Is Today the Day?
You're about to ship a package across the country that contains a living creature. Is there a specific day you should or should not ship on? What's the BEST day? Each of the following points should be considered before the shipper and receiver agree on a specific shipping date.
1. Friday Frustrations
When shipping Priority Overnight, the expectation is that a package dropped off “today” will arrive by the guaranteed time “tomorrow.” However, one must take “business days” into account. A Priority Overnight package dropped off with FedEx on a Friday will not be delivered until the NEXT BUSINESS DAY, which would be MONDAY.
Therefore:
- Shipping out on a Friday is not acceptable and is not permitted.
- You cannot book a Saturday delivery through ShipYourReptiles.com or ShipYourAquatics.com.
2. Weekday Considerations
All Pro Shipping allows for FedEx drop-offs (or pick-ups) Monday through Thursday for live Priority Overnight shipments.
But what if there is a snag somewhere along the way and your shipment is delayed by "a day?"
If you’ve shipped Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, the package will be delivered only a day late. A healthy animal, if packaged properly and barring extreme temperatures, should arrive just fine, despite the delay.
However, if you’ve shipped your package on Thursday, and the same delay takes place, a “day late” could turn into several days late as the package may be stuck waiting through the weekend for a Monday delivery. If this happens, please contact us! We will do all we can to get the package delivered on Saturday if that is possible.
Thousands of boxes are shipped out Thursday to arrive on Friday just fine, but that extra risk for added delay IF anything goes wrong is something every shipper should consider. If sketchy weather patterns might be headed toward Memphis, TN or Indianapolis, IN; you might want to consider avoiding a Thursday drop-off.
Even if you know your package won't be routed through the main hubs of Memphis or Indianapolis, bad conditions at those facilities can cause rippled delays across the entire FedEx infrastructure.
3. Holiday Hassles
FedEx observes the following holidays:
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- New Year’s Eve
- New Year’s Day
On these days, all FedEx facilities are closed and no packages are moving. Please be aware of your calendar when booking a shipment that might revolve around one of these days. In addition to the interruption of a typical week’s schedule, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are flooded with holiday packages that often jam up the system for days at a time. Shippers should pay close attention to the notices and warnings on our websites and avoid shipping live animals during the worst of those periods.
As always, if you ever do experience a delayed package (on ANY day), or if you accidentally bump into a holiday interruption, do NOT call FedEx. Call the ShipYourReptiles/ShipYourAquatics office right away. Our relationship with FedEx and the size of our account allows us to deal with the top levels of FedEx customer support. Because of this, we can resolve issues faster and more effectively if you call us directly. Our top priority will be getting your shipment back on track and safely to its final destination as quickly as possible!
Please don't hesitate to reach out to Customer Service for any questions or concerns you might have regarding your shipments. We're here for you!
Monday - Friday, 7am - 6pm MST
303-730-2125
info@ShipYourReptiles.com
info@ShipYourAquatics.com
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