[Milsurplus] RAK RAL Shipping

[Peter Gottlieb]

Where I work we buy real heavy duty boxes from uline, they are triple wall.  The 
larger the box, the smaller number you have to buy.

Foam in place is very nice and they now have packs which are self contained so 
you don't have to buy the gear for small jobs.  I haven't tried them but I guess 
you squeeze them to break an internal seal and mix the two components then they 
expand.  Would be interesting to try.

I have one experience point with the pack and ship places.  I had a box all 
packed and went to the local UPS store and they quoted me around $120 for 
shipping.  Sticker shock!  I had gone online at UPS with package measurements 
and weight and the price came to $60.  I decided to drive the few more miles 
direct to the UPS depot which had a customer counter and sure enough it was 
$60.  It was actually a little less because I had added a couple of pounds to 
not come up short (which can be a big nightmare, especially with USPS, as you 
lose, yes lose, the postage and need to repurchase it).  I spoke with the 
manager and was told all "UPS Store" locations are independently owned and they 
set their own rates, and many in the area simply double the UPS rates.  At first 
he wouldn't say but finally admitted the stores also get a discounted rate as 
they are considered high volume and have daily scheduled pickup.

About negotiating, Hue is right, every one I've been to there is no negotiation, 
the rate is the rate, if you don't like it go somewhere else.  All the ones I've 
been to (many times for business where I was traveling and had to send stuff 
back on the company's dime) were very small and the counter person was an owner.

Another key point is that UPS itself considers packages packed by UPS Stores to 
be customer packed in terms of insurance.  So it the item is damaged and you 
file a claim and UPS says it wasn't properly packed you have to take it up with 
the store itself.  Read the fine print!  I was shown the exact place where it 
said this.  Now, many stores will guarantee their packing and some do a very 
good job, but this is certainly not universal on either count.

Peter
kb2vtl


On 12/27/2017 2:51 PM, Hubert Miller wrote:
> Bill, you buy boxes from Uline ?  Are they REAL heavy duty?  When I was working, up to a couple years ago, we regularly received the big Uline
> catalogs. The boxes though, you had to order large numbers at one time, IIR.
> Styro sheets - do you find this stuff aggravating to work with? I mean, the stuff loves to make tiny pieces that are super staticky.
> A local store here has some soft flexible foam sheets, but it's a serious investment, around $20 a sheet, and you might need two or even three
> for a big item packed.
> The 'foam in place' offerings in the Uline catalog looked kind of intriguing. The local shipping place should offer that service.
>
> As for the markups by the local private shipping places, one post advised to "confront them" or some such. Good luck with that. They have their
> prices and it's not a Mexican village market where you bargain for the prices. Some of the smaller cities, like mine, don't have an actual FEDEX
> office, so you're kind of stuck, there is not an alternative.
> I wish there was a way to compare actual bare UPS or FEDEX rates to what the shipping & box businesses charge, like published rates. I imagine
> the private companies keep that information 'classified'.
> -Hue
>
>> Well said.  I restore boat anchors.  It takes an hour and a half to double box an r-390a so that it will arrive in one piece plus new boxes from uline and rigid styro from Staples cost $55.00 per radio. At least we are a UPS shipper and they pick up!  Just packed an HP curve tracer -  70 pounds - 3 hours as had to cut out styro around front and back so knobs would not be damaged.
> 73,
>
> Bill, WA2DVU
> Cape May
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