Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: DHL driver asks no more sealed cans

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Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 04-03-2008, 07:33 PM:

We received a shipment of film today and the DHL Driver told the office manager that they no longer wanted the cases to be sealed. The reason given was that drivers needed to open the cases to check out the contents??? (We have always sealed the latches on the cans with an electrical zip tie) This is how all of our TES shipments have arrived and been returned for as long as I can remember.

We once were accused of damaging film because the case came open in shipment. Since we always sealed the cases before shipping we were not guilty of the damage that occurred when someone opened the case and the film rolls spilled out of the can then the person opening it stuffed the loose film back in the can.

Does anyone have knowledge of this new policy?

KEN

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 04-03-2008, 07:43 PM:

We've never re-sealed the cans, but I don't see why the driver needs to check the contents, unless there have been some problems in the area with the incorrect prints being placed in the cans. I don't ever remember a DHL/Airborne driver ever opening the cans in the past either. Guess we'll find out tomorrow if this is a nation wide policy when they pick up our prints.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 04-03-2008, 08:12 PM:

Never had a DHL or any other drive open film cans. They probably wouldn't know what they were looking at if the cans were opened.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 04-04-2008, 03:18 AM:

That's pretty idotic. You mean a driver is supposed to open the cans where....in the truck? On the sidewalk? In front of you before he takes them out of the building? Drivers are not film inspectors. Any dealings with the print for inspection purposes should be done in the depot, not on the truck. On the other hand, you could roll old trailers on the reels, put the film's leaders around them and when the next theatre screams bloody murder, you can say, hey, we wanted to seal the cans, but your guy said not to so he could verified that we gave him the correct print. We have no idea what happened after his inspection -- after all, at your request, our security seal was removed!

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 04-04-2008, 03:52 AM:

Could it have something to do with the homeland security act?

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 04-04-2008, 07:44 AM:

I received only one print ever that had been opened and a Homeland Security letter of apology enclosed for delaying the shipment. It was a replacement for a badly scratched print in our last Riverside Saginaw Film Festival. The ends of those reels had been unspooled and were just wrapped around the spools without being fastened down. We still had 20 minutes before it hit the screen.

Unsealed shipments have arrived with the cases open in the past. Loose reels of film coming out of the case can cause print damage.

If they need to inspect the contents of these cans they can open the seals. If they don't need to access the film they will travel safely without opening in transit.

Just my opinion.
KEN

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 04-04-2008, 07:52 AM:

Under no circumstances would I ship without the seals. Again, they can cut & reseal.

Verbal instructions do not count. Only if a signed, personal letter was received and filed would I change procedure. Louis

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 04-04-2008, 10:05 AM:

I'd be checking with both Technicolor and the local DHL office. Either this is bogus and they'll both want to know about it, or they'll have an explanation for you.

--jhawk

Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 04-04-2008, 12:06 PM:

That has to be a load of crap from the driver. I would have him check out and report it to his bosses. I can't imagine them wanting to check anything that isn't there job, do they want to check and see if the cookies I'm sending to Daughter in Canada is right? So DHL is taking no sealed shipments anymore? My driver hasn't told that to me.

Edited

Just spoke with my DHL driver she stated "We are forbidden from opening film cans, if you do and it is found out you will be terminated."

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 04-04-2008, 05:00 PM:

Our booking agent contacted DHL and found out the following:

DHL EXPRESS ( not DHL )will not accept sealed shipments. In talking to the representative for DHL EXPRESS our agent said that we would not make any shipments of film in unsealed film containers.

We require a letter for the office of DHL EXPRESS that states the cans must not be sealed and that DHL EXPRESS will accept any and all responsibility for loss or damage to the contents of those containers while in their care and custody.

We have not yet received any such letter.

KEN

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 04-06-2008, 02:37 PM:

Does this mean that they won't be sending any more padlocked prints to the theaters either?

This sounds fishy to me. You should find out what the studios want you to do with their prints. They are the ones contracting with the shipping companies (through Technicolor), and they are the ones who own the prints that are being shipped. They are also the ones who are paranoid about people opening the cans and doing something mischievous with the film while it's being shipped - which is why everyone gets their prints at the last minute.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 04-06-2008, 08:08 PM:

I'm pretty sure this policy stems from new requirements being pushed by DHS and the TSA. At some time in the near future all cargo shipments that ride with passengers regardless of mode (land/sea/air) will require a check of the contents prior to TSA approved seals being applied.

The policies are not being evenly applied for land and sea modes yet, and they are new - lots of confusion out there right now. We've only just gotten a handle on this in the last year or so for air mode shipments.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-06-2008, 08:51 PM:

This sounds like a TSA thing. A couple months ago I shipped a PC in a Pelican Case with combination padlocks, via FedEx Overnight. The locks were cut off during shipment and a note on the case said something to the effect of "You might want to start using TSA-approved locks".

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 04-06-2008, 09:44 PM:

A friend recently shipped some equipment in a Pelican case with "TSA Approved Locks" and the locks had been cut off when they arrived. There was an official notice glued to the case explaining that he should have used approved locks. Government Morons.

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 04-07-2008, 08:47 AM:

What's a TSA approved lock? A lock that the TSA has a key to?

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 04-07-2008, 09:18 AM:

Yes. Kinda defeats the purpose if you ask me.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-07-2008, 09:20 AM:

Looks like TSA is going to try to ruin the freight industry the same way they're ruining the passenger airline industry.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-07-2008, 09:41 AM:

quote: Mark J. Marshall
What's a TSA approved lock? A lock that the TSA has a key to?

Basically yes, like these and these. The first seller claims they'll replace any locks they sell you if TSA cuts them off.

Posted by Andres Briano (Member # 4621) on 04-07-2008, 11:19 AM:

I can´t understand why you guys are not really pissed off about this. It sounds to me that there is no such thing as privacy in the States any more! You don´t have to take it if you don´t want to!

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-07-2008, 11:35 AM:

Well TSA is a government agency. Why wouldn't we trust them to go through our personal stuff? [Confused]

Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 04-07-2008, 11:45 AM:

I dunno. It seems kind of silly to me for the TSA to be focusing on a film can being shipped from a movie theater to a film depot. Unless they had a specific threat, which I suppose is possible.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 04-07-2008, 12:14 PM:

Doesn't the item go through X-ray and a bomb detector anyway?

Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 04-07-2008, 05:06 PM:

Are there any nitrates left in movie film? I know x-ray film has nitrite in them (bomb sniffer dogs in hospitals go nuts on the floor where they store the x-rays). But movie film shouldn't set off any bomb detector.

I thought DHL and DHL express were the same company!

At what point does the quest for security make the price for that security higher than the price of the terror?

"Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither" Ben Franklin 1776

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 04-07-2008, 10:43 PM:

DHL and DHL Express are the same company. DHL Express is one of the main divisions of DHL.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 04-07-2008, 10:56 PM:

quote: Kenneth Wuepper
DHL EXPRESS ( not DHL )will not accept sealed shipments. In talking to the representative for DHL EXPRESS our agent said that we would not make any shipments of film in unsealed film containers.

So they are saying EVERYTHING they ship to be in unsealed containers? What drugs are they shooting? So cartons are to be shipped without sealing tape? Surely someone was playing an April Fool's joke.

Posted by Danial Simmonds (Member # 4638) on 04-08-2008, 12:43 AM:

April Fool!, the only problem I get here is when receiving Dolby Trailers, they think its illegal film in Malaysia Customs, but the great thing is that they don't inspect the film they will just wont approve it and request us to explain to them the contents...

Films are always sealed, its impossible and to dangerous just to ship a film thats not sealed, some idiot might think i can make big bucks its film! lets sell it and you will get an empty can.

It happened before... thats why everything we send is sealed. I don't know about TSA but they need to go to Film School and learn what is in the can.

Cellulose Nitrate was the base for projection films from 1895 to the 1940's i think i got to check back my study books... These days we use polyester so x-ray machines should be able to view the contents i guess.

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 04-08-2008, 08:10 AM:

When returning digital drives to Dolby their instructions specify that the box should not be sealed, the DHL driver will seal the box after conducting a 'security check'

I have not been working on days the drives have been collected so I don't know what the check entails.

In the UK most film shipments are not sealed (closed but not sealed) with the exception of some first run prints and those in cardboard (or broken) boxes.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 04-08-2008, 12:20 PM:

It doesn't matter where the box/case is being shipped, nor where it came from, nor what is supposed to be in it. If it is going to ride in the US with people at some point in its journey it must be inspected prior to being locked or sealed with TSA Approved Locks.

When I was a ramper with Allegiant Air I got to see many many passenger bags come to us from TSA screening with the locks cut off. Many of those bags were left open too, which made a huge mess on our bag belts - lots of clothes and other personal stuff to clean up, let alone figure out which bag it might have come from. Loud complaints from our bag room supervisor were answered with a threat from the local TSA to have her arrested for arguing with federal officers.

The TSA does seem to be going overboard these days. Just before I left Allegiant, the TSA started to do more thorough inspections of the interiors of our planes. Now they check the life rafts in our overhead compartments, looking for evidence of stowaways, and putting seals on the doors to those compartments.

The TSA also banned all of Allegiant's mechanics at LAS from having access to the movement areas of the airport, saying that from now on only TSA staff and flight crews are allowed out there. We all had to turn in our SIDA badges and get new more restricted ones. The TSA also didn't like the way we parked some of our aircraft out on the holding pads, constantly complaining to the county department of aviation about how some of our planes weren't centered exactly on the T-lines. Like that was any of their business. On that point at least, the county finally had the guts to tell them to get lost.

It'll be fun to watch the TSA implement airport-style passenger screening on commuter rails and city buses, which is their next priority. Do you feel safe now?

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 04-08-2008, 02:10 PM:

quote: Paul Mayer
It doesn't matter where the box/case is being shipped, nor where it came from, nor what is supposed to be in it. If it is going to ride in the US with people at some point in its journey it must be inspected prior to being locked or sealed with TSA Approved Locks.

In my case the parcel would not have gone anywhere near the USA (unless DHL have some very strange routings), and being next day could have just have travelled by road.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 04-08-2008, 02:18 PM:

Err, Paul, DHL Express carries their freight (including films) on their own jets that don't carry passengers.

--jhawk

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-08-2008, 02:25 PM:

quote: John Hawkinson
DHL Express carries their freight (including films) on their own jets that don't carry passengers

You're sure they absolutely never contract out to other airlines?

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 04-08-2008, 02:38 PM:

Well, I didn't say that, but to Saginaw I'd be quite surprised. Today DHL flew two flights from ILN (Airborne Airpark, their hub in Wilmington, OH, a stone's throw from Technicolor) to DTW (Flight 537 arrived 6:22am, and flight 512 arrived 4:30am), both 727-200s.

--jhawk

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 04-08-2008, 07:06 PM:

Not always. DHL does indeed ship some stuff in the bellies of other air carriers when things get busy or when they don't have an aircraft to cover a flight (like when an aircraft gets grounded away from a maintenance base).

Like I say there is a lot of confusion amongst the ground folks over these new rules. I think lots of people are taking no chances and going with full TSA rules for shipments regardless of how those shipments will travel.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-08-2008, 07:22 PM:

If DHL (or FedEx or UPS etc.) uses passenger carriers for even just, say, 5% of their freight, there's no way for them to predict which 5% that will be, or where it will originate, so it seems logical that to be safe they'd have to aim for 100% of their freight to be TSA-compliant.

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 04-08-2008, 08:58 PM:

quote: Paul Mayer
It'll be fun to watch the TSA implement airport-style passenger screening on commuter rails and city buses, which is their next priority. Do you feel safe now?

Yeah, right. I'd love to see the TSA try and implement security on the New York City subway or bus system. They would get overrun and assaulted in about five minutes. Not gonna happen for any number of reasons, but the first is that no one is funding x-ray machines for the 600-odd subway stations (and that's aside from the fact that there are multiple entrances to each station and multiple entrances to each platform.) It's not going to happen on the commuter lines either. I suppose it might happen on Amtrak, but Congress keeps threatening to stop funding Amtrak, so it's not going to happen there either.