UPS STRIKE

Posted by Sam Stone

What does this mean to me?

With the potential strike of the largest carrier in the world looming, the ripples could feel more like waves if both sides don’t agree. After the past three years of a pandemic, supply change breakdown, and a potential strike, everyone is ready for business to resume as usual; or, is this the new norm?

The effects of a strike will impact everything you use. While FedEx will do its best to pick up the slack, this will be harmful. Drivers, represented by the Teamsters Union, said they would not work unless an agreement is made. Airline pilots for UPS have also vowed not to cross the picket lines. Any of these actions will bring freight delivery to a crawl worldwide.

Our Plan

Our team began discussing the possibility of a disruption in business in early June 2023. We are working through ideas like,

  • How will we get freight delivered from our suppliers?
  • How can we support our customers with deliveries?
  • How much inventory can we carry?
    • What if the strike carries on for a while?
  • How do we ration out supplies?

Our Decision

We will double our usual toner and high-mortality parts inventory for July and August (or until the strike date). This should allow us to have a limited amount of toner on hand should supply chains dissolve. We will also limit the number of supplies we ship for customers to restock. Using our meter collection and toner reading software, we can see which copiers and printers are in jeopardy of running out of supplies. Thus, helping our dispatch team prioritize which device to ship to.

If you don’t have our DCA (meter/supply collection software) on your device, please call immediately, and we will come to your office and install it for FREE.

Patience Please

For the past three years, it seems like we’ve been juggling inventory to keep our client’s businesses running. The UPS strike is another distraction that can significantly impact your business – please know everyone at Stone’s Office Equipment is working hard to minimize any disturbance to your print devices. We appreciate your business!