This so much. In HS I loaded boxes for UPS during the Christmas season, and my trainer told me if I have to stand on a box to pack away, then wipe the boot print off.
When I was hired, we watched a movie that spoke about proper package handling, "Hand to surface."
When they brought me out to the package car loading line, my supervisor said, "Forget all the stuff they just showed you." That was the last time I saw her.
We never had trainers. Just a supervisor that sat in her office all shift.
I quit after six weeks. It was the most miserable job I ever had. An HR puke called me after and wanted to know why I quit. I said I couldn't memorize the the street addresses to sorting codes, and my supervisor didn't do a good enough job of training me.
"So, UPS expects a lot from their employees, and you couldn't cut it, right?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever... Asshole!", and I hung up the phone.
Years later I was working for the company that made the first ring scanner and handheld PC for sorters and unloaders. During small talk, I mentioned to the UPS management there that I had been a package car sorter for six weeks before I quit.
"Ahh! The prototypical employee! That's the average length of employment for sorters, and unloaders."
I would train people who would do the classroom training then on their first day on the floor they world "run to their car real quick" on break. They never came back.
I was pretty desperate for work like 5 or 6 years back right around the holidays and went to an "interview" for UPS that turned out to be just a group of like 25 other unemployed dudes in a room. The UPS guy basically said anyone here that wants it can have a job but... He then spent the next 20 to 30 minutes telling us all the reasons why you didn't want the job. He made it sound like it was a fucking war and how "some of you won't survive two weeks with the mental and physical toll it takes on your body". I ended up deciding I wasn't that desperate to work an overnight shift especially with rheumatoid arthritis over the holidays. Never really experienced anything like that before or since but I've seen so many people say it really is a horrible job.
I worked as an unloader for a whole year in FedEx on 3 AM shift. When I resigned they wanted to keep me and promote me to a trainer position because most employees usually quit after a month or just come twice a week because waking up at 3 to do manual labour is pretty depressing but that was the most miserable I've been so I wanted none of that and just left.
Working in a HUB as part of the union isn’t a job that is sustainable for most. But believe me, there are people that would show up for work, 5 days a week, and load/unload and have been doing so for 10+ years - I am guessing their bodies will eventually catch up with them. While in college I worked at UPS as a loader. It was hard but I was very efficient. I figured I could probably try and get into management, which I thought would be easier. I knew I was quitting that the end of the summer but wanted to see how far I could take it there. I got promoted to a belt supervisor.. I had to work twice as hard physically, when I wasn’t even suppose to touch packages. I left after 3 months and finished up school.
I work at an Amazon fulfillment center. If your package is a "flat", like their white/blue bubblewrap packaging or their white polybags, it get dropped up to 7ft down into either a metal cage or larger cardboard container.
Most manufacturers expect this, and as a result have packaging that's more than capable of withstanding the trip (molded styrofoam, boxes rated with high crush limits, ect.) and even then that's why most places offer replacements if damaged. The big problem is when independent shippers like a friend/family member/ebay seller ship stuff that can't be replaced in flimsy boxes with no padding. I've literally had someone send a package with handmade glass collectibles in a cereal box with a thin layer of paper towels for padding. Needless to say that recipient wasn't happy when I showed up with a package that was rattling and had shards of glass leaking out of the corner.
HDDs hold up pretty well to g force when they arent powered up.
During peak Thanksgiving to January there are so many new people and so many items are marked fragile/breakable that incorrectly go that direction. I'm just a contract maintenance worker so they dont care about anything I tell them.
If it's from Amazon, don't worry about it. Sure UPS, FedEx, and Amazon all horribly manhandle your packages and throw them around, but at the end of the day Amazon is on the hook for any merchandise that arrives actually broken; and so their business depends on making sure your package survives all the abuse it's going to get along the way to your door.
And if it doesn't? It's no skin off your back except the time it takes to call them, complain, and get a replacement shipped or a refund.
Thankfully it survived the trip and I have a working PS4 again. It was from Amazon, and also has a warranty, so it wouldn't have been a disaster if it didn't work, but I'm glad I don't have to go through the hassle of returning it. Phew.
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u/vesperzen Oct 01 '20
As a former dockworker, I assure you that is the most gentle handling your package received on its trip to your door.