i live in northern california, not far from san fran and oakland city centers, so i suspect fedex facilities and personnel here is better funded, better managed, better modernized, more to scale than many places around the country where there are greater distances, lower volumes, lower population densities, less wealth etc
i have so far had excellent luck with fedex, and ups too... some packages have had some signs of rough handling, but no damage on speakers and electronics for quite a few years - and i have alot alot of gear coming in and out of my location
all this said, i only buy insisting gear is shipped in original factory packaging, and for especially large items like big heavy speakers, i opt for ltl freight using pallets