Post by runamuckchuck on Dec 12, 2023 18:25:30 GMT
Regardless what is inside be it a train, stereo equipment, cameras, you name it does the condition of the shipping carton tell a great deal about how the contents inside were handled? Once I received a larger item clearly labeled as Fragile with the distinct image of a full boot/shoe print on the box. Yikes!
That memory was the overriding impetus for me to drive from the Washington DC area to Wheeling West Virginia several years ago to pick up a Pats' Trains special run MTH Standard Gauge set rather than have it shipped due to the size and weight.
At Pat's I watched the common carrier employee remove the pallets from his trailer, I could only smile at how pristine each and every box on those pallets looked while knowing that if the cartons appearance was any indication, the contents had been gently handled.
Recently several dealers have mentioned to me, (and I have seen) that some of the new train deliveries that they have received on pallets are in less than the pristine condition you would/could otherwise expect. Size or weight of the carton does not seem to be a factor.
I am not talking about slightly compressed corners or creases in the otherwise pristine shipper carton. I am talking about punctures, tears/rips in the cardboard, and black dirt/residue scuffing of the cardboard itself. Remember these are brand new cartons coming off a pallet, not individually shipped cartons that may have gotten snagged in a conveyor, thrown, kicked, dropped or otherwise abused in transit.
If the trains arrive on pallets at the 'manufacturers', and they arrive on pallets at the dealers something must be going on either at the factory (shipping already marred cartons) or at the manufacturer's warehouse. With all the automated and mechanized material handling equipment in use these days it is hard for me to figure out what could be going on.
Does anyone have any first hand knowledge or anecdotal information to share? Is there more 'hands on' handling of the product such as spot inspections, or some repairs being done once an item hits the 'manufacturer's' warehouse than in the past?
As one who still drives 100s of miles to pick up my heavy engines, and oversized car packs/sets even with free shipping available having an understanding of the tale my shipping carton tells is of interest at least to me.
That memory was the overriding impetus for me to drive from the Washington DC area to Wheeling West Virginia several years ago to pick up a Pats' Trains special run MTH Standard Gauge set rather than have it shipped due to the size and weight.
At Pat's I watched the common carrier employee remove the pallets from his trailer, I could only smile at how pristine each and every box on those pallets looked while knowing that if the cartons appearance was any indication, the contents had been gently handled.
Recently several dealers have mentioned to me, (and I have seen) that some of the new train deliveries that they have received on pallets are in less than the pristine condition you would/could otherwise expect. Size or weight of the carton does not seem to be a factor.
I am not talking about slightly compressed corners or creases in the otherwise pristine shipper carton. I am talking about punctures, tears/rips in the cardboard, and black dirt/residue scuffing of the cardboard itself. Remember these are brand new cartons coming off a pallet, not individually shipped cartons that may have gotten snagged in a conveyor, thrown, kicked, dropped or otherwise abused in transit.
If the trains arrive on pallets at the 'manufacturers', and they arrive on pallets at the dealers something must be going on either at the factory (shipping already marred cartons) or at the manufacturer's warehouse. With all the automated and mechanized material handling equipment in use these days it is hard for me to figure out what could be going on.
Does anyone have any first hand knowledge or anecdotal information to share? Is there more 'hands on' handling of the product such as spot inspections, or some repairs being done once an item hits the 'manufacturer's' warehouse than in the past?
As one who still drives 100s of miles to pick up my heavy engines, and oversized car packs/sets even with free shipping available having an understanding of the tale my shipping carton tells is of interest at least to me.
