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They say that good things come in small packages. They also come in large packages; even international packages. Heck, they can also come in on an overnight delivery. So now you have to think; where are they coming from? Who are they coming from? When are they going to arrive? That’s when a tracking number comes in handy. As you track your latest package, your eyes widen like a child in a toy store. The only thing a tracking number can’t tell you is the contents of the incoming parcel. Now I do see a slight problem; while your shipment may be mobile, tracking the shipment may keep yourself from being mobile. Some couriers like, say, FedEx, have a mobile site you can access, they also have an alternative – the FedEx Mobile BlackBerry App.
While it doesn’t redirect your shipments to the location of you and your BlackBerry, it does help you manage your FedEx account and keeps you in the know. That means you can track shipments and access the mobile app to create shipping labels, get rates and more – all from the comfort of, as they say, “Wherever You are.” Is it worth the download or should you stick with the mobile site? Read on for more.
About the FedEx Mobile App
The application is powered by the FedEx Corporation. It’s available for BlackBerrys running OS 4.5 or higher – including OS 6. Recently released, the current version 1.0 and it has a file size of 572.6 KB.
According to FedEx, the mobile site will be able to do the following:
Track
Access up-to-date tracking details directly from your BlackBerry smart phone. We’ll tell you when your shipments are delivered, in-transit, and even when there are exceptions. Plus, you can nickname your critical shipments so you can easily monitor their shipment status later.
Ship
Create and email shipping labels while on the go. You can also view your ship history and access your fedex.com address book. Drop off your package at FedEx Office and access fedex.com to print your shipping label at no additional cost.
Get Rates
Obtain accurate and reliable rate quotes and estimated delivery times while you’re on the road.
Find Locations
Simply enter an address, phone number or ZIP code to find the nearest FedEx drop-box, ship center or FedEx Office location.
Schedule a Pickup
Just enter your address and shipment information, and we’ll come to you.
That would be amazing if all of these features were included in the app itself. If you delve further into the FedEx website, or actually download the mobile app, you will see that this isn’t the case. In order to ship, get rates, find locations or even schedule a pickup, you need to head over to the FedEx mobile site. Essentially, the mobile app is a launcher with in-app tracking capabilities. Although slightly disappointed, I still wanted to check out the tracking option.
main menu
The mobile application supports both manual input of tracking numbers and automatic input for shipments associated with FedEx InSight, FedEx Desktop or shipments checked (with the Ship Manager) using your login. The manual input method comes in handy if you are not tracking a package that is associated with your FedEx account. The mobile app provides 3 different tracking views: All, Exceptions and Watch.
tracking details
The “All” list will display any shipments associated with your account automatically; regardless if in transit or has already been delivered. As you can see, each entry is sorted by date, making it easier to know what to expect and when. To personalize your shipment entries, the application does allow you to create a nickname (ie – new BlackBerry) and a note (remember to show it off at work). The tracking details and shipment information provided sufficient details. As with the FedEx website, users can view the shipment progress bar, the addresses involved, the travel history and any quick facts (service, number of pieces, weight, etc).
mobile site launcher
By selecting the More option from the menu list, you are given the option to provide feedback or be redirected to the mobile site – to obtain locations, schedule pickups, create labels or find out specific rates.
Conclusion
Again, I was a little disappointed that there weren’t any other in-app features available. If you just want to track shipments, it’s the perfect solution. It provides enough details to help you stay on top of your deliveries. Otherwise, I would suggest hitting up the mobile site for your FedEx needs. I can’t say anything too bad for a couple of reasons:
1. It’s a fair new app that can eventually include more features in the future.
2. I may start to see more and more of my FedEx shipments “fall of the truck”.
Try out the FedEx app for yourself, it’s free. Kep in mind that you do have to sign up for a FedEx account to use it.
Pros
- Shipments organized by date
- Add notes and nicknames to orders
Cons
- Used for tracking only- users get redirected to the mobile site for anything else
More Info
Read more
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