Need to send supplies to Wilma-affected father

October 26, 2005 6:04 AM

My Dad got spanked by Wilma pretty hard. I rounded up some supplies and want to send them to him. Do any of the major shippers offer help/discounts for p2p hurricane aid?

He's one of the millions without power. He has a generator but gas containers are _impossible_ to come by because most have been re-routed to the gulf coast a few months back. I picked up 8 5-gallon gas containers, a bunch of extension cords, some batteries and a few other things. These gas containers take up a lot of space. I'm trying to get them from Utah to Ft. Lauderdale with the quickness. As it stands right now, UPS has not yet resumed service in S. Florida, I dont know about FedEx/USPS etc.

Is there a best way to get this stuff to him? Do any of the major shippers offer any sort of discount? I'd imagine it wont be cheap to ship this because of the size.

What about packaging it up? Where can I get a box (hopefully free) that will fit all this stuff?

posted by neilkod to grab bag (3 comments total)

I'm not sure about discounts, but I can tell you that after Katrina, UPS was delivering to more places in Louisiana than FedEx or DHL, so UPS may be your best option since shipping there is iffy. Here is their Wilma information page. Typically they take the non-deliverable zip codes out of their shipping tools, so it won't let you set up a shipment that can't get delivered. Out of the three shippers available (UPS, FedEx, and DHL), and based on my experience with FedEx after Katrina, I'd say to keep your eye on UPS.
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:31 AM on October 26, 2005

That would be a tough shipment to make, even without Wilma recovery to deal with. I can't offer any assistance with it right now, but I'll check at the FedEx office a block from my office and see if they can provide any local info. (I'm in Miami, myself.) I do know that the major carriers are starting business deliveries in Miami, and that they will scale up operations as more of the airport reopens and streets are cleared.

My dad and brother are both in the Ft. Lauderdale area, so I know things are rough there, not just lack of power but generally a lack of running water, too. I hope everything works out for him, and quickly.
posted by mkhall at 10:52 AM on October 26, 2005

FedEx service information
posted by Carbolic at 12:11 PM on October 26, 2005