It is not only UPS. I have tried most all of the carriers in shipping our planes. I have been very disappointed in them all. I think most of the handlers that work for these companies could care less if the packages arrive undamaged. This is the most frustrating part of our business. I'm sure Tom will probably agree with me. I spend several hours on the phone each week trying to settle claims with the various carriers. It doesn't matter how well the airplane is packaged or how many "FRAGILE" stickers you put on the box.
A short story for you. On one of my return trips from China I brought a prototype of a new design back on the plane with me. It was double boxed and all parts were bubble wrapped. We had "FRAGILE" stickers all over it. The box was oversized and cost several hundred dollars to put under the plane in the freight compartment. I had to retrieve the package from a separate conveyer for oversized boxes at the airport in Newark. I waited and waited and finally I see my box come flying into the conveyer belt area, hit the wall about 10 feet up and come crashing down onto the floor. I jumped onto the belt and ran back into the loading area and gave the handler a piece of my mind. I really don't think he was intelligent enough to read the stickers on the box. I could tell by his reaction that he could care less about the package. By the grace of God the plane wasn't damaged, but this is usually not the case. The carriers really need to work on this.