I always use the US Mail.  Ballasts, lamps, what not. 

Zero lost, zero breakage so far.  Keeping my fingers crossed. 

USPS is really my only option here. UPS is over 1 hour away round trip, so I ship USPS.

Its all about how you package your items. Any carrier can take good care of a well-packaged item. Likewise, any carrier can destroy a package. No carrier is perfect.

 I used USPS to ship heavy ballast and for lamp they do better on lamps.

 while UPS is nice it come to my door but, but they suck at shipping lamps becase they tend to throw there package around. never ship anything that is breakable with UPS. they broke my xmas gift was a tiffeny syle
 table lamp.

I try to use USPS to ship my lamps But I have used UPS before I use alot of bubble wrap and double box the lamps it's expensive but it's worth it spacialy on vintage lamps.

I've received/shipped on all 3.

So the three of you posted here got two F40s intact without elaborate packaging.  I received four F32s through US mail no issues.

FedEx lost a 16" wheel I shipped.
UPS destroyed a pneumatic manifold.  It got abused enough that solenoid stem got bent. 

That would be hard, I have seen them survive plane crashes without being too broken up, a little broken around the edges, the piping torn out but pretty recognisable otherwise aside from the charring.