Micom 2000
Veteran Member
I recently got a quote for the shipping of a less than 15 lbs. parcel by postal service to the US of over $30. A similar parcel and distance would also cost about the same in Canada. It seems clear the domestic postal services in both Canada and the US are homogenating their prices to commercial parcel services such as Fed-Ex and UPS. This has had an impact on many of us. And must have an impact on commercial sales in general which would effect the economy of both our countries.
On the other hand I have bought goods from Hong Kong sold on ebay where the shipping costs are not much more than a regular envelope here. It is obvious that the chinese government must be subsidizing shipping costs for exports. This of course boosts China's economy as a whole.
They it appears are wiser than us. Their economy is growing exponentially.
Many goods are trucked across and between our countries and usually these trucks do not have a full load. Because of present circumstances many trucking companies and individual truckers have simply quit. This has a trickle-down effect on local economies and we all become poorer.
One could see an entrepeneurial company taking full advantage of the expediting opportunities available in a time of high-cost shipping prices and where demand for shipping is high while profit margins are prohibitory because of the cost of shipping. For example filling the part-empty trucks with goods which could be off-loaded en-route and then be taken to other smaller centres of recipients. I'm reminded of the Fido networks which were based on individual BBS' all over the country and which countered the high cost of Internet service by such as Compuserve.
Of course many of us so used to rapid shipping might not be willing to accept slower shipping, but at this time when many of us are rejecting to even considering to buy that heavy IBM AT or fabulous monitor, it would be an alternative, and if you magnify that by the many genres in which shipping is a consideration because of price it could become a major industry. With the i-net, communication becomes simplified and I do believe it could be viable. The problem could be how does one get it started. In an early phase perhaps even the movement between cities or towns by members of such small groups as ours carrying parcels of accumulated wishes. Usually a strong need creates it's own fulfillment.
Foolishly speculative ? Perhaps. Impossibly so ? Fly me to the moon.
Lawrence
On the other hand I have bought goods from Hong Kong sold on ebay where the shipping costs are not much more than a regular envelope here. It is obvious that the chinese government must be subsidizing shipping costs for exports. This of course boosts China's economy as a whole.
They it appears are wiser than us. Their economy is growing exponentially.
Many goods are trucked across and between our countries and usually these trucks do not have a full load. Because of present circumstances many trucking companies and individual truckers have simply quit. This has a trickle-down effect on local economies and we all become poorer.
One could see an entrepeneurial company taking full advantage of the expediting opportunities available in a time of high-cost shipping prices and where demand for shipping is high while profit margins are prohibitory because of the cost of shipping. For example filling the part-empty trucks with goods which could be off-loaded en-route and then be taken to other smaller centres of recipients. I'm reminded of the Fido networks which were based on individual BBS' all over the country and which countered the high cost of Internet service by such as Compuserve.
Of course many of us so used to rapid shipping might not be willing to accept slower shipping, but at this time when many of us are rejecting to even considering to buy that heavy IBM AT or fabulous monitor, it would be an alternative, and if you magnify that by the many genres in which shipping is a consideration because of price it could become a major industry. With the i-net, communication becomes simplified and I do believe it could be viable. The problem could be how does one get it started. In an early phase perhaps even the movement between cities or towns by members of such small groups as ours carrying parcels of accumulated wishes. Usually a strong need creates it's own fulfillment.
Foolishly speculative ? Perhaps. Impossibly so ? Fly me to the moon.
Lawrence