[AX-O]

Quick question guys. I just got off an aircraft carrier so I am not home yet. My slow build fuse was delivered today by FedEX. It was offloaded by them and my fianc?e signed for it. She sent me a picture and it shows a big red arrow pointing down. Is my crate upside down?

 

[rv8_builder]

Red arrow up

Axel,

All our crates arrived with the red arrow pointing up.

If I remember correctly the slow build fuse was so well packed that it wouldn't really matter if the crate was turned upside down.

Hope you don't have any damage.

 

[plehrke]

Arrow means up

All arrows should be up. If they are still making the crates the same, you will need to roll it over as the fuselage is bolted to the bottom of the pallet. Top comes off easy. Good luck and have fun.

 

[Rick6a]

........ My slow build fuse was delivered today by FedEX.....it shows a big red arrow pointing down......

The arrows should be pointing up. Apparently some shippers are dyslextic. Here's my first view of the slow build fuse crate as the ABF trucker gets ready to unload it. Not shown is a hole punched through a corner of the crate, apparently with a fork lift and the two spanwise reinforcing strips were that were attached to crate bottom either sheered off.....or removed so they could better lean the crate up against the side of the local delivery truck! Luckily, no damage was incurred.

 

[Jamie]

The arrows should be pointing up. Apparently some shippers are dyslextic. Here's my first view of the slow build fuse crate as the ABF trucker gets ready to unload it. Not shown is a hole punched through a corner of the crate, apparently with a fork lift and the two spanwise reinforcing strips were that were attached to crate bottom either sheered off.....or removed so they could better lean the crate up against the side of the local delivery truck! Luckily, no damage was incurred.

Wow Rick. That's exactly my story.

This is my builders log entry from July 2004 when I received my wing kit via ABF.

It's absolutely amazing to me how irresponsible some folks are regarding their jobs. When at ABF, they had to get a driver to pull the trailer containing the kit over to the dock. It started pouring down so the nice lady working there invited us up into the dock to get out of the rain. We watch them pull the truck up and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. There's the box with the skins in it, standing up on it's edge! You see, the Van's crating people paint big freakin' dollar signs and up arrows all over these crates and the people STILL don't get it. I complained to the guy working there and he asked what it was. My thought was that it shouldn't matter since any numbskull should know what dollars signs and up arrows mean! He then wrote a note on the bill of lading that I had to sign. After getting home, it appeared as though everything was ok.​

Full story here:
http://rv.jpainter.org/?view=entry&date=2004-07-29

 

[bullojm1]

Quick question guys. I just got off an aircraft carrier so I am not home yet. My slow build fuse was delivered today by FedEX. It was offloaded by them and my fianc?e signed for it. She sent me a picture and it shows a big red arrow pointing down. Is my crate upside down?

Axel-

I wouldn't worry about it too much. For my RV-7 fuse, everything was packed very well. It's not like there is something heavy on the bottom and lighter stuff on top. With all the packing material on the fuse, I think you don't have anything to worry about.

The only kit I would be upset about being upside down would be the finish kit. It would suck to have a landing gear crash into your canopy!

 

[Brantel]

Inspect everything and call Barb quick if there is any damage.

Mine had a twisted and dented bottom cabin skin and a dented pushrod tube.

It seems that most of these freight companies care less about markings on boxes. All my boxes were shipped via ABF and each of them were trashed in the process. Vans does an excellent job and that helps minimize the damage but sometimes it is just plan luck that something does not get damaged.

When I arrived at the ABF terminal to pickup my fuse kit, the box was standing on end. Long ways up! All the heavy stuff inside pushed sideways and bent up the skin that was rolled into a tube inside.

I will never use ABF again for anything. It is great how these freight companies pay for Tony P.'s marketing. He should stay busy from now on with the way these other companies treat our kits.

 

[claycookiemonster]

And one more thing

READ the Information packet on the outside of the box! If you go randomly unscrewing things and taking apart the box you can release supports that are holding up the top of the box, and they'll drop onto your fuse before you even get it open! You don't want your first view to include a dent you created.
Best of Luck,
Clay Cook
N838CM reserved

 

[Rick S.]

I wouldn't worry too much...FedEx ground just backed up real fast and hit the brakes...my kit came flying out and landed just shy of the garage. I'm kidding of course....My kit was packed very well, if it had been rolled over a few times I really think it would have come through OK. I think since Van's is in Oregon they just love to kill many many trees to get the packing paper used to fill all the spaces in that big ol' box. It's the forklifts and pallet jacks you REALLY need to worry about. The operators of that equipment I swear try to see how many holes thay can poke in a box.

 

[hydroguy2]

The $$$'s painted on the boxes are Forklift driver shorthand, it means "insert fork here".