Hey guys,
Im the team leader at Team 3022, a second year team here at FIRST, and it seems I have an issue for our team. Every year at the kickoff, we were given a robotics envelope and are told that this is important. For these past two weeks now, we have torn apart our workshop and houses looking for this envelope. After these two weeks of searching and re-searching, we have given up.
What I’m asking is that is there a way we can check if we were given the envelope in the first place? (If I remember, specific envelopes were assigned to teams, so if ours was never given, it should be somewhere right?)
If not, then is there a way in which we can obtain another, if possible?
And lastly, what can I do if I can’t obtain another envelope, and cant find it? (Is my team disqualified if this happens?)
Thanks in advance for the help,
Chris from Team 3022
The envelope is a sealed FedEx envelope that should (as far as I know) have your team number on it and contains the bill of lading that FedEx requires in order for your team to receive the shipping donation.
If you can’t find it, you’re not disqualified, you just have to pay for shipping.
I’ve been looking at Section 10 of the Manual for the last couple of years. Yes, it is a FedEx envelope.
Yes, it was listed in the 2008 and 2009 Manuals.
No, it is not listed in the 2010 Manual. (It should be, if it’s with the KOP.)
However: Section 4 of the 2010 Manual says that you will get this with the KOP.
4.7.1 says:
• Teams will receive their BILLS OF LADING with the Kit of Parts in January. The BILLS OF LADING will be packaged in a FedEx Express envelope with your team number on the front. Once your team signs off on their Kit of Parts receipt, YOU are responsible for keeping track of your BILLS OF LADING.
• Treat your BILLS OF LADING like gold! The FedEx donation can save your team several hundred dollars on shipping your robot. FIRST will not provide replacement BILLS OF LADING for teams that lose, forget or otherwise fail to properly use their shipping paperwork.
At this point, talk to whoever was in charge of the handout at your event. You should have gotten it; they’ll hopefully be able to remember if an envelope or two was forgotten. If it wasn’t, follow the trail of the envelope: Who went to the kickoff in whose vehicle? Do they remember placing it anywhere (hopefully not on top of the vehicle…)? Did anyone see it in the shop? Who else has access to the shop? All those questions can help narrow the area to tear apart.
Ok, thanks, however I have one last question.
Are we allowed to ship it ourselves? As in, put our bot in a truck, and drive it over to where ever we’re supposed to ship it through Fedex?
At this point, somebody on your team (say, the Main Shipping Contact) really needs to read Section 4 of the Manual thoroughly. Because you now don’t have your FedEx donation unless that envelope turns up, you need to know how to get your robot to drayage and home from drayage.
As I recall, some drayage sites will only accept vehicles that fit a loading dock—so contact your regional director or [email protected] to verify your regional’s arrangement.