An outcome of instruction migrating online and employees working remotely is that many campus buildings have closed for security reasons, which in turn has changed some procedures for receiving mail and packages at work.
Two key changes are:
- Central receiving, in normal times the clearinghouse for truck freight coming to Iowa State, also became the drop station for all incoming packages from shipping vendors such as FedEx, UPS and DHL. Central receiving staff log all of these parcels on a new tracking tool and coordinate with building supervisors to deliver them to campus buildings.
- Postal and parcel services (PPS) staff, who deliver campus mail and U.S. Postal Service mail and packages, now have access to all campus buildings equipped with kecard entry. Occupants of locked buildings without key card entry need to make arrangements to pick up their campus mail in the General Services Building.
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FAQ: Mail and parcel delivery
FAQ: Building access
The procedures for sending mail and packages through PPS are similar. If your building has key card entry, leave outgoing mail and packages (U.S. Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.) in your building's designated mail room for pickup by a PPS staff member. PPS manager Bob Tott said staff are keeping their normal routes and schedules as much as possible.
If your building is locked and without keycard entry, bring your outgoing mail and packages to PPS in the General Services Building. Out of concern and courtesy for the health of PPS staff, Tott asked employees with mail duties to call 294-4283 to make arrangements for drop-offs or pickups.
More about your package
Logistics and support services director Jared Hohanshelt said same-day delivery to campus buildings is the goal for most packages. When packages arrive via an express service or are labeled with time- or temperature-sensitive requirements, they are on a delivery truck within 30 minutes.
"We're trying to create efficiency in a new process for our team and for building supervisors," Hohanshelt said. "It's an evolving process while we get used to the higher volume of packages."
Some buildings, due to location and the content of the packages, will continue to receive direct deliveries from the private shipping vendors. That list also is developing, but includes the College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames Laboratory facilities, Chemistry Stores in Gilman Hall, Printing and Publications Building, and the Memorial Union.
Hohanshelt discourages package recipients from picking up their parcel at the central receiving facility in east Ames because that reduces the efficiency of the operation. But employees who feel the content of their package is at risk should use the online tracking tool to confirm it arrived at central receiving and then call 294-1804 to schedule a pickup (8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday). If the package has been labeled correctly, there's a good chance it's already on a truck headed for campus, he noted.
