We have been shipping for over 4 decades and have seen the shipping companies change dramatically over the years. The shipping companies focus is now on quantity not quality and the pandemic has made it many times worse. It does not matter if it is UPS or FedEx or any other non commercial shipping company you are shooting craps when it comes to shipping fragile products. For the shipping companies it is all about speed ( and we all know speed kills) not protecting your shipment, you on the other hand want both. Here is how it works - You want to ship your 100 pound amplifier from New York to San Francisco in 3 days for less than a thousand dollars, lets say you do have the factory boxes that are mediocre at best and do not comply with the shipping companies requirements for packing but you send it off anyway how could anything go wrong? The shipping company will handle your package with kid gloves as it is transferred the half a dozen or more times from one transport vehicle to another because they know it is very valuable piece of equipment right? The reality of what happens to your equipment has been posted many times by former or current employees of all the shipping companies, bottom line it ain't nice. You can always file a damage claim if all goes wrong right? Yes that is true but don't expect to get your money unless (1) you packed it according to the companies packing guide lines. (2) You bought damage insurance. (3) You took pictures when you packed the unit. (4) The recipient took pictures of the damaged box before opening and the damaged unit after opening. (5) For any amount over $1,000.00 ( some times less) expect to take the shipper to court if you want your money.
It has gotten so bad during the pandemic that if we ship any high value items we either drive them across country ourselves or we build heavy wooden crates and strap them to an oak pallet with steel straps. Why? Many times pallets are stacked on top of each other to optimize the space inside the truck. Each year shipping damage seems to increase, we are not sure how the manufactures deal with all the shipping damage that occurs to their products every year.
It has gotten so bad during the pandemic that if we ship any high value items we either drive them across country ourselves or we build heavy wooden crates and strap them to an oak pallet with steel straps. Why? Many times pallets are stacked on top of each other to optimize the space inside the truck. Each year shipping damage seems to increase, we are not sure how the manufactures deal with all the shipping damage that occurs to their products every year.