Model Railroading > Re: Ted's damaged mail and model

Never will forget when UPS was shut down on strike.   I had to use the post office to send a PFM Rio Grande M-75 Crown from Ft Worth to Denver.  I not only insured it, I had the postal clerk stamp "FRAGILE" all over the box on every side.  Then as I started to leave, he turned around and THRU THE BOX ABOUT 25 ft into a pile..  I immediately jumped his butt screaming "you idiot I just had you mark the whole box "fragile"..  He said "next".  I left because I was getting so mad I was unsure what I might do..  I must have packed it well because it got to  Denver with no damage.

A friend of mine use to have a crane service and changed engines on UPS 747's at Ontario airport in California. He used to watch the load and unload planes and saw boxes fall out of the special containers 20 feet to the ground and then just pick them up and throw back on the plane. Thats if they didnt get run over by ground equipment first.

If you think thsy UPS handles boxes any different you're sadly mistaken.

A fragile sticker to a shipping employee is like a bull seeing red.

Posted from iPhone

Spoony81 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A fragile sticker to a shipping employee is like a
> bull seeing red.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Exactly. I flew UPS feeder freight for a while. A "fragile" sticker just means kick/throw harder...

I worked for the 'brown' company during college days. I'm honestly surprised ANY package makes it without damage! 

Mike ONeill
Parker, CO

My twin, who is finally retiring from his small business, told me he wouldn't be surprised if those claims workers are paid bonuses to decline damage claims.

Victor B.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/22 11:53 by wabash2800.

All shippers have the same issues.  If the boxes were all the same size, then they can be stacked nice and organized.  However, they aren't, so they can't.  
Do they have time to stack the heavy boxes on the bottom, and the light boxes on top?  Doubtful.
And that is how the package will travel on its bumpy cross-country trip.
Combine with seasonal help during peak periods, and not all packages are going to make it intact.
The horror stories of filing an insurance claim are true.  In order to minimize the chances of ever needing to deal with a claims dept again, I wrap the package as if it were going to be handled by Ace Ventura.  :-0
If I need to ship something important or expensive, I will bubble-wrap it like crazy.  Seal it in a box.  Then cut scraps of rigid foam board to encase that box, bubble-wrap that, and put it into another larger box.  Does this cost more, yes.  But I have yet to file another insurance claim since adopting this "package paranoia" mindset.

Dave
 

---

---

Spoony81 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A fragile sticker to a shipping employee is like a
> bull seeing red.
>

Or telling a cat no.

TAW

TAW, first time I have heard that but, dang sure is true.

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My twin, who is finally retiring from his small
> business, told me he wouldn't be surprised if
> those claims workers are paid bonuses to decline
> damage claims.
>
> Victor B.

similar to payroll for T&E (train and engine) employees on the RR

      Tom

7,685 folks have left me feedback on eBay, probably 98% from me selling items, rather than buying them.  And, I feel that the 7,685 is only about a third of my actual sales, as the majority of buyers don't take the time to leave feedback, especially when they are happy with their purchase.  My feedback score is 100% positive.  I ship by USPS, UPS and FedEx.  Over all the many years of shipping some horrendously fragile items, such as pre-war Lionel 700E Hudson locos, made out of very brittle and deteriorating cast metal, the number of damaged items I have had I can count on one hand.

Complain all you will about shipping company & post office employees, but I absolutely, positively believe that

IT'S ALL IN THE PACKING! 

Hope you are all doing well,

Allen Drucker

What's your user ID?

DevalDragon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you think thsy UPS handles boxes any different
> you're sadly mistaken.

When I was in high school I had a friend who got a night-shift job at UPS. He told me that if a box said fragile on it, the workers where he was would throw it as hard as they could at whatever was the hardest surface around them.

I get stuff from Amazon by UPS all the time without problems. They must know how to pack.
They are constantly upgrading their packing material.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

alongthejointline Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What's your user ID?

I am MrAllied on eBay.

kscessnadriver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Spoony81 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > A fragile sticker to a shipping employee is like
> a
> > bull seeing red.
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
> Exactly. I flew UPS feeder freight for a while. A
> "fragile" sticker just means kick/throw harder...

yes, and so are my emotions!