Received in the mail this afternoon:

• FedEx (NYSE:FDX) Express package and freight rates will increase an average of 5.5% for US, US to Puerto Rico, and US export services. However, the fuel price at which surcharges begin will be adjusted effective January 2, 2006, resulting in a 2% overall fuel surcharge reduction and a net average increase of 3.5%.
• FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery rates will increase an average of 3.9%.
• The residential delivery surcharge... will increase from $2 to $2.10 per package. (5% increase)
• The Saturday delivery surcharge For FedEx Express Freight US shipments will increase from $100 to $150 per shipment. (50% increase!)
• The delivery area surcharge will increase from $1.25 to $1.30 (4%) for commercial locations and from $2 to $2.10 for residential locations.
• The H3 area pickup and delivery surcharge... will increase from $50 to $75 (50%) per shipment.
• International minimum rates will change.

A couple of interesting items:

• They're moving some of their "fuel surcharges" to permanent price increases, meaning they think energy costs are here to stay and the pricing is permanent. This speaks directly to fed and government claims that energy costs are transient and not part of "core" costs. FedEx clearly feels otherwise.
• Interestingly, "permanent" price increases are factored in government indexes. "Surcharges" are not.
• They're obviously retaining more room to pile on those surcharges again in the future as energy prices rise.
• They're clearly suggesting that business is not robust enough to continue certain types of services unless they impose significant fees. The "residential delivery surcharge" is a relatively new one and it's already going up, as is the new set of charges for packages that require a signature on delivery (this used to be standard).

I don't see how any of this relates to the pretty picture being painted from Washington. Of course, that is hardly new.

On the plus side, Capital One (NYSE:COF) offered my "business" a $20,000 credit line on a Visa card. All I need to do is tell them what the business name is and sign. That should be enough to pay for those surcharges for years to come!