| This study evaluated the UPS Ground shipping environment for large and heavy packages weighing up to 150 pounds. Four packages, identified as A, B, C, and D, (with A and B identical) were fitted with triaxial data recorders. The recorded data was processed to determine the equivalent drop height and velocity change of the impacts. The four packages originated from East Lansing, MI and were shipped the equivalent of 24 one-way trips via UPS Ground Service to destinations in Sunnyvale, CA, Duluth, GA, and Rochester, NY. Packages A and B weighed 46 pounds each, and received 370 drops greater than 3.0 inches and 274 impacts greater than 72.2 in./s. Resulting in an average of 8 drops and 7 impacts per shipment with 95% of the total drops occurring below 34 inches and 95% of the impacts below 210 in./s. Package C, weighing 72 pounds, encountered 173 drops and 147 impacts, 95% of the drops occurred below 32 inches and 95% of the impacts were below 180 in./s. It averaged 7 drops and 5 impacts per shipment. Package D, a palletized package weighing 140 pounds, was subjected to 112 drops and 91 impacts, averaging 5 drops and 3 impacts per shipment. Of the 112 drops, 95% were below a height of 22 inches and 95% of the impacts occurred below 220 in./s. The dominant impact surface of all four packages was an edge with approximately 50% of all the recorded events. |
