[Boatanchors] Shipping damage

[w5jo at brightok.net]

You are asking for a lot Ray.  Back in the early 80's I was a manager for a 
Land Mobile shop and one of my customers was a UPS transfer center.  When 
trucks came in they would park them, remove the seal then take long steel 
rods with a handle on one end and a hook on the other.  Using the hook they 
would unlatch the door then use it swing the two doors open.  Reason...so 
packages would not drop out of the trailer onto the person opening the door. 
Some of the top ones might contain your heavy radio.

They stack packages in their trailers according to the way necessary to get 
the most number in them, not how much they weigh.   At times I saw packages 
that were supported when they were loaded, fall onto the asphalt then picked 
up and put on the cart to take to the conveyer in the build for sorting. 
There they could easily fall about a foot or so to another belt to take them 
to the next trailer.   Everyone agrees that they should pay for damages if 
they occur, particularly if you have purchased sufficient coverage for the 
contents.

But don't expect the package to look like it did when it leaves the shipping 
point.  It may,or most likely, it will not.  It depends on what was stacked 
on top.  And under pressure, the help does not pay attention to the Fragile 
stickers.  I have had better luck with FedEx and will not use UPS unless it 
is the only option.  If you are shipping anything electronic over a 
valuation of $999 UPS will not provide coverage for it.  Your only option is 
FedEx.  Another option is a Freight Company such as Old Dominion or the bus 
lines.  Some have had good luck with both.  Your success will depend on 
packing the container, the destination and who handles it.

Jim
W5JO


-----Original Message----- 


I'm having a string of bad luck lately apparently.   For the second time, a 
package arrived at the buyers trashed.  The first was two weeks ago, sent by 
UPS.  Despite being plainly labeled in LARGE print all over that said 
FRAGILE, the Lafayette receiver was trashed on arrival.  I'm now in a battle 
with UPS to get insurance payment, even threatening legal action.

Now, just  yesterday I was informed by and shown pictures of a package I 
sent postal service, thinking maybe they would be more responsible.  A Swan 
500 and power supply.   Sent in two separate boxes encased in peanuts 
obtained from UHaul, which has a very good reputation for not treating their 
shipments like footballs during the playoffs.  ALso had them wrapped in 
bubble wrap and the boxes marked FRAGILE and the post office indicating so 
on the tracking documents.   Arrived like the UPS boxes ...  looking like 
other 50 to 100 lb boxes had been dropped on top of mine.  Buyer still in 
the process of determining damage to the rig and if it is fatal damage or 
minor.

My point is .. and my belief is .. I don't give a DAMN for ANY of the 
shippers excuses.  I pay them for one thing..  to SHIP a box from point A to 
point B, and for that box to arrive in one piece just like when I dropped it 
off for shipping.  Especially when it is indicated that it is fragile.    I 
hope to hell no one EVER tries shipping glass glasses because I firmly 
believe they would arrive as a pile of glass shards in the box.  And, I do 
not appreciate being told by a shipper that "it was not damaged during 
shipping."   THAT crap is an insult to someone's intelligence....

I don't know the solution, except maybe to take the equipment to a place 
that will absolutely fill the box with foam insulation and it becomes a 
block that has to be cut away when it arrives.   Even then, I'm sure the 
shipper would find some way to make it arrive looking like it had been 
dropped from a B52 at 20,000 feet.   Remember when they used to tout the 
durability of Collins gear, saying they could be dropped from a plane and 
still be operational after landing.   I dont think even a Collins KWM2 can 
survive the incompetence of the three major shippers.  The employees have no 
respect or care for anything they handle.  It seems to be toss it on the 
truck from 20 feet away, stack it 10 high with 50 lbs on top of each and 
then toss it into the driveway.   Sometimes, I'm surprised they even get out 
of the truck when they deliver a package instead of just tossing it out the 
door and driving away.   They must get out of the truck if they have to get 
a signature.
________________________________