Rural FedEx Shipping just got WORSE

Notary Experiences
1

Had a seller’s package the SS wanted it to make same day ship. But it was 2 hours from me and a scan was required. But the FedEx last pick up at the airport was always 4:40pm and I thought I could just make it.

I get there at 4:18pm and was told their last ship was changed 2 weeks ago to 4:15pm and I just missed the guy.

So I told her I’d have to let title companies know the last ship time for the area is now from UPS at 4:45pm.

In the town where I live it’s 1pm for FedEx and 3pm for UPS. The airport is 45 minutes away and is now :4:15 for FedEx and 4:45 for UPS.

It’s just awful. And the local shipping center said sometimes the FedEx guy is an hour early and you nevr know when that will happen and the UPS guy sometimes shows at 2pm instead of 3.

If you’re in a major metropolitan area this probably isn’t killing you, but the East side of WA State it is just awful.

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2

I feel you! I’m in a rural area in Arizona. Most of my signings are 1-2 hrs away and most of those places do not have a FedEx or UPS. You know the drill I am sure, waiting for approval, parked nearby a drop location because the next one is an hour away.

I had a signing the other day and was calling all the locations driving towards the airport to find a location they had not yet picked up from. I actually caught a UPS driver at a gas station once. :joy::joy:

3

I’m fortunate that both UPS & FedEx ‘never fail’ dropboxes sit side by side 10 minutes from home with precise late afternoon pickup times. There are no reliable manned dropoffs here. I can’t imagine how you can quote a fair-to-all fee when you have to factor in ‘park near drop location & wait for approval’. What a colossal waste of your ‘time…is money’.

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4

Fed- Ex is 4 pm here but you have to use Walgreens, because we don’t have a ship center. UPS has changed their pick up from 5:30 pm to 5:00 pm. I don’t know how you can commit to dropping for next day unless the signing is early morning and even then drive time and scans may keep you from dropping on time. Definitely makes it more difficult.

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5

I have started to tell services that they can have scans or they can have same-day drop, but they can’t have both. And now I don’t promise same day drop very often at all. Today I have a no scan close to a major FedEx location. I wish they were all like that.

3 Likes
6

This week, I encountered a similar situation with a title company requesting next-day delivery of a seller’s package. My investigation revealed that the majority of FedEx express pickup times in my local area are around 5:00 PM. However, I managed to find one location with a pickup time of 6:00 PM. The signing was scheduled for 4:30 PM, and, as required, the documents needed to be scanned back before dropping them off. Consequently, I arrived at the FedEx location at 5:58 PM. These challenges are occurring as shippers are experiencing workforce reductions due to evolving market dynamics. For example, there have been reports of “UPS mass layoffs as 48,000 jobs cut”. Additionally, “In 2025, FedEx is laying off over 480 employees as part of its Network 2.0 initiative, which aims to streamline operations and close several facilities across the United States, and they are going to close approximately 30% of FedEx’s parcel terminals within two years.” To provide a broader context, let’s examine the current landscape of layoffs in the United States, specifically focusing on “Nationwide Layoffs 2025”:

The year 2025 has witnessed a substantial surge in nationwide layoffs across various economic sectors. Here are some key observations regarding the layoff situation in the United States:

Mass Layoffs: Since January 1, 2025, over 4,286 companies have publicly announced mass layoffs, with the total number of companies involved reaching 4,286+ as of October 27, 2025.
Sector Impact: Layoffs have had a significant impact on sectors such as retail, technology, services, warehousing, and other industries. Approximately 700,000 job cuts were announced within the first five months of 2025, representing an 80% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Federal Layoffs: The federal workforce has been reduced in phases, with measures such as an executive order that removes employment protections for civil servants, a program encouraging workers to resign, and planned workforce reductions being implemented.
Job Seekers: Job seekers are strongly advised to upskill, expand their professional networks, and utilize reputable job boards to navigate the challenges posed by the layoffs and identify fresh employment opportunities.

These widespread layoffs reflect the broader economic challenges and transformations occurring in the job market, making it crucial for job seekers to remain informed and proactive in their job search endeavors."

Considering these factors, it is highly probable that these events will influence the volume of our business within the mortgage industry. Fortunately, the essential need for document notarization services will persist.

7

My daughter just went to work at a FedEx airport distribution center this year. It’s high volume and intense.

I don’t think mobile notary work is going to disappear, I think scanning will become the norm because of shipping delays. And I’d like to see scanning go away. But that’s not happening. Some title companies ask for it less. and there’s two lenders who don’t want scans. But being able to get documents sent the day they are signed is getting hit or miss.

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@cfletcher :white_check_mark: Correct :white_check_mark:

:swan:

9

I’ve caught drivers out in the wild before too! I get overly excited because I’ve already let the SS know I can’t make same day pick up because of logistics. I caught a new FedEx Express driver at a gas station 45 minutes away from the FedEx station (that’s what they call the shipping hubs). The driver called the lady that runs the office to find out if he can do that. I was using the proper lingo and acronyms so I really confused him. I used to work there in the office doing the reports in the evenings to supplement a slow signing time. While he was on the phone, I called out “Hi, Tami! It’s just Aimee!” He learned how to pick up a package in a gas station parking lot that day. :laughing:

10

Yes, I agree I tend to bend over backward quite often. There are no other places near to drop.