Antrim residents are angry about UPS no longer delivering packages to the town on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The change took place in fall 2024.
“I’m pretty disgusted by it,” said Mike Tyler, owner of Tyler Small Engine Repair. “We have switched a lot of our shipping to FedEx, which we didn’t want to do, but they come five days a week, and UPS doesn’t. We can get anywhere from 10 to 25 packages per day from six to eight different companies, and it really puts a thorn in our side that we can’t deliveries two days of the week. You can’t be a business and not be able to get deliveries every day.”
Tyler said he tried repeatedly to contact a representative at the Keene UPS office, but was unable to get any answers.
“It’s ridiculous. You can be an homeowner and get your dog food shipped five days a week, but businesses are only getting stuff three days a week,” Tyler said.
Scott Pendris, owner of PB & H Equipment on Route 9 in Antrim, has also tried to get someone at UPS, either locally or at the national office in Atlanta, to respond to his concerns, with no response.
“It’s terrible. I guess UPS just decided we are not a big enough town for five-day delivery. My business is right on Route 9, and we see all the UPS trucks drive right by us, even on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but they won’t stop. If we order something by next day air on Monday, we don’t get it until Wednesday, even though we are paying for a daily pickup service,” Pendris said. “There is no one to talk to. I’ve tried calling everywhere, but no one ever calls back. UPS just doesn’t care. Apparently, in the Keene office either they have no control over it because it’s a corporate decision from Atlanta, or no one cares.”
Pendris said he knows how UPS works, as he worked for the company for five years after completing his military service.
“It’s terrible. You can’t talk to a live person about it. No one ever calls back,” he said. “It’s not the same company it used to be.”
Rick Edmunds of Edmunds Ace Hardware said the decision to cut delivery to just three days a week is an inconvenience for his customers.
“It is unfortunate that they do not deliver on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sometimes it adds another day before my customers can get their special orders from my store,” he said.
Ken Rubin, who is in the middle of a home construction project, said the limited delivery days have a real impact.
“In our case, the UPS service cuts have created real ripple effects in our construction project. When materials don’t arrive on the day they are scheduled, it disrupts the entire sequence of work — especially when multiple trades are involved. A delay on something as simple as an electrical part or a light or plumbing fixture can throw off the timeline for plumbers, electricians, inspectors and others down the line. It’s more than an inconvenience — it causes real schedule and cost overruns,” he said.
No one at UPS or at the Teamsters Local 633, which represents UPS drivers in the region, could be reached for comment.