Avoiding shipping damage

[Ray Garrison]

DISCLAIMER- my company is an authorized FedEx Value Added Reseller, and I work closely with many FedEx people every day.

In the "UPS Damage" thread, and quite a few others over the past couple years, folks have been talking about shipping damage. The perception generally is that the people who work for UPS, Airborne, DHL, FedEx and the like tend to be pretty rough on boxes. I've seen a few notes that said something like "I shipped it overnight so it would be in the system for fewer days, and they wouldn't have the chance to beat up on it as much."

While that may sound logical, it's actually counter productive.

The problem isn't with the people who work for these companies - most of them are actually concerned with trying to get stuff where it's going in the best shape they can. The problem is with the simple logistics of express freight.

FedEx moves over 4 million boxes on a busy day. They use a hub and spoke model. To slightly oversimplify things a bit - Packages get picked up by couriers and taken to stations, or people drop off packages at stations. Stations move packages to "ramps" where everything is loaded onto planes then moved to one of two major hubs - Memphis or Indianapolis. During peak periods on a busy day they can have a plane landing at Memphis once every 7 seconds. The packages are sorted at the hubs, loaded back onto planes, then flown out to ramps, whence they are delivered to destination stations, place on vans, and delivered. This sort is carried out around 1 - 2 AM. FedEx has a very limited window of time - packages come in late from the Left coast, and have to get out early to meet AM service committments on the Right coast. They have a couple of hours to sort everything. Do the math. 4 million packages sorted in 120 minutes means they are sorting packages at the rate of 550 packages per second.

I am trying to get a video tape of the major sort facility to post on my website so people can get an idea of the scale we're talking about. Huge, cavernous building with conveyor belts running in every concieveable direction, with packages travelling along these belts at up to 40 mph (58 feet per second). As the packages travel, optical scanners are reading the bar codes, and electronic rams are gently nudging (*BLAM*) the packages off of one belt and onto another, or into bins. If there is any void space at all inside a box, or if a heavy object is packed in a big box surrounded by a bunch of styrofoam peanuts instead of solid packing, the object reacts to this sorting procedure just like a loose object inside a car travelling at 40 miles an hour would react if the car hit a tree.

If you're going to ship something in the express environment, make sure there is no void space in the box. Never use peanuts unless the thing you're shipping is very light (tubes, cartridge, that sort of thing.) Don't put strapping around the box - it gets snagged on the conveyor belts, resulting in angry workers having to stop everything to disentangle your box or pulling your box out of the sort entirely. If you must use strapping, cover it completely with tape.

Using ground service avoids this intense overnight express environment. If you're shipping speakers of any large size, put them in cartons, strap them to a pallet, and ship them ground.

[3dzapper]

Ray,

Both of my damaged speaker shipments were taken by the sellers to "professionals" at the local mailbox type outlet. One of those was a UPS Store. They both packed speakers in one to two inches of styrofoam sheets which absorb little or no impact. The boxes and foam containing speakers and subwoofer should have been placed in another box surrounded by peanuts or bubble wrap. This last step wasn't done by the "pro's" and caused the damage.

UPS and FEDEX never paid a dime on the claims.

Rick

[WMcD]

Ray,

You brought up a very good subject. Fast transportation means at least some rough bumps, and people doing the packing, or having the packing done, better know this.

I'm not sure that slow transportation dictates more careful handling. Some shipment is going to be awaiting transfer from truck to truck and, under time pressure, the worker may well toss them as far as possible.

This might be a point where shipping companies come forward and say: Yes, you should assume your goods are going to be handled by gorillas, mechanical or otherwise. It is simply the price for fast shipment.

It really is a matter of cooperation. Let the shipping company say . . ."Pack for a 3 G impact at a corner." The consumer may come back and ask how much it will cost for actual careful handling. The shipper is going to say it can't be done. Fine. But the company might tell us as much.

Two stories.

Was looking out the window of the 7xx and watching the baggage come off the cargoveyor. Yup, the guy was throwing light weigh baggage 10 feet or more. It happens. People want their baggage on the carosel as fast as they can walk there there; and 'vetch if it is not.

In another case an airline worker put a set of ski's sideways on the wagon, drove into a narrow tunnel to the terminal, and snapped them in half. He just scratched his head, picked up the pieces, and proceded on. The owner is going to be told it is his fault for not packing better. You almost need a Stasis Field.

= = = =

I do think the issue is that manufacturers have pretty much figured out how to package items. Styrofoam buns in a cardboard box is the norm. This works well. Otherwise HP, Dell, Klipsch, etc., would make life difficult for the shipping companies.

The problem comes when we (ordinary consumer) have a speaker, computer, etc. to ship without the original well designed packing material. Or we want it shipped by some seller on e-bay. As you point out, a box full of peanuts is very much short of what is necessary. One can assume a shipping box will be dropped on a corner. It is likely to be where the speaker box has settled in the shipping box.

I do think that the issue is the lack of an aftermarket packing system which can be used by the consumer or PIP, UPS. Corner protection seems to be the big issue. Yet the unique geometry to every situation makes this difficult.

Double boxing may get us halfway there. The consumer better be told that double boxing is necesary for safe delivery.

I've made it a point of saving shipping boxes for all equipment. They will be used if I sell the items, buy more (speakers), or send them for repair. This is why.

My rant.

Gil

[Daddy Dee]

Ray,

Thanks for posting this. Helpful to keep in mind for shipping prep. I had no idea parcels moved that fast through the facilities. That's pretty amazing, and I would think, impressive to observe.

[djk]

Some of these conveyors are 25 feet in the air!

It backs up, and we have a launch!

When the box lands flat there is no external sign of damage.

Older PA speakers with cast frames (JBL, Altec, etc) have the heads of the screws holding the magnet structure pull through the frame. Newer models with glued structures just shift. Total loss either way.

"Not packed properly" is the standard UPS reply.

[v3spitfire]

Ray, thanks for the bad news. I was the one requesting 2 day air for that very reason...Oh well. I'll find out in a few days, if it ever does arrive. If home, I'll open it right there. Does anyone know what the official policy is on leaving items at door steps. I've had them leave $1000 insured pieces of equipment at the doorstep, but then require that I go to the UPS dist center to pick up $50 items. Is this at the discretion of the shipper?

In all fairness to UPS, I have never had a damage issue with them (though they have lost items). I don't use them much, maybe 20 times in my life (except work). I do always worry when I purchase something from them, or anyone though for that matter.

[formica]

I can go on and on ranting about my dislike for UPS... having done business with suppliers who ship exclusively with them (what's up with that?? ).

I'm actually off topic here as I have never had a damaged item from them, but I have rarely shipped fragile items and usually always use ground service.

Actually my dislike for them comes from the fact that I'm in Canada and they charge astronomical and unpredictable brokerage fees for cross border shipping (I have had 25%+), miss calculate duty and taxes, and are truly lacking in Canadian customer support.

USPS (United States Parcel Service) on the other hand are conveniently located, will charge a flat rate 5$ brokerage, and have not err once on duty or taxes.

One of the things I learnt as a Canadian was to avoid UPS at all costs... even if it means taking my business elsewhere.

Rob