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Shipping Hardware Cross-Country?
ae0nflx asks: "I just graduated from High School and the computer that my parents gave me four years ago has finally died. I've decided to spend all that money that I've been hoarding for a few summers on a new G5. The problem lies in the fact that for college I'll be moving to the East Coast (Upstate New York), from the foggy shores of the San Francisco Bay. Does anyone have any insight on how to ship my brand new machine cross country? Cheap would be good. I'll be flying back in late August and I don't think that I'll be able to take her back with me because I'm assuming she'll be a little big for the overhead bin... I'm not sure if I can trust this to the Postal Service alone." It may not be the same as shipping the big iron, but when you trust your hardware to any shipping company, be it Federal Express, or UPS, you do have the expectations that what you ship, will get to where it's going, and hopefully get there in one piece. Which shipping companies would you recommend for this job? For those who have done this, what experiences have you had, and what suggestions can you pass on to ae0nflx?
First, just hold off on that purchase until you move. That'll eliminate the problem entirely.
If you're not willing to do that, save the boxes. Most machines (and Macs for certain) come in large styrofoam-lined boxes that can handle a lot of abuse.
When you ship, the important rules are:
Rattling is your enemy.
Rigid and brittle is your enemy.
Make sure that nothing in the box can bang into anything else in the box. Gently loosen (but don't remove!) any non-critical screws that make the inside more rigid (add-on card screws, for example), but ensure that anything that holds important parts in place (hard drive screws, etc.) is tight.
When you ship, take it to a mailing place like Mailboxes Etc. They'll charge you $30 for a box and shipping material, but then they'll pack it well and ensure that it's shipped with appropriate labels. For a $3000 computer, that's a bargain.
Finally, do a thorough inspection of your machine when it arrives. Ensure that every internal cable is attached, every screw is in place and tightened, every bit of packing material is removed, etc.
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I often wonder how the hell things like this actually get posted, but oh well...
Keep the original packaging. Preferably all of it, but at the very least the box and styrofoam inserts. And if you ever think you'll need to ship it again afterwards then you'd better continue to keep that box.
If the box is in crap condition, or you're just overly paranoid, then pack it again in a second, slightly larger box cushioned with styrofoam peanuts. If you're looking to get these on the cheap, go to a local recycling center -- mine will provide styrofoam peanuts for free. You may be able to pickup a good box for free as well, but they usually crush them pretty rapidly.
Prior to shipping, make a backup, or just accept that you may never get the data back -- misdelivery, crashed drive (highly unlikely), etc. It's not a high likelihood, but if you're paranoid...
When you receive it, unpack it carefully and then open the case. Make sure all the cards and the CPU are seated securely. Make sure fans are plugged in. Only after that should you turn it on... modern heatsink/fans are so large they often cause the CPU to become unsocketed or wiggle the fan connector lose (which leads to a dead CPU in no time).
Who to ship with? FedEx or UPS. Doesn't matter. I've had problems with both, and I've had excellent experiences with both. Don't use the USPS, and don't use 3rd or 4th tier providers. They're really not all that expensive. Pack it yourself, take it to a local facility (not Mailboxes, etc (which is now owned by UPS) or similar). Yes, there's one near you unless you live in the boonies -- where do you think they deliver from in the first place? If you go online and have your package weight, dimensions, and declared value you can get a good idea how much it'll cost too -- although the last time I did this it cost me less than what the estimate said.
During delivery keep a sharp eye on the tracking number -- you can use a phone if you don't have a computer. If something looks wrong (like they say it's delivered, but it's not) then start complaining -- preferably at the local delivery center in person.
Make sure you require a signature. Make sure you're there to get the delivery. Or simply request it be held at the delivery center and go pick it up yourself (which is what I prefer to do).
Oh, and if you don't have the original packaging -- well, don't expect much. I wouldn't trust it to a delivery company at that point, and even if you put insurance on it you won't be able to collect since they'll very easily be able to claim improper packaging. Start seriously considering a cross country road trip.
First off, the estimated ship date for the new machines is August. My experience with Apple is that these dates are often wishful thinking, so there is a good chance you will get to school before it is ever shipped. So since you'll likely arrive at school before your system, have it delivered there, or better yet just pick it up from a local dealer.
Second, you may wish to wait and check with your school. Many universities have arrangements with Apple as well as some other vendors. You may be able to purchase your system through the campus bookstore at a discount, and without the aggravation of shipping.
Assuming you do actually take delivery at home and then need to ship, save ALL of the original packing materials. These are good enought to ship in. In addition some carriers, UPS in particular will try to wiggle on an insurance claim if they damage your system and its not packed with the original materials.
As far as carriers go, I've used them all to ship systems as well as a variety of other items. UPS is by far the hardest on packages. I've had good results with FedEx (their ground service is just as cheap as UPS), DHL (now part of Fedex), and Airborne Express. Depending on where you are, how fast you need it, and your budget, any of these should be fine. My personal choice would be Fedex, as I've had very few problems ever with them.
Finally as has been mentioned by others, if you do insist on shipping, declare the full value on the manifest and pay the extra few bucks for insurance up to the full replacement cost of the system.
If privacy had a tombstone it would read "We did it for your own good" . -- John Twelve Hawks
I work for one of the big shipping companies, and am posting anonymously for that reason. I offer the following advice:
1) Make sure it is packaged in at least 2" of SOLID packing material. Peanuts, paper, and similar materials will not protect a computer. If bubble wrap is used, layer it generously. Add what you think is enough, then add at least two more layers. Sharp metal edges and corners destroy bubble wrap.
2) Pack the PC in the original shipping box if available, or another similar sized box if not. Then pack that box with solid packing material inside another box. Do not use a case box (the ones they ship new empty cases in) as the burst strength of those is only 25 pounds. The reccomended burst is at least twice the weight of the equipment.
3) Ship only with a company that will insure the value, and make sure you do not underinsure the equipment. Companies will only pay up to the insured value.
4) Take pictures of the packaging and the equipment before sealing and shipping. While most equipment packed in the above manner will make it intact, accidents do happen. Pictures help the investigating party settle claims faster.
5) Keep the tracking number somewhere it will not get lost. Without that number, the process for both tracking the package and making claims becomes much more difficult.
6) Ship through the shipper's own Customer Counter, a major shipping outlet (Office Depot, Mail Boxes Etc., Staples) and not Joe Bob's Authorized UPS Shipper.
7) Remove any removable parts (CD/DVD Drives, PCMCIA Cards, etc. and pack them in a smaller box inside the large box. This helps prevent damage from parts coming loose and shifting while on the airplane/truck.
Hope this helps!
Ok first of all, regardless of who you ship with, get insurance, and make sure that the person receiving the package has to sign for it, preferably while providing ID. Airborne in my experience has been the best here, as the UPS driver just leaves any package in front of the door, rings the doorbell, and runs back to his truck. If you run to the door, you may catch him leaving, but if you aren't home, anyone could pick up your package.
Either way, you should make sure you are there to pick up the package when it arrives, check the box requiring signature, insure it, and if convenient, tell the shipper to hold your item for pickup at their location. If they lose it at their location, you win. If you didn't sign for it, you win. All shippers have some bad drivers/handlers, and even if you know the particular driver for the destination, you should ALWAYS protect yourself from theft, damage, or other problems. Everything will probably be fine, but when it isn't, those who were the most cautious get their stuff back, and those who said "ship this here" will have a hard time getting anything back.
--That's the point of being root, you can do anything you want, even if it's stupid.
I work as a loader at UPS and I have a few comments.
1. Stuff gets misloaded. It ends up on the wrong truck. Right now our region is the top in the nation and we around 1 for 3000 misload rate. My shift handles between 55,000 and 75,000 boxes everynight this time of year. Stuff WILL be late some of the time. It just happens.
2. Stuff gets damaged. Not really all that much, but it happens at least once or twice a night on my belt. (My belt handles between 5,000 and 7,000 packages/night). We as loaders are expected to load approx 10 packages per minute or 1 every six seconds. We do not have time to insure that your box is treated perfectly well. We throw boxes (not computer boxes but little ones). Things get dropped. Boxes break open. My best advice is do what every one else has said. Take anything out that my be dislodged by droping the box. Put it in its original packing (we ship tons of apples everyday). I have never seen a computer box break open. And take the hard drive out.
3. If you ship something ground, it is going by train or truck. We do not put ground packages on a plane ever(that I know of). In fact most close destinations, we even ship the air packges by ground. We are not going to fly something if it is only a 4 hour drive away. That said, see the first comment. I have misloaded a package that was supposed to go by truck to another hub about 3 hours away. Instead it went to North Carolina (I work at Portland, OR). That package took 13 days after I loaded it to get to its destination.
So over all my best advice is this, we dont damage all that many packages, but it is enough. Just get insurance and you willl be fine.
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Yes, when you consider that he's making this trip in late August and the G5 he's purchasing isn't available until September 1 it seems pretty silly to worry about shipping an item he won't have yet to ship!
Assuming it was an issue, my advice would be to ship ground in the original packaging. With insurance.
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