Warning - new USPS Flat Rate Boxes cheeped-out

[Packard V8]

WARNING - The USPS has cheapened their Flat Rate Boxes, especially the Small version. I just got a new shipment and they are JUNK!

The cardboard is now about half as thick as it formerly was. The adhesive which holds the flap closed sticks to the pull strip, so the adhesive pulls off and you're left with just fuzzy cardboard on the flap.

I packed one solidly, wrapped it with what should have been enough clear packing tape and the USPS managed to kill it en route and sent my GJ buyer a "Sorry about that, but it's your problem to chase down what was in the box. Fill out these forms and pray."

The bad news is we have to use their boxes to get the Flat Rate, which is very economical for heavy tool shipments, but the boxes are just such **** now, they won't hold together with heavy tools in them. Talk about your Catch-22!

Buy lots of good 3M Shipping Tape. You're gonna need a pound on each of these new boxes.

thnx, jack vines

 

[alex71]

They key is to wrap the edges with tape (the edges are perforated now for some reason). If you have to, wrap the whole thing with tape. use two layers if you need to. I have crammed as much as 11lbs of hardware into one of these (yes, the new cheap style) and have had it arrive intact. Still a bargain if you can manage to fill it right.

 

[vartz04]

i just shipped 24 lugnuts in a small one with just 4 pieces of packing tape added to it and it got there no problem, 24 lugnus weigh quite a bit.

 

[Delray]

If there is room I line the box with heavy cardboard. Then lots of tape.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

thats cause everybody stole the good ones and turned them inside out
home depot has great cardboard boxes on the cheap

 

[tcheat]

I received one that formerly held a new Snap On S936. It was empty, but came in a plastic envelope with a note from the Postmaster saying that he was sorry.

I insure everything that I send via USPS, and I don't use them unless I have to do so. UPS and FedEx cost more, but to me it is worth it.

 

[norry]

I've had bad experiences with both UPS and USPS. Insurance claim was pretty painful with both, although in fairness, both did end up paying. It should have been open-and-shut both times... USPS launched a package clearly marked "FRAGILE" over a 6 foot fence onto concrete, and UPS managed to break a piece off of a double-boxed amplifier, with the inner box being the factory original.

I've seen the inside-out boxes too... and that was from a rather large business shipping car parts to me.

 

[G-force]

The company I work for has manufactured the flat rate boxes for many years. I have not heard anything about a change of strength or design. They were always made with a EC32E singlewall corrugated. Our Wa. facility now manufactures 100% of the FRB's. I will look into this. Very intertesting...

 

[bmwpower]

The company I work for has manufactured the flat rate boxes for many years. I have not heard anything about a change of strength or design. They were always made with a EC32E singlewall corrugated. Our Wa. facility now manufactures 100% of the FRB's. I will look into this. Very intertesting...

Yea, let us know. Should be interesting.

 

[Bull]

I love getting the inside scoop

The company I work for has manufactured the flat rate boxes for many years. I have not heard anything about a change of strength or design. They were always made with a EC32E singlewall corrugated. Our Wa. facility now manufactures 100% of the FRB's. I will look into this. Very intertesting...

 

[paranoid56]

waaaa waaaa my free boxes are the uber high quality LOL. dude, they are free. i havew been using flat and other boxes from USPS for years and i always just put once piece of tape over the flap and thats it. never needed more for anything. I think you are over thinking these things LOL

also, the large and med boxes are jsut the same as they always been. now the small box is now the flat rate small box and there does seem to use thinner material but its still not bad, its the smallest one. its not like you are going to put 70lbs in there

 

[Mr_fixit]

The medium box is now thinner than it was. Kind of reminds me of China cardboard.

Double Em up!

 

[Merkava_4]

I received one that formerly held a new Snap On S936. It was empty, but came in a plastic envelope with a note from the Postmaster saying that he was sorry.

The Postmaster got himself a real nice ratchet.

 

[IDASHO]

The prices have been on the increase for sure too.

I remember when they first came out with the flat rate priority boxes.... less than $5 for ANY size.

Not the case any more.

Still a smoking deal most of the time though.

 

[bmwpower]

Just saw the news...

USPS is expecting to lose $7 billion this year.
28 billion LESS pieces of mail than last year.

Be glad they still give out boxes for free. If the competition didn't, I bet you they would get rid of that free service.

 

[G-force]

For anyone who might find this interesting, here is the company I work for that makes a lot of the USPS FRB's. I'm a shift supervisor. Check out the video. You might find it interesting, and it covers the USPS boxes.

Video Tour

 

[tcheat]

The Postmaster got himself a real nice ratchet.

My youngest agrees with you, Merk. This weekend I was in the garage working on a project and my 6 year old daughter wanted to help. I asked her to pick out a ratchet. She bypassed the Proto Big Dawg, SK, Craftsman RHFTs and even a Facom to pick out my S936. Gotta love that kid.

 

[Danglerb]

Wrap the contents in plastic, or a plastic bag, then securely tape the plastic or bag to the inside of the section of the box where the address goes, then assemble the box and tape closed normally.

 

[nate379]

For the longest time it was $9.40 for them. Now they are $10.35 for the small one and close to $12 for the bigger one.

1/2 the time I use them even if it costs more cause I don't feel like trying to find a box.

The prices have been on the increase for sure too.

I remember when they first came out with the flat rate priority boxes.... less than $5 for ANY size.

Not the case any more.

Still a smoking deal most of the time though.

Shipping insurnace pisses me off.

If I pay $100 for a mechnic to do work on my car, I expect the work to be done and I won't think of getting insurance to make sure. In fact I would laugh in his face if he asked me.

If I pay $100 to ship a package, why whould I get insurance to make sure that they do their job?

 

[Skyline]

My son and I shipped about 1000 priority mail packages in the last year, and not one got lost or damaged. I do not like the thought of the cheapened boxes though.

You might try ordering flat rate boxes from eBay. With the exception of adding a small logo, they are the same. Maybe they use different cardboard.

 

[Coach James]

thats cause everybody stole the good ones and turned them inside out
home depot has great cardboard boxes on the cheap

Ok I'm slow. Why would someone steal a box and turn it inside out?

Coach

 

[nate379]

So you can mail it without paying as it was a flat rate box.

 

[Major Ramifications]

Ok I'm slow. Why would someone steal a box and turn it inside out?

Coach

Also, to get free packages for the goods that they sell. I have seen dealers at gun shows who use USPS boxes inside out to package ammunition that they load. I would not buy from such a dealer.

Also, Gforce,
Thanks for the video tour. It is nice to see that there is still manufacturing in the U.S.A. You guys do make some quality boxes.

 

[Coach James]

Ok now I get it. Geez I am slow.

Coach

 

[Packard V8]

The sleazeballs were using stealing so many boxes, now all the latest USPS boxes have "Priority Mail" printed on the inside as well.

Here's a prediction - The days of the good Flat Rate Box deals for shipping tools are gone. First, they raised the rates, now the boxes get too flimsy to hold tools, soon, the price goes sky high.

thnx, jack vines

 

[eborcim]

Dangler has it correct, loose items kill the box.

 

[G-force]

now all the latest USPS boxes have "Priority Mail" printed on the inside as well.

This is correct.

 

[-B-]

Boxes must be fill to be considered packed properly failure to do so is the shippers responsibility for the lost items. If you shake a box and it makes noise it is not packed correctly. failing to pack things properly is the number one reason for box breakage, loss or damage. It is the packers responsibility to ensure that every thing is packed correctly more times than not they are not.

 

[Packard V8]

FWIW, the Small Flat Rate Box was solidly packed with nut drivers and accessories. Absolutely no empty space, no rattles and it had more tape than I normally use. Since boxes of tools are heavier than usual shipments, more than once, I've seen a counter person pick up mine with two fingers, can't hold on to it and it hits the concrete floor from four feet up before it even reaches the first sorting bin. Now I always warn them its heavy as I hand it over.

Fact remains, the gauge of cardboard and the adhesive in the current boxes are vastly inferior to those in the recent past.

thnx, jack vines

 

[FNFS2000]

Most of the ones I see come from orange county container. Have noticed lags in quality, seems like they are increasing the use of recycled paper in them seems like everything with recycled paper comes out like **** wipe.

Ever since I started seeing the "cradle to cradle" (whatever the heck that is supposed to mean, I thought a cradle was what a baby slept in), the material has turned to soft poo. Thats it they are using recycled diapers.