[jluetjen]

At my former employer (a Fortune 1000 company at the time, now a Fortune 500 company) I sat across from the Transportation manager and worked with him on a number of things. A couple pieces of wisdom that I learned about shipping from a guy who managed thousands of shipments a day with values from tens of dollars up to millions of dollars...

1) Fed-Ex and UPS never pay
2) Don't bother buying the insurance because of point 1. It's better to "Self Insure" which means that if the parts are lost or damaged, it's your responsibility to get another. Since we manufactured the things being shipped, this was especially true. But it is also relevent with things like used 911 parts where it is quite possible to get replacements for less then the cost of litigation.
3) If you are packing something, be conservative. Always double-box items with a layer of packing material between the boxes. Most carriers charge on weight more then size, so the cost impact is minimal.
4) Be very consious of the FOB terms when buying products. If you are buying something new and expensive, check if it can be shipped FOB receiver. If my memory is correct, this means that the shipper (not to be confused with the carrier) has responsibility for the material until it arrives at your door. FOB shipper means that the receiver (you) owns the product as soon as it is given to the carrier. It makes a difference if something goes wrong.
5) UPS and FedEx never pay.

While it sucks -- that's life!