Online orders shipped to you while on the road?

[jymbee]

Wondering what are the considerations when one orders something online while traveling. For example, if you're at a campsite do the carriers deliver directly to your site? If something arrives before you arrive, would a campsite be apt to hold it for your arrival?

 

[NY_Dutch]

It depends... Different parks have different policies. Many require that USPS mail and packages go to General Delivery at a local post office, but FEDEX and UPS may deliver to your site if the number is included in the address. Best bet is to call the park you're interested in and ask what their policy is. I've also had packages held for pickup at a nearby FEDEX or UPS location, as well as having mailed packages received at a UPS store by pre-arrangement. Amazon has a relatively new "Lockers" program where your orders can be sent to participating locations and you collect them using a special code to unlock the locker. They have about 20 locations in the Orlando, FL area for example.

 

[JudyJB]

Much depends on the campground.  Generally, commercial campgrounds will hold packages for people staying monthly.  Occasionally, a state or national park will hold a package for you, but you should ask before you have something shipped.

Amazon has lockers in larger cities you can ship things to.  Last winter when I was staying in Usery Mountain regional park near Mesa, I had several packages delivered to one of their lock boxes.  They give you a code and you find the box, usually behind a store in a shopping area, and then use your code to open it and pick up your package.  However, they have a limit as to how long they will allow your package to wait for you, so make sure you time things carefully.

A BIG problem with Amazon is that they cannot tell you ahead of time if they are shipping UPS or Fed-Ex.  That means you cannot pick up your package at a customer counter.

Otherwise, I use friends and relatives as I travel around.  If I know I will be visiting them at a particular time, I will have stuff sent to them for me. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

As others have said, there is a wide variety of policies at campgrounds, so no single answer. Do not assume that you can receive any mail or packages at a campground - always ask the campground management ahead of time.  Some will not accept any mail or packages, some may accept packages, others only UPS or Fedex.  In my experience, only rarely will there be deliveries direct to your site; deliveries are mostly held at the office is they are accepted at all.

I've found that federal & state park campgrounds typically do NOT accept mail or packages, but again, there are different policies in various places.


Not all post offices accept General Delivery mail, so if there is more than one post office in a metro area, ask which of them will accept and hold General Delivery and for how long. Some post offices have very short hold periods before they return mail or packages, but small town PO's are often generous (and helpful too). Larger city post offices, not so much.


We've received many packages while on the road, but we near always pre-plan to have them shipped to a place we know we will be for several days and have assured ourselves that the campground or PO will work with us.

 

[John From Detroit]

MIxed  when I was stuck in GA some UPS drivers knew how to read the numbers and would deliver to site. Some would not.. Some campgrounds the roads are convoluted or bad enough they will not. (The one I was at had a single "Q" drive (Circle with a tail. the tail was the exit/entrance).

Most of the time they drop at the office and you have to go fetch.

I have an app called PACK TRACK on my Smart Phone.. It is not perfect (Sometimes takes a bit before it updates) but it tells me when to fetch.

Last pack I was tracking (Insulin) it told me "on truck for deliver" so I headed to the office and accepted direct from Fed-Ex Express driver (Small van not big truck).

 

[NY_Dutch]

I use the USPS, UPS, and FEDEX apps on my phone to track my packages. The UPS app even shows me where the truck is when the package is out for delivery.

 

[decaturbob]

Wondering what are the considerations when one orders something online while traveling. For example, if you're at a campsite do the carriers deliver directly to your site? If something arrives before you arrive, would a campsite be apt to hold it for your arrival?

campsites are pretty iffy at best, I do get all my stuff at the RV park we stay at in Florida.

 

[jymbee]

It depends... Different parks have different policies. Many require that USPS mail and packages go to General Delivery at a local post office, but FEDEX and UPS may deliver to your site if the number is included in the address. Best bet is to call the park you're interested in and ask what their policy is. I've also had packages held for pickup at a nearby FEDEX or UPS location, as well as having mailed packages received at a UPS store by pre-arrangement. Amazon has a relatively new "Lockers" program where your orders can be sent to participating locations and you collect them using a special code to unlock the locker. They have about 20 locations in the Orlando, FL area for example.

Thanks for the insights Dutch-- and thanks to all who replied. I'd like to think that having endured what seems like months of planning, buying, and packing that we'll never need to by anything for at least another year. Yeah, right... 

 

[Tom]

[quote author=NY_Dutch]The UPS app even shows me where the truck is when the package is out for delivery.[/quote]
If you get their 'pro' app, it lets you know where the cross-country truck is on the freeway. They don't like you flagging them down, but follow them to their next rest/truck stop and ask if they wouldn't mind finding your package in the truck (or the trailer)  ;D

Not true of course but, when we pass a UPS or Fedex truck on the freeway, I jokingly ask my other half if she'll ask the driver if s/he is carrying our expected package.

 

[John Stephens]

I've been wondering the same thing since we will need to have dog food shipped from Chewy.com while we are on the road this coming summer. I figured the best thing to do would be to have it shipped to one of the campgrounds we will be staying at for an extended time. While we're in Yellowstone and Glacier, we'll be at each park for two weeks. I assume that would be enough time to place an order and have it delivered before we leave the park.

Same question about mail order prescriptions, but I think this is an easy fix since I get all my prescriptions from Caremark CVS. I should be able to get them at a local pharmacy with advance notice being given.

 

[NY_Dutch]

If you get their 'pro' app, it lets you know where the cross-country truck is on the freeway. They don't like you flagging them down, but follow them to their next rest/truck stop and ask if they wouldn't mind finding your package in the truck (or the trailer)  ;D

Not true of course but, when we pass a UPS or Fedex truck on the freeway, I jokingly ask my other half if she'll ask the driver if s/he is carrying our expected package.

I can't imagine why the OTR drivers would mind digging through a 53' trailer to find your package on the side of the Interstate...  ;D

 

[SeilerBird]

Amazon will ship to a locker just about anyplace that has a large population.

https://www.amazon.com/primeinsider/tips/amazon-locker-qa.html

 

[WILDEBILL308]

John, never had a problem picking up prescriptions when on the road.
One thing I found out is you can tell them you are going on "vacation" and get a larger supply before leaving. You can pick up prescriptions at CVS, Walgreens, Right aid or Walmart. I know I missed some but it isn't a problem getting your prescriptions.
I would call the campgroundes you are thinking of staying, if they won't help you look for somewhere else.
With the internet you can order the dog food so it will get there the same day you do.
Bill 

 

[RVRAC]

I order on line all the time and haven't had any problems with delivery. At times, I order in advance to be deliver to a place I am heading.  I usually call the office ahead of time asking them to hold it for me if it gets there before my arrival. NO problem.

 

[Tom]

[quote author=John Stephen]I've been wondering the same thing since we will need to have dog food shipped from Chewy.com while we are on the road this coming summer.[/quote]
As you probably know, chewy.com orders arrive in 2 days, which helps takes the guessing out of where you'll be when their shipment arrives. However, at our summer park, parcels get delivered to the park office but, partly because it's in the boonies, it's a craps shoot when parcels arrive.

Same question about mail order prescriptions, but I think this is an easy fix since I get all my prescriptions from Caremark CVS. I should be able to get them at a local pharmacy with advance notice being given.

At home, I use CVS. At our winter retreat, I use one of the local CVS stores; If I say "I'll come back to pick it up", they're usually calling me over the store audio system before I'm out the door (to come pick it up).

At our summer retreat, there's no CVS within 50 miles, so I use the small (friendly/helpful) pharmacy at the local supermarket. I'm usually able to pick up the next day. The longest time is taken by CVS returning their call to transfer, but it hasn't been an issue.

My wife uses mail order with Humana, and they arrive by USPS wherever we are within a couple or three days.

 

[John Stephens]

As you probably know, chewy.com orders arrive in 2 days, which helps takes the guessing out of where you'll be when their shipment arrives. However, at our summer park, parcels get delivered to the park office but, partly because it's in the boonies, it's a craps shoot when parcels arrive.


At home, I use CVS. At our winter retreat, I use one of the local CVS stores; If I say "I'll come back to pick it up", they're usually calling me over the store audio system before I'm out the door (to come pick it up).

At our summer retreat, there's no CVS within 50 miles, so I use the small (friendly/helpful) pharmacy at the local supermarket. I'm usually able to pick up the next day. The longest time is taken by CVS returning their call to transfer, but it hasn't been an issue.

My wife uses mail order with Humana, and they arrive by USPS wherever we are within a couple or three days.

Tom and Bill - this is kind of what I thought in both regards. I'm guessing the dog food will able to be picked up at one of the campground offices we're going to stay at. Silver Script Caremark is my Medicare Part D program, so I have little choice but to get my scripts through CVS and have a message into them right now waiting a response to this question. The only script I get outside of them is a freebie from the local Publix grocery store and they have allowed me to double up in the past when I tell them I'm going on a long trip.

I figured this wasn't anything to lose sleep over, but I like having all my ducks in a row before taking off.

 

[Senator]

When I stayed in an RV park, it was simple.  Just send it to the park and site number.

eBay delivers stuff from China via USPS mail.  If you forward mail, no problem.