Just Got Another Broken Generator P.O.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Thanks to the wonderful handling by the post office I just received another generator with a broken pulley. Notice the thick cardboard packing material. The seller used it on three sides, but not on the pulley side of the box. Still any normal handling should never have broken the pulley.

To try to prevent damage, the pulley needs to be wrapped in cardboard or Styrofoam. One of the best ways to protect the goods is to place them in a plastic bag, and make sure the box has two or three layers of corrugated cardboard on all 6 sides, then fill all the voids with spray foam.

[katy]

Looks like they gave it the drop test.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I would love to go undercover and follow the package through the entire trip to see how they manage to damage and loose so many things. In the early 70's I worked at UPS unloading semi trailers, and we never saw any damage like every box I get these days. Instead of hand picking a package onto a conveyor belt, I think the post office uses a front end loader, then dumps them into a cement mixer.

[denniskliesen]

I've had the same problem with FedEx lately. Most of the vendors use them instead of UPS now.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by denniskliesen

I've had the same problem with FedEx lately. Most of the vendors use them instead of UPS now.

I recently learned that Fed Ex uses the post office for many of the final delivery, so now you don't know who to blame for the damage, and they can blame each other.

[CarlG]

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Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

I recently learned that Fed Ex uses the post office for many of the final delivery, so now you don't know who to blame for the damage, and they can blame each other.

And, on the other side of the fence, FedEx transports mail for the Post Office. Here in Anchorage, the FedEx terminal is across the street from the USPS terminal. You can see the tote "trains" with the aircraft cargo containers crossing the street between the two all the time.

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

I would love to go undercover and follow the package through the entire trip to see how they manage to damage and loose so many things. In the early 70's I worked at UPS unloading semi trailers, and we never saw any damage like every box I get these days. Instead of hand picking a package onto a conveyor belt, I think the post office uses a front end loader, then dumps them into a cement mixer.

I thought occasionally they do to kind of self audit. They secretly ship a box of gyroscope and shock sensors and see what the results are. Logs time of day and minute so it can be traced back to an individual if needed. Sometimes it cant be helped - rough road, turbulance, etc.

I always over package stuff. Sure it may cost a touch more but whats it going to cost for a new whatever I ship? I use anything from grocery bags, newspapers, obviously old shipping materials, etc. I would have bubble wrapped that generator and do the shake test myself. I package boxes so tight and over tape all around the outside so its bulging with packing material - if the object cant move most likely it cant get damaged.

[silversink]

spray foam and plastic bags are wonderful packing supplies

[MikeK]

Just wait 'till they start using drones for delivery.
Packaging for a 100' drop will become mandatory.

[Pickupman]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Thanks to the wonderful handling by the post office I just received another generator with a broken pulley. Notice the thick cardboard packing material. The seller used it on three sides, but not on the pulley side of the box. Still any normal handling should never have broken the pulley.

To try to prevent damage, the pulley needs to be wrapped in cardboard or Styrofoam. One of the best ways to protect the goods is to place them in a plastic bag, and make sure the box has two or three layers of corrugated cardboard on all 6 sides, then fill all the voids with spray foam.

They only way to ship heavy items is by building a wooden box. It doesn't matter who the carrier is: Fed Ex, UPS, or USPS. We've been down this road with all three. Since using wooden boxes we have not had anything broken.

[Cool Hand Lurker]

The biggest mistake in shipping anything heavy is to rely on paper packing. Whether it is newspaper or special packing paper it will compress when the heavy object is thrown or dropped and the packed item will bounce hard. You can't let it move at all inside the box.
Spray foam, chunks of styrofoam, cardboard folded into triangular tubes, ping pong balls, all work to keep things in place. I have sent lots of things to guys in Iraq & Afghanistan in the USPS flat rate boxes and pack them with baggies of real peanuts, Tootsie Rolls, hard candy, magazines, etc. so that nothing goes to waste. Maybe to the waist, but not to waste! They like everything in the box!
Newspapers are only good for reading or fish wrap.

[HammerSaw]

I was told if you use a wood box you need to put cardboard around it, if you don't you will pay more for the exposed wood box. Go figure

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Cool Hand Lurker

The biggest mistake in shipping anything heavy is to rely on paper packing. Whether it is newspaper or special packing paper it will compress when the heavy object is thrown or dropped and the packed item will bounce hard. You can't let it move at all inside the box.
Spray foam, chunks of styrofoam, cardboard folded into triangular tubes, ping pong balls, all work to keep things in place. I have sent lots of things to guys in Iraq & Afghanistan in the USPS flat rate boxes and pack them with baggies of real peanuts, Tootsie Rolls, hard candy, magazines, etc. so that nothing goes to waste. Maybe to the waist, but not to waste! They like everything in the box!
Newspapers are only good for reading or fish wrap.

True

[eagle]

On the other hand, I've ordered hatching eggs and had them shipped usps many times and only once had broken eggs. Usually good hatch rates too. Also live chicks, one time the local post office delivered live chicks to me on Sunday afternoon. Maybe you need to mark your generator "hatching eggs"!

[todd3131]

It always comes.es down to how it is packed I have shipped heavy things in cardboard and they got there in.good shape. Last fall we shipped the cast iron grill for the Buick to the plater in a beautiful crate but was broke when it arrived the crate was in damaged I did pack it well enough not a cheap mistake it was my fault it got damaged.

[Dave in MD]

USPS has also contracted with DHL to ship some items. I had thought DHL had ceased most operations in the US.
Dave

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by Dave in MD

USPS has also contracted with DHL to ship some items. I had thought DHL had ceased most operations in the US.
Dave

Ive noticed DHL seems to be more focused on the "between cities/countries" than the "depot to home" routes.

[ronn]

Tom,

sounds like the problem is closer to your end of the post office.

Ive never come close to all of the damage you receive.

wondering if someone has a vendetta near you?

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by ronn

Tom,

sounds like the problem is closer to your end of the post office.

Ive never come close to all of the damage you receive.

wondering if someone has a vendetta near you?

It sure seems that way. We have a lot of bad workers at the local post office. I just checked tracking on a Delco glass battery jar, and it just arrived at the PO this morning, so I will leave in a few minutes to go pick it up. That will save one more postal worker having a chance to break it. If it arrives not broken, I better go buy a lottery ticket.

In the 80's my Popular Mechanics magazines were always arriving with torn covers and wrinkled pages. The local PO denied any responsibility, but after I complained, the damage stopped.

[1928Mik]

Wow, we ship out via UPS every day and I would never pack up a heavy item in that manner.. Most people just don't know how, or they just don't think ahead nor have access to packing materials.

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by Dave in MD

USPS has also contracted with DHL to ship some items. I had thought DHL had ceased most operations in the US.
Dave

At work, the post office delivers anything that was originally shipped via DLH.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Well, it looks like I should run out and buy a lottery ticket. My glass battery jar arrived in one piece. I was standing at the end of the drive so I could get it from the driver. I told him about the broken generator I got the other day, and he told me when the people sort into the bins at our post office, they just throw the boxes into the bins. There is high turnover at our post office, so that says something about wanting to do a good job.

BTW, the battery jar reads "DELCO LIGHT" and "EXIDE".
Does anyone know if these two companies are connected?

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

. . .BTW, the battery jar reads "DELCO LIGHT" and "EXIDE".
Does anyone know if these two companies are connected?

Charles Kettering owned the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (Delco) when the 32V farm generator system was first marketed.

"Exide" is a trade moniker that stood for 'excellent oxide' and was used by the Electric Storage Battery Company for their improved battery technology.

Kettering's (Delco's) first dealing with the Electric Storage Battery Company was some time in 1909-1910 when he was developing the electric starter for the 1911 Cadillac. He needed a strong battery that didn't weigh hundreds of pounds and the EXIDE battery connection began.

I can only speculate from here, but, among Kettering's many talents, projects, and limited time, chemical engineering was not one of his strong suits. He likely subcontracted with the Electric Storage Battery Company for design and supply of cells for the farm system just as he did for the Cadillac battery. Thus the "DELCO LIGHT" and "EXIDE" on the glass jars.

[denis4x4]

I use various sizes of Rubbermaid plastic containers and secure the lids with at least 8 or 10 wire ties through 1/4" holes drilled through the lid and lip of the container. I generally also include a return shipping label inside the container.

[Drive Shaft Dave]

Well i suppose if the pulley had been removed and carefully packaged into some styrofoam it probably would have survived.

[Tom Wesenberg]

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Originally Posted by Drive Shaft Dave

Well i suppose if the pulley had been removed and carefully packaged into some styrofoam it probably would have survived.

That might have helped, but mailing some heavy parts is still risky. When the box is thrown and dropped, the heavy armature wants to continue in motion even after the cement floor has stopped the case. I had to fix a restored powerhouse for this very reason some years ago.

I just find it totally unacceptable that any postal worker is not fired for throwing and dropping packages. What other job can you purposely damage things and not get fired.

The seller is good enough to be sending me another pulley. Luckily this is a generator I bought for standby, just in case someone needs it someday.

[old car guy]

Several years ago I had a tach drive generator off a 1957 corvette come into my possession thru a Auction. I advertised it and it sold fairly quick . I knew it was a very hard piece to find especially since it was a nos piece. I made a wooden crate with semi circular plywood stays to hold it up in the crate . Wrapped it in a very thick high density foam padding then put into a plastic bag bolted the box together and then spray foamed the voids. Put cardboard 3 layers on the box and sent it off. I swear a tank could have drove over it without damage. I was wrong when it got to the end user it looked like a tank had driven over it.
I spent several weeks dealing the the po and was told it was improperly packed . I argued till I was blue in the face. That was the end for me. You could see the skid marks on the box and tire tracks. I still believe to this day it was run over dropped from a high distance.how what when who knows but it made a believer out of me. The buyer was pissed, I was pissed but in the end I was the one screwed. The worst of it was this was a really one of a kind piece that might never show up again. It was a sad ending