Timing is Everything
When it comes to shipping live reptile or aquatic animals, what’s the best day of the week to ship out? 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 Monday, which would be the next business day. You cannot book a Saturday delivery through ShipYourReptiles.com or ShipYourAquatics.com.
Shipping out on a Friday is not acceptable and is not permitted.
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? If you’ve shipped Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, the package will be delivered only a day late. In most cases, outside of extreme temperaturesand if packaged properly, the animal will likely survive it.
However, if you’ve shipped your package on Thursday, and the same delay takes place, a “day late” turns into several days late as the package may be stuck waiting through the weekend for a Monday delivery. Thousands of boxes ship out Thursday for a Friday delivery just fine, but that chance for added delay IF something goes wrong is something every shipper should consider, especially if sketchy weather patterns might be headed toward Memphis, TN or Indianapolis, IN, which are the main hubs for FedEx Express packages. Even if your package isn’t routed through one of those hubs, a bad weather delay there can cause ripple effects across their entire system.
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. So please be aware of your calendar when booking a shipment that might revolve around one of those 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 top priority will be getting your shipment back on track and safely to its final destination as quickly as possible and we can accomplish that much faster and with far less trouble than if you try to go to FedEx yourself.
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
New to the Newsletter? Want to catch up on past topics or share one with a friend?
Check out our Newsletter Archives!
Click here to SUBSCRIBE and be the first to read each week's Newsletter!
