Shipping packages

[contender1]

Quite often,, when I receive a package,, I'm appalled at the very poor job of packaging stuff. It's like people do not care if the item they are mailing or shipping gets there in one piece or not.
It's like they do not understand that mail, packages etc are handled by machines,, AND by people who are in a time crunch. Machines can & will damage poorly packaged items. Then the people who actually handle an item often throw it or whatever. I had a package delivered the other day & honest to goodness,, it had marks on the outside that resembled tire tracks. They weren't but they sure looked like it.

Then I also got a medium FR box of brass from a member here. Now it was a VERY PLEASANT surprise to see the box had tape all around the box. And good quality tape too. Proper markings etc,, and it arrived in excellent shape. Upon opening it,, there was an inner box,, properly marked & secure as well, just in case the outer box got damaged & the monkeys at the USPS had to try & figure what went where. KUDOS to the seller here. Best packaging I've seen in a long time.

Often we hear about lost mail or packages. I discussed this with my Postmaster long ago. At least 15 years or more ago. His comment was that all too many people do NOT,,, repeat DO NOT write plain enough to allow for a letter or package to go to the correct facility. The worst thing is to not make the zip code clear & large enough to be read by machines or people.

So,, I'll share a few tips I've learned over the years.
Inside a package,, include the info of where the item is supposed to go.
Make sure ALL addresses are clear, very readable,, and especially, large enough to be easily seen. Especially Zip Codes.
When packaging an item, add proper padding inside,, to where an item isn't bouncing around during shipment.
And on the outer package,, tape all edges SECURELY. A little extra tape is CHEAP insurance against lost items.

[Winger Ed.]

It's like people do not care if the item they are mailing or shipping gets there in one piece or not.

Most individuals shipping stuff, that if it gets damaged along the way will have to stand and face the music-
They seem to care a lot and do a good job.
I've received stuff on S&S from folks here that could make it through a 4 mega ton blast.

Some of the packing jobs done by minimum wage kids working a shipping desk for someone else,,,,, not so much.

[imashooter2]

Adding a bag inside the box, such that individual items can’t fall through a hole in a ripped box will get a lot of product to its destination that otherwise wouldn’t.

http://imashooter2.com/pictures/box-sm.jpg

[alamogunr]

I received a box from Brownell's one time that was empty except for the packing list. There was a large hole in the end of the box. The box should have held a turret for a Redding T-7. There was no packaging inside the empty box and no indication that there had ever been any. Only the flaps of the box were taped.

Let's don't smear the minimum wage kids for every mistake. Somehow I doubt that Brownell's hires them.

[StuBach]

Similarly I learned long ago, tape the $ out of it and it will make it. Fail to do so and you risk loss of contents. I shipped out a couple of custom pens tonight in flat rate envelopes with extra padding inside and tape along every edge and across enough of the faces to keep contents from being able to escape.

On the flip side. Amazon driver came to door the other day (mind you he drives from Amazon facility 1 hour away so no other services involved) and when he arrived at my door told my wife that the box was ripped open and though packing slip said three items (snap caps, spatulas, and break free clp)c the Breakfree was missing so he had to reject the whole package. Mind you I wasn’t hurting for the stuff but what was supposed to be next day delivery took over a week longer to arrive cause someone in Amazon couldn’t package or handle properly.

Look in all industries right now and you will see more low performers than ever before. Business are hurting for workers and willing to settle for less quality. Sad state of affairs but hopefully standards will return with time to some of these industries?

[Sasquatch-1]

When packaging to ship items, I always attach a second mailing label to the item itself. I will also tape any open seams in the box, top and bottom. If it's an item that is somewhat older with the original box, I will put it in another box.

I have been receiving items I have order form retail outlets lately that have way too little packing material inside so that the item slides around inside the box too much.

[Shawlerbrook]

Agreed ! Also never pack a box with something inside that is loose and able to slide around. It will act as a battering ram and eventually cut through the box. When I ship I pack with the idea that the shippers are going to intentionally try to destroy the box. Another good idea is to put something stiff( either another box, stiff cardboard or even a thin piece of plywood) on the ends so as to prevent the package from getting crushed. My take on packaging for shipping is like putting together a defense in a war or sporting event.

[725]

I once received a tube that formerly contained the barrel I bought from a vender. I held it up to the UPS driver in astonishment. He just shrugged. ! an empty cardboard tube !

[LenH]

I once worked for an Engineering/Construction/Fabricating firm. There were 4 or 5 of us out at a bulk truck facility. We were there to design new conveyor
system. There were 3 individuals unloading a trailer and were under some kind of deadline. There were some fishing rod tubes being unloaded and they jammed the
conveyor. We stood there and watched the young woman grab the upper conveyor and swing her weight and kick the rod tube and she broke the tube and the contents
and kind of shrugged and went back to unloading. It gave me a whole new appreciation on shipping companies.

[rockrat]

I had ordered 3 scopes from Midway. They came in a box about 2 ft. long by 1 ft. w&h. Just the scope boxes, no packing whatsoever. Had a rifle delivered with the muzzle sticking out of the box. Guy had put it in a bag, cloth was kind of like shot bags but thinner, and stuck in a cardboard box, no packing. Luckily, no damage. When I emailed him about his poor job of packing, boy did he get in a nasty fit.

I have had people, usually from this forum, put stuff in one of the Tyvek envelopes, before putting in the shipping box, then taping well. Have had boxes still arriving with an end torn open, but the Tyvek envelope was keeping the stuff still in the box.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I got a little story.

I first got internet service in my home in 2006. Shortly there after, I discovered ammobrasstrader. My first deal was a large one, I was trading a large quantity of sorted range brass for a couple hundred 44 mag brass. I put all my sorted brass in plastic baggies and packed into a Med flat rate box...it was packed full and was quite heavy. Now there is more than one size of Med flat rate box. I used the longer, flatter one, that works best for scopes and other light objects, because the cardboard is thinner. I didn't put any extra tape on the outside. I did however insure it, back then there wasn't any "automatic" $50 insurance.

Well, you guessed it, the box I shipped busted open, and the recipient got about half (or less?) of the brass I shipped. I learned quick about how the USPS insurance works. The recipient never received any compensation. But the lesson was learned by me, I now pack things well and use lots of clear shipping tape on heavy boxes, and sometime I use some strapping tape and double box, if the item/s are extra heavy.

[lightman]

I save bubble wrap from what comes wrapped around large electric boxes and use it as padding when I ship stuff. I also bag loose items before putting them in boxes. I put a note inside with the to and from addresses and I use lots of tape. Sometimes they still get beat up.

[rbuck351]

I have sent several medium flat rate boxes of brass, bullets and other similar stuff that makes for a fairly heavy box. In order to get these through the postal football game I build a box from 1/2" OSB assembled with screws that fits snugly in the flat rate box. The OSB box has an address label taped on the outside. After the box is filled and the lid screwed on a note is put inside the flat rate box stating " Postal workers, If you are reading this you have destroyed a flat rate box. Please forward to: ................" Then the FRBox is sealed and taped using both boxing tape and tape with string in it. I have sent several of these boxes without any being damaged beyond some tearing on the FRBox.

[Handloader109]

Loose brass or similar should be in a good bag. The USPS tyvek bags don't rip and work well. Then put inside the box and fill any gaps left with at least paper stuffing. Keep the item from moving is a big key. But even then the shipping companies can destroy the box.

[hc18flyer]

A few years ago I bought a used press, and paid a fair price. The Seller simply put it in a large frb, and shipped it. When it arrived, the press had punched thru the side of the box, small parts were missing, and one of the cast mounting lugs was broken off. The Seller took no responsibility for the damage, after several weeks I got $50 from USPS, and I have a press that is worth much less than I paid! When I ship something I make it 'elephant proof, in my Dad's words. hc18flyer

[MaryB]

If it weighs more than 15 pounds DO NOT use packing peanuts, use hard foam board and cut it to fit the item and box. I packed a blackpowder rifle for shipping, I custom cut foam to fit the box, put the rifle in a gun sock then against the foam. It was a snug fit, nothing could move, movement punches holes!!! If you can hear the item slide add packing peanuts or bubble wrap until it can't move! You should need to slightly compress the packing when taping up the box.

If it is a bunch of heavy loose stuff(brass, lead) use the mentioned tyvek envelopes then put it in your box.

Tape it well! Tape every seam and edge with packing tape(kind with fibers in it). The tape will hold the outer box together even if the box is destroyed. I even run a couple wraps around the box. Can get strapping tape cheaper online than in a store.


USPS.com lets you pay for and print a shipping label. No hand writing, no waiting in line at the post office... just hand it off to your mail carrier or request a pickup. They get mine from my front porch.

Tape over the entire label, yes I know it says not to... do it anyway! Otherwise they rip the label and your box may end up in la la land.

Some of my experience from 25 years of shipping very heavy old ham radios/shortwave radios. Only 1 was ever damaged, they ran over it...

[imashooter2]

When I was shipping my pewter, I had templates cut for cardboard shims. I stacked the ingots into tyvek, taped that as a brick, then shimmed the brick inside a SFRB so it couldn’t move, period. Never lost a box, even though the USPS did their best on a few.

[Sasquatch-1]

I have been doing this for years. As all of us should know...printer INK will run when wet.



Tape over the entire label, yes I know it says not to... do it anyway! Otherwise they rip the label and your box may end up in la la land.

[Randy Bohannon]

I recently bought $10K worth of new kitchen base cabinets from Kraft Maid in MN. There were total of eight cabinets all delivered amazingly well with zero damage from MN to WY. Kraft Maid ensured that a competent shipping company was employed and they put every cabinet in the house where I specified. I will use Kraft Maid for the rest of cabinets.

[Wayne Smith]

Pay attention to the contents of internal boxes. I once bought a set of rifle dies in a die box - and the shipper left the dies to rattle in the box. They shifted and punched through the die box, ruining it. A little bit of thought and a little bit of foam would have stopped that.

[Shawlerbrook]

Great information above derived from much experience in shipping !

[MaryB]

Shake the box, if something rattles/shifts fix it before sealing the box totally