Absolutely, positively
I was sending something via FedEx today, and I noticed something interesting about the carrier’s rate schedules. Thanks to the Rate Finder, I was able to find rates and transit times to send an envelope from Houston to South Bend, Ind. For the sake of discussion, I’ll make the following assumptions:
- I drop the package off at the last possible dropoff time (8:00 p.m. for the location near me).
- The package arrives at its destination right on the deadline.
- The origin and destination are in the same time zone, and they’re both included in “most cities.”
Here’s the data:
Graph the points, and here’s what you get:
Look at the marginal values, and here’s what you get:
This is really the meat of it. Upgrading from the cheapo service to 2Day, Standard Overnight or even Priority Overnight costs a few cents for every hour of improved speed. After all, if you’re torn between 2-day and 3-day service, the package isn’t all that time-sensitive.But First Overnight costs more than $16 per hour of improvement over its cheaper brother, Priority Overnight. I wouldn’t think there are too many situations where 10:30 a.m. isn’t fast enough, but 8:30 a.m. is.
That said, if you’re in one of those situations, it really “absolutely, positively has to get there” first thing in the morning. FedEx knows that in that kind of right-down-to-the-wire, pressure-cooker situation, people will pay. A lot.
“Zilla”
I have used the First overnight delivery several times, and when you are sending an instrument, insured for $25,000, with a radioactive source (subject to DHS scrutiny) that cost you $350.00 per day, and you are scheduled for only three days, and the apartment maintenance personnel have notified tenants 72-hours in advance, 8:30 am isn’t soon enough. I have actually been at the FedEx depot when they took it out of the container, before 7 am.
Dang. What do you do with that? Mold removal or something?
Yeah, Tom, what do you do with that?
I use an XRF Spectrum analyzer for non-destructive Lead-based paint insection. One of those technical things associated with Target housing (pre-1978). When anyone gets HUD (any gummit) money, they must demonstrate compliance with the Lead-based paint rules (part of the nationwide Childhood Lead Poisoning prevention strategies).