deliveries to now see a clear pattern in our area: Ordering what B&H calls "Next Day Super Saver" routes the gear differently, which means a crew different from the ordinary, free shipping option handles the packages all along the way.
> 
> Result? Instead of a usually unmarked truck driven by a guy who looks like he borrowed the uniform from somebody way too small, we get a smartly dressed, very professional delivery person in a clean van with the FedEx logo painted front, back, and both sides. All the packages in these vans are stacked neatly and securely.
> 
> ...


Fedex is really two companies when it comes to shipping. Fedex Home(Ground) is their slow and low cost shipping and is delivered by contractors who own their own vehicles and they are often not marked and could be almost anything. A route costs about $100K. Each contractor must have enough stops to equal 6-10 percent of the total stops for the warehouse. That may be around 5 vehicles. They cap the number so that if one route owner goes out of business, they can manage using the other contractors.

The second part is Fedex Express which is the fast 1 or 2 day shipping and comes in a Fedex Truck where the driver works for Fedex. We get both.


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## btango05 (Oct 23, 2020)

I live near a fedex hub so I opt to have my package be picked up, but not because of contractors, just so I don't have to wait all day for it to arrive. I did however recently use B&H's upgraded delivery to get something before they closed for Sukkot and it was only like $17 for a next day or 2 day delivery to CA, well worth it IMO.


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## SteveC (Oct 23, 2020)

btango05 said:


> I live near a fedex hub so I opt to have my package be picked up, but not because of contractors, just so I don't have to wait all day for it to arrive. I did however recently use B&H's upgraded delivery to get something before they closed for Sukkot and it was only like $17 for a next day or 2 day delivery to CA, well worth it IMO.



Isn't it amazing how people into photography get an education on Jewish holidays?


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