Joseph Herbert on mon 7 aug 00
This could be slightly dated, I wrote it 8/2. then I sent it to the list
serve which sent me a message saying that none of it made any sense. That
may be true for the human readers also. I hope not. Joe
A really enlightening experience is to ship some things to your self. Since
I travel extensively and live away from home for extended times, I have
several times shipped several packages to myself. It is a revelation to see
what the boxes you started on their way look like when they get where they
are going. Once you have done this a couple times, you get a feeling for
what is survivable and what is not. Some of my box shipping ventures have
included both UPS and USPS. There seems to be relatively little difference
in the apparent treatment of the packages. I might give an edge to UPS if
the packages are obviously high value and insured as such. A computer for
example seems to get better treatment in the original packages that identify
it as what it is. I have shipped my self pots and learned some things in
that process. to really test your packing, sent a box some place and have
it sent right back. This is a real test of what your packing skills are
worth.
Advice - not as good as Jonathan's
1. New boxes are much better than recycled ones. Even if a box doesn't look
tired to you after a trip, it feels tired and you will be able to tell if
you send it on another one.
2. One thing in a box. Unless you are really good, the greatest damage
comes from inside where pot A and pot B attempt to share space for an
instant.
3. Use a box MUCH larger than your object. With the object well packed in
the center of the volume, it requires a significant penetration into the
volume to do damage. Significant penetration is rare.
4. You have to pack heavier things better because the heavy box makes
people and machines hate it. Usually heavy is not fragile but if it is -
look out.
5. Your package will not have to survive being thrown out a second floor
window but you might pack as if it might.
6. Make the outside of the box look nice. I can't prove it but I suspect
discrimination if the package looks ratty.
An alternative is to sell only to people who live in places you would like
to visit and hand deliver.
Joseph Herbert
Ray Aldridge on tue 8 aug 00
At 01:09 AM 8/7/00 -0500, Joseph wrote:
>2. One thing in a box. Unless you are really good, the greatest damage
>comes from inside where pot A and pot B attempt to share space for an
>instant.
This is good advice when practical, but if you're shipping a couple of
bowls to a retail customer, it's impractical. I double-box everything, and
sometimes triple-box, if I have to put more than one item in an inner box.
The "boxes" need not be boxes in the formal sense-- sometimes I'll cut a
strip of corrugated cardboard from a big used box, and wrap a delicate item
in it, folding in the ends and taping. Instant box.
>
>
>5. Your package will not have to survive being thrown out a second floor
>window but you might pack as if it might.
>
I can't remember where I read this (might have been ClayArt) but you have
to pack for an 8 foot fall. This is because the semitrailers UPS uses to
transport packages from hub to hub are packed full. When the trailer is
backed up to the loading dock and opened, boxes at the top of the load tend
to fall out, and it's about 8' from trailer top to dock.
Ray
Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
http://www.goodpots.com
Michael McDowell on wed 9 aug 00
Ray Aldridge wrote:
>I can't remember where I read this (might have been ClayArt) but you have
>to pack for an 8 foot fall. This is because the semitrailers UPS uses to
>transport packages from hub to hub are packed full. When the trailer is
>backed up to the loading dock and opened, boxes at the top of the load tend
>to fall out, and it's about 8' from trailer top to dock.
I'm sure we've heard this on Clayart before, and it was mentioned to me some
years ago by a packing consultant from UPS. But there is more to this. UPS has
increased it's maximum weight package to something like 100 pounds ( 45.45
Kg.). In packing for shipment with UPS now, it is wise to allow for the
possiblity that a 100 pound package will fall 8 feet onto yours...
Michael McDowell
Whatcom County, WA USA
mmpots@memes.com
http://www2.memes.com/mmpots
Ray Aldridge on thu 10 aug 00
At 09:45 AM 8/9/00 -0700, you wrote:
>Ray Aldridge wrote:
>
>>I can't remember where I read this (might have been ClayArt) but you have
>>to pack for an 8 foot fall. This is because the semitrailers UPS uses to
>>transport packages from hub to hub are packed full. When the trailer is
>>backed up to the loading dock and opened, boxes at the top of the load tend
>>to fall out, and it's about 8' from trailer top to dock.
>
>I'm sure we've heard this on Clayart before, and it was mentioned to me some
>years ago by a packing consultant from UPS. But there is more to this. UPS
has
>increased it's maximum weight package to something like 100 pounds ( 45.45
>Kg.). In packing for shipment with UPS now, it is wise to allow for the
>possiblity that a 100 pound package will fall 8 feet onto yours...
>
This is a good, if somewhat disheartening point. The only source of hope
here is that the UPS guys would probably try to load the heaviest packages
closer to the floor of the trailer. It wouldn't be much fun hoisting a 100
pound box to the top of an 8' load.
Ray
Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
http://www.goodpots.com
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