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When you pack something to ship, how much thought do you give to it arriving at it's destination unharmed? A general rule is to insure that your package could be dropped from any angle from a height of 30 inches at least 5 times.
The drivers that you see picking up your packages or delivering them are the safest part of the trip that your package travels. It is the conveyor belted system that are used to sort the packages that do most of the damage.
Your packages travel on systems that move them 70 miles per hour along belts that never stop. When a package gets far enough along the system to reach it's destination leg of the system it is "kicked" up in the air and lands on the next belt that moves it along to the next place it needs to be kicked until it reaches it's final pallet that it will be loaded onto to go to it's transportation (plane, truck, van) and then to you. What happens if the package ahead of yours gets stopped because it has a problem? Yours hits it at 70 mph. Generally there is enough safety built into these conveyor systems to protect everything within reason, but this is where the accidents happen to most packages being sent.
Face it, there are over 5,000,000 packages delivered by FedEx alone and the other carriers have the same amount to ship, approximately. In fact the post office uses some of the FedEx or other carrier systems to help them select and sort their packages as well. How can this many packages be sorted and delivered "on time" unless they have these systems to get the job done?
So, as you put that note on your package that says FRAGILE, or "do not bend" please remember that the conveyor belts cannot read these notes and it is only the drivers that have the opportunity to read your messages, and they usually do try to abide by your prayers.
When you bring an item for me to package I will give you an estimate on what it will cost you pack it properly and you can decide whether you want to pay that much money or not. My price will be based on what you give to me and my best estimate on how best to package it so that it will arrive safely. I will explain everything to you and let you decide how you want it packed. I do not pad my prices or try to build fear into your so that you will pay more. In fact, I do the opposite. I try to find free packing materials around here to help you get your items shipped as cheaply as possible, but I will not suggest that a inferior packing will equal a proper packing.
The cost of shipping and packing breaks my heart so it is in my blood to try to help you past the expense the best way I can but I cannot make the carriers treat your package differently.
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