Complete Shipping Failure

[RoboMom]

Originally Posted by Nuttyman54

I'd actually recommend sending complaints to FIRST as well as the shipping company, since they're the organization that is contracting the shipping, not the teams. Not to mention they've probably got more pull with the shipping company.

My suggestion would be to write a concise explanation of what you see as the problem. Have your mentor(s) attend your local team forum (should be held during the last two weeks of May) to hand this in. If your mentor(s) cannot attend, send this explanation to FIRST, Attn: team support. That way FIRST can try to address these issues, see if there is a pattern.

There are many layers and parties involved in shipping. Teams, FedEx, local drayage, SES.

If you have a Senior Mentor, also send to them.

[wsansewjs]

After reading all this and learned the horror stories of the crates being damaged, I have to say that Fedex and the drayage company is the only one who is NOT executing Gracious and Professionalism.

I am proud of you guys dealt & pick up the stree and fix your own robot and do the right thing by contacting FIRST. Its really common sense for the guys at drayage company to think that there are over 500 robots built by students that cost $$$ flying all over the places need to be handled VERY careful unfortunately they aren't. This is why you come in here and tell us about so the entire FIRST community can help you guys the best we can. We are not the families of competiting robot teams, but we are a family of Gracious and Professionalism, because we know it better than anyone in the world.

-WJS
Team Resistance #86
Webmaster/Mentor

[Kevin Sevcik]

I can beat you all. After LSR, 57's crate just disappeared for about a week. Yellow Freight said they'd given it to Fed Ex. Fed Ex said they never got it, and it was nowhere to be found at the arena. Then it just magically appeared at Fed Ex and got to our shop, also in Houston, shortly after. Granted we've ended up with a crate, eventually, but I was pretty worried about the large amount of expensive tools we had packed in that crate.

[StephLee]

Here's an interesting story to which I STILL don't know the exact details:

Last season, our robot was supposed to be shipped home after Chesapeake. We're west of Annapolis. SOMEHOW, our robot and crate wound up (together, thankfully!!) in NEW JERSEY, the opposite direction. This wouldn't have been incredibly odd, but the 'bot STAYED there for several weeks, with no explanation that I ever heard. A few members of the team experienced some painful "seperation anxiety" while Meshach took a detour...

[JaneYoung]

A few members of the team experienced some painful "seperation anxiety" while Meshach took a detour...[/quote]


AWWWW -

[Rickertsen2]

I have worked in a shipping and receiving department before and have seen some pretty incredible damage. On one occasion fedex actually managed to break a solid steel control arm that belonged to a Ford Explorer. I don't see how that is possible short of running it over with something. Another time, we received a shippment of rusted sheet metal brackets, in a waterfilled bag with an appology note taped to it. Other times packages would simply disappear or come in with boxes mangled beyond belief.

[Cody Carey]

Originally Posted by Adam Richards

Because every team has the resources to hire a lawyer to work on them getting back money that won't even cover court and legal costs, right?

http://powerstandards.com/FedExVerdict/
http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/consumer/a/fedexpays.htm

Nope, wouldn't even come close to covering court costs, right adam?


Every team has a right to be treated fairly, and if it takes one team taking legal action to show FedEx that we are paying customers, then so be-it.
I have no doubt hat FIRST tries to stamp out the damage caused by deliveries every time it happens and somebody complains to them, but what they do obviously isn't showing FedEx anything, because it keeps on happening.

Note to adam: Next time, please don't respond to something that I've posted in a rude/demeaning way, because I am not trying to argue... Only to have my opinion be known.

[UlTiMaTeP]

I recommend not shipping batteries in the crate it has caused our crate to be overweight twice. Take the batteries to comp via someone driving, it is a lot cheaper than having to pay overweight charges. We made a lighter crate this year, we were over 400 because our crate alone was weighing in close to 250. Also they do make composite skids and crates that can come apart and are very light, it is a good investment. Normal wear and tear and objects that protrude are obviously gonna be hit, scraped or broken. Remember FIRST and FedEx sometimes stack crates, you must design your crate with the ability to withstand 1000 pounds on top of it.

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by UlTiMaTeP

Remember FIRST and FedEx sometimes stack crates, you must design your crate with the ability to withstand 1000 pounds on top of it.

Which is as good a reason as any to mark the crate "Do not stack", "This side up" (with an arrow), etc..

[UlTiMaTeP]

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

Which is as good a reason as any to mark the crate "Do not stack", "This side up" (with an arrow), etc..

They will still be stacked

[yodameister]

Originally Posted by UlTiMaTeP

I recommend not shipping batteries in the crate it has caused our crate to be overweight twice. Take the batteries to comp via someone driving, it is a lot cheaper than having to pay overweight charges. We made a lighter crate this year, we were over 400 because our crate alone was weighing in close to 250. Also they do make composite skids and crates that can come apart and are very light, it is a good investment. Normal wear and tear and objects that protrude are obviously gonna be hit, scraped or broken. Remember FIRST and FedEx sometimes stack crates, you must design your crate with the ability to withstand 1000 pounds on top of it.

Unfortunately, some teams cannot drive. For us to go to Nationals it is a 1720 mile drive one way...not big savings of $$$. The thought has crossed my mind to drive there anyway so we can have all of our tools, extra batteries, extra raw materials, etc.

[Mr. Freeman]

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

Which is as good a reason as any to mark the crate "Do not stack", "This side up" (with an arrow), etc..

6.3.2 Crate Specifications
All Crates must:
• NEW: Comply with the Wood Materials Regulations above if the crate ships into the U.S.
• Weigh 400 pounds or less in order to avoid drayage overage charges
• Be sturdily built to prevent damage to your equipment
• Have plywood construction to ensure stacking capability during transport
• "Sit" on 2 pieces of 4" by 4" lumber, spaced at least 28" apart so it can be moved by a forklift.
• Have a footprint no greater than 4' by 4' and be no taller than 5'10" (70") high. This maximum
includes the 4" by 4" lumber mentioned above.
• Be capable of being moved by a forklift

...

[UlTiMaTeP]

While most of my team(s) fly, We always designate one person to drive to tow the trailer(s)

[AV_guy007]

i personally have not had very good luck with FedEx about a year ago i ordered about $800 of audio equipment from 2 separate places. the arrived on separate days. the first shipment was a rack amp that was very sturdy and very well packed. when i received it there was a large dent in it as well as striped and broken screws. luckily it was covered by the warranty. the second shipment came a few days later from a completely different direction. in the boxes were 2 very large speakers. the first i opened did not strike me as damaged(i later discovered some damage to the casters on the base). the second had a hole that i could stick my hand through going through several layers of cardboard a plywood base that the speakers were siting on and the actual speaker. the grate and woofer had been completely ripped out of the speaker cabinet and internal parts were lose inside the speaker. what shocked me even more was the fact that the casters were almost completely flattened (they are very Hevay duty, the speaker weighs like 80 pounds.) the metal was bent and the plastic wheels were crushed to me this meant that they must have been dropped from fairly high and wee also impaled by something.

i found it strange that 2 packages from 2 different states that were delivered on 2 separate dates could both be damaged so badly.i eventually got a refund on shipping and to my surprise made the store i ordered them from pay for the speakers!claming they were already broken.

[UlTiMaTeP]

Big companies ship from multiple places. The damage sounds more like improper packing than anything.