How Overnight Shipping Works 

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"and it all happens while we sleep" jokes on you I'm up all night loading overnight cargo planes

I always assumed when you bought overnight shipping, the FedEx location descended into total chaos and some guy sprinted into the room, grabbed the package, boarded a jet, and raced to the destination before chucking the package out the window with a parachute attached to it. Then a fedex driver on the ground would retrieve it and place it on the front porch.

I’m an ex-airline pilot and current charter pilot - just wanted to say this is the first vid of yours I’ve watched and it was extremely accurate and well made. You’ve gained a sub from me, keep on making great videos bud!

Worked at the Memphis Hub for awhile.. I worked specifically in Heavy Weight, anything over 150 lbs was handled in my area, the size of 4 football fields, ran by over 2000 forklifts. The Memphis world hub is absolutely mind blowing. Planes come in every less 2 minutes on a normal day, spread throughout the sky by 3 miles and run like clockwork. It's amazing to see

Am I the only one who comes back to watch this video whenever I'm aggressively tracking a package?

Just got off my night shift at the UPS Worldport Hub in Louisville, Kentucky. Come home and see this. I can never get away from work lmao. This video is on point tho, so great job man.

How overnight shipping works: 1. Nighttime comes. 2. Package is shipped.

As a FedEx truck driver, I STRONGLY recommend you use a package pickup location rather than home delivery. As states in the video, sometimes theres not enough Freight to warrant sending a truck or plane. However pickup locations act as collection points, which means they might just have enough Freight for regular service. Pickup locations are usually cheaper, quicker, and in an age of porch pirates, safer overall.

I just thought truck drivers were hauling ass all night, grand theft auto style lmaooo

You want to know why your package arrived late? Look at 10:09... Package stuck.

I always thought the plane flew over my house and they dropped the package perfectly on my front steps

I legit thought that eBay guys were straight up bullshitting me when they said my packages had been dispatched at like 2am.

As a UPS worker, this is 100% accurate. Overnight shipping used to be logitstics hell, but as more automation comes into play, it has gotten far easier.

i never thought it was this advanced, probably cause I never thought about it.

Just amazing to think how much time these companies might have spent to calculate out their finances so that they become profitable inspite of running so many planes, trucks, airport dues, fuel dues, employee salaries and many other costs

United States: *can't get into North Korea* DHL: _"I am speed"_

The real question is how can these companies do this, but airlines can't get people's luggage to the right place?

FedEx Hub employee here. Very well put, great job. The operation at MEM is awe inspiring watching a line of FedEx aircraft fly over my neighborhood.

I’ve worked at the UPS hub in Louisville for 11 years and this is the most accurate video of how it all works I’ve seen.

That UPS landing at 1:10 is sexy af. The reversers were going before the front landing gear was even down.

The Memphis hub was made possible by SquareSpace

Yes all I wanted was a plane video and I kinda got one

I work at the 2nd largest air hub for UPS, and I do the overnight shift. It is really crazy how large the network is just to make sure everything works as perfectly as it can

So Mr. Bezos, do you want to horizontally or vertically integrate? Bezos: Yes

10:06 That's my package on the left side of the screen. Then one that's not moving. *" We're sorry, but you package has experienced an exception. "*

*Meanwhile im waiting over 6 days for FedEx Ground to ship my shoes from Denver, which is only a 60 minute drive for us*

Im from memphis wonder why i get my stuff so fast lmao

10:09 *RIP the small package to the left* 😂😭

My priceless respect to all the logistics companies and to the narrator as well. Honestly this is my very first time hearing somebody explaining the entire concept very well. You just got a new subscriber. OMG thanks for the likes 💓

This is how things really work... Being a former Industrial Engineer at UPS, and specifically having one assignment working in the Air for a period of time, I can tell you the overnight process begins well before anyone's asleep. Your analysis of FedEx being the largest air cargo carrier based on the size of their aircraft fleet is flawed. Those figures include small aircraft owned by FedEx. UPS operates chartered small aircraft well in excess of the FedEx fleet. It's cheaper to pay high charter fees than incur the maintenance costs associated with those aircraft, and not having full time employees who only work/fly a few hours per day, not to mention their healthcare expenses. (Don't tell FedEx this)! I can specifically tell you why FedEx and UPS are located in Memphis and Louisville. It's based on time zones only. The East Coast aircraft are the first to arrive and the last to depart. The West Coast aircraft are last to arrive, but the first aircraft to depart. They travel much greater distances, hence they must depart first, plus your gaining time heading West, but losing time heading East. Common sense, right? From the West Coast only East Coast destination packages flow East. West coast destination packages flow to the West Coast hubs. Jet fuel and engine reserves are very expensive. Why fly more weight and cube than you have to? You got that one right! You also got the sorting in Anchorage right to! (Engine reserves? - The total hours you can fly an engine before maintenance and heavy maintenance is required). The day sorting you referred to as day sorts is for Second Day Air and Three Day Select. Why? Again time. Those packages are not as time sensitive as overnight packages, hence you can fly less aircraft and larger aircraft which can make multiple stops on the way to Louisville and Memphis. Most people may be interested to know very few Three Day Select packages actually fly. Once again, time. Most can be ground fed directly to ground hubs that service their final destination. When I was in Louisville I noticed several large air containers sitting on the ramp. When I inquired as to why those air containers were sitting there, the response was, "That's Three Day Select, aging". No, no, no, on buying older aircraft. Yes they do purchase older aircraft, but they're not less efficient. For years UPS operated a very old fleet of DC-8's, however these aircraft were rebuilt for structural integrity, and here's what you missed, they were all fitted with modern day Rolls Royce engines. Quiet and very fuel efficient. We laughed on the ramp at DHL and Burlington back in the day. Overall I would say your research was pretty darn good!

I used to work for DHL in Hawaii, FedEx and Ups fly planes from Hawaii with mail and pineapple as there is not enough outbound freight. We never use or own planes, but shipped with comerical airlines, which adds another level of complexity to getting shipments delivered on time. That would be a great part 2. Good job.

As a FedEx Express employee I am so surprised an how thoroughly you covered this topic!!

Yeah, everything goes smoothly right until your plane crashes and you wash up on a desert island and have to talk to a damn volley ball for several years.

My friend was high and sent me a screenshot of this videos thumbnail and wrote “look at these fools teaching us how overnight sleeping works” I am speechless

6:11 taking into account earth’s curvature *angry flat earther mumblings*

my package is getting delivered from Arizona to Scotland, and I looked at the time it was checked in, it was 2.28AM, that's crazy how they work around the clock

I had to watch this.. Canada Post cheeses me

As someone who lives near Louisville and has experienced UPS Worldport first hand, I can assure all of you the logistical manpower and planning it takes to make this happen is just as staggering as it seems.

FedEx: “ see you know I should’ve taken that left turn at Albuquerque”

Me: *Orders overnight shipping* gets package 3 weeks later

0:13 I think that driver fell asleep at the wheel.

fed ex are teaming up with UPS. the new firm will be called fed up

All of you guys are so amazing. If no one thanks you, I will. Thank you so much for doing all that you do for the world! You guys are heroes and I appreciate each and every one of you! This is terrific! 👏😁

This was very interesting I work on the ramp at SNA. I love working here and plan on moving up. This video was very helpful in understanding the operations as a whole rather than just a station. Thanks!

What a great video. I try to watch things on RU-vid that is notable. I love to watch things that can be overlooked everyday in our busy individual days. I am a veteran who spent 4 tours in combat zones and always wondered how global shipping can be so efficient. I actually want to thank all of the hard workers that get up everyday and work so hard to make something like this possible. Hot or cold weather I am grateful for all the employees that make this work day in and day out.

Fred Smith, wrote paper as an undergraduate student at Yale on the business model of the company he founded. He was given a C on that paper. Oh, and by the way, that company he founded was Federal Express.

me: clicks on overnight shipping the whole world: *GO GO GO GO*

Isn't it comforting to know people are flying giant cargo planes just for us, driving those little vans just for us, scanning those packages just for us, every single night, I find it comforting knowing people are caring for us while we sleep, my hereos 🕊️ Thanks dad 😊, best pilot ever.

Woohoo! More airplane content from Wendover!

All I could think about is the movie cast away

Wow that’s amazing!! I never really knew how all this shipping took place. Really is a brilliant system

As a person from Edinburgh, I appreciate your constant references to our small city :)

when you hear the tone of his voice change at the near end of the video thats when you know this video was sponsored by squarespace

Me: pays for overnight shipment Amazon: your item will be delivered in 1 business day Covid-19: 3, take it or leave it

Omg I loved this! Such useful and mindblowing information. The strategic placement of the superhub is just so smart wow!

For quick delivery of packages under two pounds, FedEx is your guy; For bulk packages going to Europe, Middle East or major Asian cities, UPS is there for you! To get any package to any nook & cranny of this planet, DHL will deliver. Globalization has made that possible.

FedEx package handler here just enjoying my day off

Mind blowing amount of info, Just what I was looking for, to help towards my research

I always say the large shipping companies like UPS and FedEx are great at getting packages around the world in hours, but that last few km within the city can take a week because if you're a residential address they just don't care and/or are too busy to wait the 30 seconds it takes you to get to the door. So, if you're lucky they 'drop' the package at the door so it can get stolen, or more likely they slap a 'we tried, but you didn't answer the door in 3.2 seconds' paper notice (and maybe one more duplicate the next day) asking that you pick up your parcel all the way across the city. If you're a business, with a receptionist, it tends to work better. If you're a residential customer, the shippers excel at delivery of post it notes on doors... packages not so much.

I'd like a flat earth believer to try and set up shipping routes.

Delivery may take F I V E T O S E V E N B U S I N E S S D A Y S

Just makes me appreciate the work being done by this freight forwarding companies

How overnight shipping and 1 day shipping works: 1: The Mail guy gets ender pearl 2: Mail guy teleports to your house using ender pearls

Gotta give it up to the Americans. That logistical organisation is exemplary. Double thumbs up to the companies

Fed Ex Express is impressive as hell, I see it from the inside, it is borderline unbelievable that the world is just a plane ride away.

This is very useful and awesome. Thanks for this. I work in logistics so it's good to learn some new details.

This video was much more fascinating than i expected it to be

I work with UPS. And it is amazing how they reach any part of the world in a day. Usually Air comes into our truck warehouse around 8:00am. Our drivers are out of there usually around 8:45 and have to get the air packages to the address by Noon.

Weird, my experience has always been that UPS tries to deliver my packages the exact second I step out. It's crazy how many gears need to turn perfectly for that to happen, but UPS has it down pat.

Okay, but this is so insanely cool. I love learning this kind of stuff.

Damn mah dude, did you go to mail school!?

Wendover puts a good feeling into how FedEx reliably tranfers cargo overnight. FedEx started from just a simple term paper handed in by the undergraduate Frederick Smith in 1965. His proposal was said to be revolutionary in time-saving delivering technology but his prof didnt realize this and just gave him an average grade for it. Now, the guys a money-maker!

FedEx and UPS are merging and thy are going to call it Fedup shipping LOL

For some of the feeder planes which sit around all day, it could probably be good for them to put some seats on the plane and sell the seats via one of the low cost, no quibble airlines. Then run 2 return flights per day rather than 1. This then means cargo can be moved potentially quicker as packages shipped earlier can then leave for Memphis earlier and if a cog goes in the system, at least the package is 1 stop closer to it's destination. It also then means some of the demand at shipping centres is more spread out so if something does go wrong at night, it has a much lower effect. To make the extra round trip viable, the paying passengers boost up the profits. Hand luggage only, 1/2 full of seats, 1/2 cargo. Cheap seats and cheap links between cities.

Man I love this stuff. Thank you

I might have to grumble and complain just a LITTLE less next time my package doesn't arrive on time ;)

*including North Korea*

Always wondered why a lot of my packages came from Memphis Very interesting

Worked for FedEx one summer as a package handler from 3 am to 8 am it was really neat to see how those operations work

Saw an unknown logo an a 2O minute video about overnight delivery. Almost skipped it until I realized it was wendover.

Sure, they can deliver across the world within hours, but they can't fucking deliver locally within 5 days 😂😂

Damn 150 planes land in a span of 3 hours? must be fun living near the memphis airport

I'd love to see a video done on usps's efficiency... I was waiting in line for 15 minutes just to get my overflow mail. One person behind the counter, another walking around asking people if they are paying with a credit card and if they were escorting them to the self service machine. In the time it took her to do that with people and walk them through it all she could of simply waited on probably twice as many people.

Yay a video about my job. Go dhl air cargo

Plane productions is back!!

The content and explanation was superb

this is so fascinating. great stuff

New logo nioce! ;D

I had a hard time understanding this. A lot of it _wendover_ my head.

Super cool to see N908FX in the video. Those ATR42’s and 72’s are such a satisfying airframe to work on.

I have never had a package come to me overnight and this is when I chose overnight/ one day shipping. maybe cuz I live in Canada and Canada sucks

Even DPRK? i'm impressed DHL

why are people disliking a video on how over night shipping works lmfao whats offending you? lol

all your video are full of great information and knowledege

What a great video well explained!!! Thanks

Ya know... I've always wondered but never bothered to find out. Thanks for sharing =p

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing. Admittedly, I've never put much thought into the logistics behind routing and shipping operations. But after watching this video; I'm actually amazed at how this whole process works. Using cheap older airbus planes to cut costs, using more expensive and advanced airplanes for longer trips to save money on fuel, the multiple hubs throughout the country, using larger and smaller aircrafts, everything becoming automated. Interesting, indeed.

I live in Manchester and I live right under the glide slope of runway 17 and I never seen a prop fedex the only prop mail service here is wiggin airways but we do get dc 10's from fedex which is always a beautiful view seeing a commercial failure be reborn as a cargo plane

Thank you for explaining overnight shipping ~