hazmat delivery?

[stagpanther]

Besides orders of smokeless powder, I also occasionally order volatile chemicals for chemical etching activities. UPS is generally pretty good, but these days almost everything is somewhat damaged. I just signed for an 8 lb'r of 7828 ssc and the box was obviously crushed. I accepted it and upon unpacking the lid was still on keg though very loose. I decided to talk to the driver and see if they knew what they were actually delivering--she said generally no--and that company policy was to isolate hazardous materials on the bottom of their stacks and surround them with non-hazardous packages.

[nhyrum]

It's usually the handlers/loaders that are rough on packages. Never made sense to me... "Hey, this box has a sticker on it that says explosive on it... Hey bill, go long"

At the last place I worked at, we got a device (sold/fixed commercial/business printers) that CLEARLY had labels on all 5 visible sides saying not to stack anything on it, in big works on a 11x17 sheet of paper. It was PAINFULLY clear that they set something on it. They weren't very happy when we told them we now had a $20,000 paper weight and that it was their fault.

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[stagpanther]

"Hey, this box has a sticker on it that says explosive on it... Hey bill, go long"

[hounddawg]

had the same thing happen to me the other day. No pics but the box with 16 pounds of powder was beat to hell

[Micro man]

Looks exactly like the box I got last Saturday with 4 lbs of W231 in it.
Fortunately the jug of powder was unharmed.

[44 AMP]

On the plus side, the purpose of packaging is to protect the contents, and take the "hit" so the stuff inside doesn't. SO a banged up box with the stuff inside ok means it worked as intended.

[FITASC]

It's usually the handlers/loaders that are rough on packages. Never made sense to me... "Hey, this box has a sticker on it that says explosive on it... Hey bill, go long"

At the last place I worked at, we got a device (sold/fixed commercial/business printers) that CLEARLY had labels on all 5 visible sides saying not to stack anything on it, in big works on a 11x17 sheet of paper. It was PAINFULLY clear that they set something on it. They weren't very happy when we told them we now had a $20,000 paper weight and that it was their fault.

Back in the 90s I spent a summer working a UPS sort facility for some extra money - sunrise shift. This was back when gateway computers were a big thing.
Those big cow boxes were THROWN down loading chutes, rolled on conveyor belts as if they were trying to damage them.
When you take the exponential growth in small package shipments since Covid, and most were understaffed before, caring about handling goes out the window; it is all about processing as many as you can as fast as you can. UPS, like Walmart, has great Industrial Engineers scrutinizing every second of every day to minimize costs and maximize efficiency of movement, so boxes like as shown by the OP have become the norm for now sadly. Luckily, since that said explosives, nothing happened, but it will only take a few incidents and we could see ammo/powder/primer shipments curtailed without some order from the Left - all to satisfy our desire for wanting everything "yesterday"

[stagpanther]

On the plus side, the purpose of packaging is to protect the contents, and take the "hit" so the stuff inside doesn't. SO a banged up box with the stuff inside ok means it worked as intended.

I've noticed lately that shippers are cutting back on packaging materials--more often than not most stuff I get now is simply tossed into a box with maybe some brown paper or a few green plastic bubbles tossed in around it--no longer are heavier or easily damaged things individually wrapped or double-boxed to mitigate damage. About 50% of the barrels I order now will penetrate one end of the box as it "slingshots" through it. Often the packaging and shipping charges are quite high even if materials used are minimal. EA Brown has a very nice box specifically made for retaining barrels, one reason I started ordering barrels from them.

[nhyrum]

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

On the plus side, the purpose of packaging is to protect the contents, and take the "hit" so the stuff inside doesn't. SO a banged up box with the stuff inside ok means it worked as intended.

Which is how they think of it... Which means it's a race to see who can beat more customers stuff to pieces but not break stuff THAT bad...

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[7.62 man]

Originally Posted by nhyrum

It's usually the handlers/loaders that are rough on packages. Never made sense to me... "Hey, this box has a sticker on it that says explosive on it... Hey bill, go long"

At the last place I worked at, we got a device (sold/fixed commercial/business printers) that CLEARLY had labels on all 5 visible sides saying not to stack anything on it, in big works on a 11x17 sheet of paper. It was PAINFULLY clear that they set something on it. They weren't very happy when we told them we now had a $20,000 paper weight and that it was their fault.

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LOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJKcdlj-Uiw

[std7mag]

Always inspect BEFORE signing!

[FITASC]

Sign what? The drivers just leave it; you're lucky if they even knock or ring the bell.

[Unclenick]

It costs extra to request a signature, and if you've signed a waiver to let them leave things at the door, that won't happen even if it is requested by the sender.

About the only way I know to address this is feedback to the senders about their packaging failures. Send photo to whomever you purchased that from on an FYI basis.

[ghbucky]

UPS won't let the customer sign anymore due to Covid. At first they were delivering the package to a person, but it has 'evolved' into just drop and run.

[edit] doesn't hazmat require a signature (normally)?

[Unclenick]

Ahh. I didn't realize that was policy. It explains the three different packages misdelivered to my home rather than the address on the label over the last couple of months.

[PocketCamera]

Hazmat delivery regulations REQUIRE that the driver of the delivery driver personally hand the package to the recipeient, or a person at the recipients address and have them sign for it.

THAT is what MIDWAYUSA and Cabelas explained to me. Actually the signature is the REASON for the 20$ hazmat fee. yeah, its not to make sure it goes into ground only delivery/transport, but simply a mandatory fee for the purchaser to pay, in order to have the delivery guy get your signature.

i have never actually had to sign for a hazmat package for anything shooting related. I did have to sign for caustic chemicals used for taxadermy once.

ive had so much primers and powders simply tossed into puddles on rainy days its not funny.

nothing like coming home and finding a package of powder UNDER the eaves on a rainy day..

[stagpanther]

i haven't signed for anything other than express/registered mail since the epidemic started--i simply had to be there for the hand-off for signature required items. I don't think any of my hazmat packages--including from Midway--required a signature.

[Marco Califo]

My HazMat packages are always left on my porch by UPS or FedEx. No signature. HazMat is just a sticker; it's a scam.
Midsouth Shooters Supply only charges $16. Sticker is the same size.
HazMat Regulations??? Yeah, I drive the posted speed limit, too!

[stagpanther]

Frankly, these days I'm surprised hazmat packages arrive without some signs of bubba applying a cigarette lighter to them "Hey Bill, let's see what happens..."