A Packing and Shipping Manifesto

A PACKING AND SHIPPING MANIFESTO (rev. 1)

# Some people have packing sense, and some of you DO NOT.

Learning makes up for some of these inadequacies.

# PEANUTS ARE NEVER USED. Period.
Heavy things just SHIFT in Peanuts, settle to the bottom of the box, and get destroyed.

UPS might decline insurance claims if only peanuts are used.

Peanuts are ONLY good for the space between an inner & outer box.

White peanuts are the tool of Satan, PLEASE use static=free pink & green peanuts.

# A "200# burst strength" cardboard box WILL NOT hold more than 50 pounds tops.

# Double boxing aka overboxing is your friend.

# BUBBLE WRAP is your friend.

Big bubble bubble-wrap is your friend, Little bubble bubble-wrap is usually not.

Bubble-wrap ages, leaks, pops, weakens and dies.

# FOAM & AIR is your better friend. 'Nothing' touching the equipment is better than 'something' even foam, touching the equipment. Look at manufacturers packing. Foam supports, Air (space=distance=protection)

Catalyzed Foam is certainly very good, though in some ways , foam + air is better.

# SHIFTING is BAD. Padding is not just padding, it is ANTI-SHIFTIING MATERIAL. Shifting creates G-forces.. you remember that stuff form high-school. "An object in motion has a tendency to remain in motion". Its what does on inside a dropped box.

# "Factory Box" is not a silver bullet.
Not all manufacturers packing is adequate for UPS etc shipping. Some is made really for multiple item bulk freight shipping on pallets.

Sadly, nothing is immune from a 20 foot drop off an overhead conveyor. 20 foot overhead conveyors DO exist! Many people have testified express shipping spends less time in the conveyor system.

Anecdotal Experience & Urban myth is all that exists, sadly, for choosing UPS v USPS v FedEx

UPS _will_ sell you insurance, accept a package, and then deny the claim for inadequate packaging.

# You always have too much insurance, until you need it, and then you dont have enough.

# You always have too much padding, until you need it, and then you dont have enough.

# It doesnt matter how much padding you put on top of the equipment, if you put none underneath the box.

# A box has no "TOP", inspite of your cute label and emphatic arrows saying otherwise.

# Everything is crushable. Bubble envelopes are adequate for very very few things. But yes, boxes are crushable too. But less so.

# Yes, nothing is fork-lift proof.

Some "Mailbox, Etc" places hire idiot teenagers without supervision to pack your $2000 amp. You are warned.

# BAG items before packing - especially you peanut-ers. Peanut debris deep inside connectors & thru vent holes is BAD.

VISUALIZE:
Imagine YOU are the Equipment in box: A mean delivery man is going to drop you, kick you, throw you into the truck that has crappy shocks in a pothole ridden city. How much padding do YOU need?!

Homework: VERY GOOD THINGS TO READ, ABSORB AND UNDERSTAND !!!

Read the UPS Shipping Requirements:
http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/prepare/guidelines/index.html
http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/prepare/materials/index.html