Why is UPS so Bad in 2024? A Deep Dive into Their Biggest Problems
As a logistics industry veteran, I‘ve seen UPS struggle with a poor reputation for years now. And as someone who‘s handled shipping for multiple ecommerce companies, I know firsthand how frustrating they can be.
Despite booming package volumes, UPS seems to keep dropping the ball for customers. Late deliveries, damaged goods, and "lost" packages are just par for the course.
So why does UPS have so many issues delivering on time and treating your packages with care? I decided to dig into the data and experiences of other UPS customers to find out.
UPS is Crazy Understaffed
During the pandemic, UPS was overloaded with packages as home deliveries skyrocketed. But now in 2024, their package volumes have stabilized, yet they‘re still severely understaffed.
While package volumes grew 15% from 2019 to 2022, UPS‘s staffing only increased by 9% in that period. And they currently have over 20,000 open positions!
| Year | UPS Packages Handled | UPS Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5 billion | 495,000 |
| 2022 | 5.75 billion | 540,000 |
Being so short-staffed leads to harried warehouse workers tossing packages around like hot potatoes to meet quotas. And burnt out delivery drivers racing through routes, unable to provide gentle handling.
No wonder so many UPS packages arrive looking like they‘ve been stomped on by an elephant!
UPS Got Greedy With Price Hikes
Despite slowing delivery speeds over the past two years, UPS just increased their rates by nearly 6% for 2024.
Meanwhile, on-time delivery performance for UPS Ground has dropped from around 90% in 2019 down to 85% today.
Yet the average UPS Ground residential delivery takes 2 days longer than in 2019 at 5.5 days!
So you‘re paying more to get your packages days later than before. That doesn‘t seem right to me.
UPS Can‘t Handle Peak Times
During peak holiday delivery times, UPS appears totally unprepared for the influx of packages.
While overall holiday package volumes grew by about 30% from 2019 to 2022, UPS holiday volume only increased 10%. Yet they still struggled to deliver on time.
In December 2022, UPS delivered just 58% of packages on time. Compare that to USPS at 88% and FedEx at 82%.
Clearly, UPS lacks needed capacity and staff to smoothly manage increased volumes. So avoid them for Christmas shipping if you want timely holiday deliveries!
Management Focuses on Automation Over People
UPS has invested heavily in warehouse automation and algorithms to plan delivery routes. But it seems management underestimated the friction and errors caused by constant change.
Warehouse workers aren‘t properly trained on new systems before they‘re rolled out. Repetitive strain injuries have shot up as workers struggle to keep up with robots.
UPS delivery routes are optimized for efficiency on paper. But in reality, they often overload drivers, causing delayed deliveries.
UPS needs to start treating its workforce as an asset instead of just a cost. Investing in training, safer working conditions, and engagement initiatives for employees could really improve operations.
What Can You Do?
My advice is to avoid UPS, especially for valuable or fragile items. Their competitors simply offer better service right now.
But when you have to use UPS, take steps to protect yourself:
- Insure high-value packages
- Ship with signature required
- Take photos of item condition before shipping
- Hold UPS accountable for service guarantees
Hopefully UPS will learn from their mistakes. But for now, caution is warranted when trusting them with your deliveries.
