When making decisions I try to think about the resources I'm using, rather than just the cost. For example, last weekend I was shopping online for a few things I need soon, but not immediately. I decided to hold off on making the purchase until after Christmas so as avoid further overloading the system. I had already read a couple articles explaining that UPS has temporarily nearly doubled their trucking fleet, and added a lot of extra workers and planes too. But it still seemed like a good idea to wait.
Based on apologies by UPS and FedEx earlier this week, I made the right choice. Both shipping companies were unable to make all the deliveries they had promised in time for Christmas. You may wonder why I think one more package even matters? It highly depends on where that package appears on the system. It is always possible that my package would have been the difference between needing one truck between Chicago and Detroit, versus two.
If you think this idea is interesting, I highly recommend reading this link on traffic congestion (though the formatting leaves a bit to be desired). The author provides an interesting perspective on how individuals can dramatically influence a congested road system.
