​ECM Shipping Damage

I’m no shipping expert but my daily routine usually starts with a stack of shipping parcels, each packed with one or more DDEC ECMs. Over the years I’ve opened thousands of shipping parcels and shipped out thousands more and sometimes I get questions on that. It isn’t very often that I open one up and find fresh case damage and chucks of aluminum at the bottom of the box but when I find damage it’s usually because the ECM was mailed in nothing but a paper envelope or plastic bubble mailer. I like bubble mailers but only when used inside a cardboard box. If you’re shipping an ECM put it in a box and shake the box. You shouldn’t hear or feel anything banging around. If you do you need a smaller box or more packing material. The box DDECs come in from Detroit has two layers of cardboard along the edges and the box has strong corners. The four mounting ears on the corners of the ECM are the easiest to damage. Protect these mounting ears by shipping the ECM in a box with strong corners or for even better protection prevent the corners from making direct contact with the inside of the box with foam, bubble wrap, paper, or some other light weight packing. I use bubble mailers inside a box and so far, have not had one job arrive with shipping damage. An ECM that is packed this way in a flat rate USPS or the UPS/ FedEx equivalent boxes will be reasonably well protected. Larger boxes offer better protection but even if shipping weight doesn’t come up, you’ll pay more in shipping because of the size. Here are some prices to ship a 7 pound DDEC ECM from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Shelton, Washington with a declared and insured value of $1000.

If you’re shipping multiple ECMs use a little bubble wrap to prevent the ECM cases from making contact with one another. If you get enough of them together and they’re making contact and banging around an ECM might get cracked. If that happens, I can replace the case for about $500. I have yet to see an ECM get damaged in shipping that’s been individually wrapped in bubble wrap and shipped in a box.

Mandatory updates to .php require me to rebuild www.Dieselcontrolservice.com. While the website is down don’t be fooled by other ECM rebuilder websites that post my YouTube videos or photos of me. I don’t know who most of these guys are so be careful! If they say they sent me your ECM for service call or text 412-327-9400 with your ECM serial number so I can verify it. If you provide a cell phone number, I’ll almost always text over photos or video of your ECM when I service it.

Written by Fernando DeMoura, Diesel Control Service

Phone 412-327-9400

Website: www.dieselcontrolservice.com