My first package, a 3# one from York, arrived in good shape this year.
Foolishly I neglected to alert the PO it was coming.  However, Fortune
smiled on me and I was not travelling when they arrived.  The package
was placed safely in the back under the deck, with a note in my mailbox
and a message on my answering machine.  A few dead one's (not a
surprise) but others were fine.  Put them in my basement, and installed
them two days later.
 
I live in a leafy suburb, and I bet that the bee shipment was the talk
of the PO that week.  They did a good job.