[zkosslow]

Hey all!

I was curious as to whether you all preferred FedEx or UPS when shipping entries??  I've been homebrewing for ~6 years now and have been into competition brewing for the past 2 years successfully.

I pack the s*** out of my entries and think that I do a pretty decent job at padding them...however, I've always gone through FedEx and they have just now recently been breaking bottles and causing me headaches when shipping entries to competitions.

I wanted to know what your experiences were with either shipping company?  Maybe any particular tips that really helped decrease your breakage percentage other than "padding each bottle well"...maybe like a particular marking on the box, etc.  (I typically just put "This side up" with large arrows pointing to the top on each side).

[HoosierBrew]

I've had the best luck with UPS. "Gifts" is my go to.

[brewinhard]

Hey all!
 (I typically just put "This side up" with large arrows pointing to the top on each side).

Ha!  That only gives them reason to put the box upside down.

Anyone remember Jim K's post from last swap with that picture on there of his delivery?

[zkosslow]

Hey all!
 (I typically just put "This side up" with large arrows pointing to the top on each side).

Ha!  That only gives them reason to put the box upside down.

Anyone remember Jim K's post from last swap with that picture on there of his delivery?

Oh yeah?? Just to mess with people?!

[theDarkSide]

Never had a problem with UPS and I have a dropoff at work (but use my personal account to make the labels).

[pete b]

I would never expect "this side up" to be honored. I pack so it doesn't matter. Each bottle is individually bubble wrapped, not touching each other, and filled with enough packing material so that they can't move.
I use UPS and print my own label and have them pick up at work. So far so good: no breakages, returned packages, or questions.

[BrewArk]

At work, we had a terrible problem shipping product that would leak if left on it's side or upside down.  No matter how many arrows or labels we used, the product would arrive leaking.

We solved it - pretty much with human nature.  We put the products into buckets.  No UPS or FedEx driver will load a five gallon bucket on it's side - they just don't want the delay they'd get if there was that kind of leak.

Pretty much overkill I think, for a bottle going to a competition though.

[Joe Sr.]

Hey all!
 (I typically just put "This side up" with large arrows pointing to the top on each side).

Ha!  That only gives them reason to put the box upside down.

Anyone remember Jim K's post from last swap with that picture on there of his delivery?

I've had no problem with UPS.  Other than the upside down box left on my front steps.  The contents were just fine though.

[zkosslow]

BrewArk - that is actually a pretty solid idea!  Nice!  But yeah, not sure how practical it is for sending homebrew entries to comps though.

And yeah, I like how I'm seeing only positive things for UPS so far...I had a friend say they never had a broken bottle once they switched to UPS but part of me thought they wouldn't treat it any different than FedEx.  Maybe they do....

[narcout]

I've never had any bottles get broken, but I recently switched over to these shipping boxes and really like them (though I've only sent two of them out so far). 

They don't require any additional padding, are fully recyclable, and are easy and fast to pack.

http://spiritedshipper.com/product/89/three-beer-bottle-shipping-box

[Slowbrew]

I haven't shipped any yeast samples via either service but I have also never seen a video on the internet of a UPS driver throwing a flat screen TV over a 6' fence and calling it delivered.   

I've told my shipping horror stories from my personal computer manufacturing days so I won't bore everyone.  Suffice it to say they both have problems now and then and neither one is ever happy to pay an insurance claim (a direct quote "Your packing must be able to survive one, or more, of our trucks driving over it").

Paul

[zkosslow]

narcout - those are very interesting...thanks for the share!  I like the price.  Do you then put these boxes into a larger box so that the beer is kept upright instead of being handled on its side and all around??

Slowbrew - Ha yeah...right.  Yeast samples of course!

[narcout]

narcout - those are very interesting...thanks for the share!  I like the price.  Do you then put these boxes into a larger box so that the beer is kept upright instead of being handled on its side and all around??

The shipping on them is pretty pricey, but if you order 10 at a time they come out around $5 each, which isn't too bad.

I did not put them into a larger box. 

[tstrenuous10]

I've only used FedEx because it's close to my office and it's usually more reliable.  I've had UPS tell me they had to attempt delivery for packages three times before I could change anything. I don't like UPS and with FedEx I typically get text updates when something is left at my door. I like their website also. It's just a personal preference and I honestly wish people would use FedEx more but I assumes it's because it costs a few bucks more.

[Ellismr]

I've always used UPS.  Only had one shipment not make it over the past 3 years


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