People still have birthdays and anniversaries on snow days, and others need medical supplies delivered.
But it’s all going to have to wait.
Brutal temperatures, freezing rain and thunder sleet combined Tuesday to disrupt the well-oiled operations of major delivery companies like Amazon, FedEx and UPS. They all operate huge fleets of expensive vehicles driven by thousands of employees.
FedEx said it experienced “substantial disruptions” in D-FW, Indianapolis and Memphis, where it’s based. “Potential delays are possible for package deliveries across the U.S.,” the company said.
“We are closely monitoring the severe winter weather impacting the central U.S. and have implemented contingency plans to help keep our team members safe and lessen any impact on service,” said FedEx spokeswoman Heather Wilson.
She encouraged customers to visit fedex.com to track their shipments.
UPS said it cut back service Tuesday and “will resume service as soon as conditions permit.”
“UPS’s first priority is the safety of our employees. In response to the severe weather conditions in the Dallas metro area, we are temporarily limiting service to the locations where we can safely deliver,” a UPS spokeswoman said.
Customers should visit ups.com for package updates.
Amazon said it’s operating at a limited capacity in D-FW for now.
“As the forecast and conditions evolve, our team will work with delivery partners to ensure the health and safety of drivers, which is our top priority,” said Amazon spokesman Steve Kelly. Customers can track their orders online and see updates on expected delivery times.
During the February 2021 freeze, Amazon closed its delivery stations for at least four days.
Walmart, which has started a delivery service for other companies called Walmart GoLocal, didn’t respond to a request about how it’s handling the next couple of days.
Twitter: @MariaHalkias
Looking for more retail coverage? Click here to read all retail news and updates. Click here to subscribe to D-FW Retail and more newsletters from The Dallas Morning News.
