Saturday, January 22, 2011

Weird FedEx shipping routes, part 2

I'm expecting a package today. It's flying from Bethlehem, PA to Washington, DC, which are not too far apart. Instinctively I thought, "That will be a quick trip." I was shocked, then, to find out that the package is now in Memphis, TN, which is farther from the point of origin than I am. I got worried, thinking the package might be lost, but then guessed it's just part of FedEx's hub-and-spoke system. Boy is it ever! Watch the video:


Everything goes through Memphis! It's the FedEx SuperHub! Apparently, one single super-hub is more efficient for sorting packages than multiple smaller hubs. Memphis is an ideal shipping hub because it's an inexpensive city not too far away from the United States mean center of population.

I have an earlier post on weird FedEx Ground shipping routes here.

1 comment:

  1. Except when you're shipping something 50 miles away- quite inefficient to get routed 1,600 miles to Memphis. Especially during the Christmas holiday season. Especially when it's an overnight envelope!

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