Ya Gotta Love FedEx!!!!!!

[KE6DF]

Talk about good packaging, I had a case recently that was nearly over-the-top.

I bought a 500W modulation transformer off ebay. It was shipped UPS.

The seller built a wood box about 1" larger than the transformer on each side and then put sheet Styrofoam tightly around the transformer on all sides.

The box had 10x2 side and end boards. The top and bottom were 3/4 " plywood.

The whole thing was nailed together with large nails about 1 1/2 inches apart.

And on top of that, all the joints were glued.

There were specially make wood handles on each end to make it easy to move the 60lb+ box.

That transformer could have been dropped from an airplane and gone undamaged.

The only problem was it took about 45 minutes with a large pry bar, a claw hammer, and a hand sledge to get the box open.

I ended up literally shredding the 3/4 plywood top to finally get it off.

I kept the box in case I ever have to ship a large transformer to someone, but if I do I'm going to make a new top and attach it with screws so there is some reasonable way to take it off.

But I give the shipper credit as the transformer arrived without a scratch -- and I've had large transformers arrive with dents and broken terminals in the past due to poor packaging.

It was worth the effort to get it open, but I sure wish he had used screws on one side.

[N0WEK]

I can honestly say that I didn't ever see Deliberate Destruction while on the Belt sorting freight. However, there was a lot of times when folks where just plain overwhelmed and had to just keep moving regardless of the outcome, so stuff took what was coming. 

There was also a lot of "stupid" boxes.   Like the Caterpillar part that was a single steel pin 6 inches in diameter and 14 inches long weighing 90 lbs packed in  a simple cardboard box.  The guy grabs the box and lifts is off the belt, the part exits the box between the belt and container and creates mayhem.   

Or the complete set of china plates packed in a single box with only a single sheet of newspaper between each plate for 'protection', that was a very memorable noise.

Sometimes folks pack stuff like they just don't give a $hit. 

I'll have to second all that!

I've been flying in the FedEx Feeder system for 21 years and I've never seen deliberate trashing of freight, although I've seen a few boxes tossed into the truck or aircraft (against policy!).

Packing is atrocious! I've seen all of the above and many car and machinery parts just come without a box, just a label attached.

[K5WLF]

I've had good luck and bad luck with shippers. We shipped a 6" refractor telescope across the country (and back) in a foam-fitted 3/4" plywood custom coffin with no problems at all (FedWrex). Recently, I shipped a power supply tray for a video projector to the fix-it guy and was informed by UPS (Universal Package Smashers) that the box got to the destination, but the contents didn't. I have no idea how that feat was accomplished -- the part is 18" X 12" X 4" -- but they managed it. So, six weeks later, I'm waiting for my fix-it guy to find all the parts to build another one, since it's a totally obsolete projector. But, I'm stuck with it since my university won't pony up the bucks to upgrade my planetarium. But, don't get me started on that subject, since I have a really tall soapbox <G>