   T. explains:  I’ve worked at several different distribution
centers for some big-name contenders in the office supply
business and have some valuable insight into some of the actions
of the “stupid” shipping crew. I put stupid in quotes because,
contrary to popular belief, there is actually a perfectly
legitimate reason why that SD card got put into a box that could
accommodate a pair of winter boots.  I’ll start with the jeers I
see most often regarding misuse of packing material.  1) “Why
can’t they just put XXX in a padded mailer?”  There are several
reasons for this. First, padded mailers are EXPENSIVE. There
isn’t a good price break on those like there is with boxes. Even
if you buy them hundreds of thousands at a time.  Second, padded
mailers are not as padded or secure as you think. The paper and
padding material can be ripped open by the high-speed belts at
shipping facilities or while in transit on a truck. If you put a
small item in there, it stands a reasonable chance of falling
out somewhere.