"Fragile" "keep up" "RUSH" What does this mean to the drivers?

redspot321 · 07/24/2007, 01:28 PM

What do these words mean to the truck drivers of the shipping compaines? Is there any use of going through the time to write these things on the box?

I figure just about every box get treated the same. Is there any one out there with inside information about the shipping buisness? Im just curious!

trigger111 · 07/24/2007, 02:06 PM

I work for UPS, however not so much on the handling of boxes anymore. But the labels "fragile" "This side up" and "rush" mean almost nothing because 1 of every 2 boxes has one of these labels. When you see thousands of boxes a day it is very easy to develop blindness to it. Just like when on the internet very few people notice the banner ads that are blinking right in front of their face. However, I think it is worth it to write it on there because when I did see the word fragile I was more careful and from what I saw others were also. But the only label that grabs any oneâ€™s attention at UPS or FedEx is a hazmat label.

HBtank · 07/24/2007, 02:16 PM

I think it would provide some leverage if said shipping company does damage the contents...

ACBlinky · 07/24/2007, 02:38 PM

I read a thread here once where someone actually mentioned that to some drivers, writing 'Fragile' on a package is equivalent to writing 'kick me' - I guess these are the disgruntled guys, but apparently there are drivers who will deliberately mishandle packages marked with these labels.

mjdlonghorn · 07/24/2007, 02:53 PM

ACBlinky, that is true. From my experience working at UPS the guys get a big thrill out of drop kicking packages marked dell and fragile.

If something is really important then you need to pack it so that it is bomb proof. This would mean double boxing it with plenty of peanuts and insulation between the boxes.

Special instructions like this side up mean nothing. Those packages get thrown around by conveyor machines.

trigger111 · 07/24/2007, 03:17 PM

I just remembered something I always thought was really dumb of any live goods supplier to do. If you have ever ordered anything from liveaquaria, MD live, or any other live goods online company they put on the box "careful live fish" or something to that effect. To some of the people that I have worked with that would translate to "Please shake me".

07/24/2007, 01:28 PM	#1
redspot321 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: palm bay fl Posts: 1,711	"Fragile" "keep up" "RUSH" What does this mean to the drivers? What do these words mean to the truck drivers of the shipping compaines? Is there any use of going through the time to write these things on the box? I figure just about every box get treated the same. Is there any one out there with inside information about the shipping buisness? Im just curious!

07/24/2007, 02:16 PM	#3
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	I think it would provide some leverage if said shipping company does damage the contents... __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

07/24/2007, 02:38 PM	#4
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	I read a thread here once where someone actually mentioned that to some drivers, writing 'Fragile' on a package is equivalent to writing 'kick me' - I guess these are the disgruntled guys, but apparently there are drivers who will deliberately mishandle packages marked with these labels. __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

07/24/2007, 02:06 PM	#2
trigger111 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: IA Posts: 105	I work for UPS, however not so much on the handling of boxes anymore. But the labels "fragile" "This side up" and "rush" mean almost nothing because 1 of every 2 boxes has one of these labels. When you see thousands of boxes a day it is very easy to develop blindness to it. Just like when on the internet very few people notice the banner ads that are blinking right in front of their face. However, I think it is worth it to write it on there because when I did see the word fragile I was more careful and from what I saw others were also. But the only label that grabs any oneâ€™s attention at UPS or FedEx is a hazmat label.

07/24/2007, 02:53 PM	#5
mjdlonghorn Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 108	ACBlinky, that is true. From my experience working at UPS the guys get a big thrill out of drop kicking packages marked dell and fragile. If something is really important then you need to pack it so that it is bomb proof. This would mean double boxing it with plenty of peanuts and insulation between the boxes. Special instructions like this side up mean nothing. Those packages get thrown around by conveyor machines.

07/24/2007, 03:17 PM	#6
trigger111 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: IA Posts: 105	I just remembered something I always thought was really dumb of any live goods supplier to do. If you have ever ordered anything from liveaquaria, MD live, or any other live goods online company they put on the box "careful live fish" or something to that effect. To some of the people that I have worked with that would translate to "Please shake me".