A customer recently faced a truly bizarre delivery situation after placing a bulk order for 165 pool noodles from Walmart, only to have the shipment arrive as 165 individual cardboard boxes. The incident quickly blew up after a video of the massive delivery was shared on Reddit. It showed a doorstep completely buried in an army of identical boxes that looked like something out of a cartoon. Per the Daily Dot, Walmart’s automated systems went completely off the rails.
The logistical breakdown occurred because Walmart’s system processed the order by assigning every single pool noodle to its own separate box. Each box contained just one nearly weightless foam item, resulting in a mountain of deliveries. Many people have weighed in on why this might happen, pointing toward the heavy reliance on automated packing algorithms used by large conglomerates.
As Reddit user This_Option_5250 explained, “the issue is that these big companies switched to automated systems that tell the packer what box to use for each order. With no way for the packer to make changes, because some algorithm somewhere determined that box was the most cost-effective way to packaged that item.”
This is absolutely crazy, considering it’s so nonsensical
While the customer was likely surprised by the sheer volume of boxes, the delivery driver may have actually been rejoicing. As user bingbpbmbmbmbpbam noted, “That driver is so happy. I know he was checking his route and was like 1 stop? Let me check these boxes…oh shit…yeah all for one guy, and they weigh nothing. Free eats.”
Another user, DragonfruitBig8601, echoed this sentiment, adding, “The delivery driver is the only one happy in this, his day is done in one stop!” It is easy to see why they would feel that way, as unloading 165 lightweight boxes is certainly a unique, if not efficient, way to finish a delivery route.
Walmart has been under fire recently for problems within the store. It has included snack packs that may be spoiled, and juice with mold in the carton. However, to see this lack of efficiency spill over into delivery is a new level of frustration. One user in a separate discussion even referenced this incident, stating, “I just watched a video of a guy who had 165 boxes delivered all containing one single pool noodle. Walmart need to sort themselves out haha.”
According to those with experience in the logistics industry, the issue of poor packaging is a recurring theme. Reddit user clintkev251, who identified as a former FedEx employee, shared that “Walmart is famously bad at packaging their online orders. When I used to work at FedEx, the most common shipper I saw damage for was Walmart. Usually because they’d throw something in an incorrectly sized box with little to no packing material and just send it.”
This lack of care in the warehouse, combined with the rigid nature of algorithms, creates a frustrating experience for the end user who just wants their items delivered safely and sensibly. It even prompted User Top-Estimate-5443 to suggest, “They should honestly get fined for this, that is such a massive waste of resources.”
The internet, of course, has also had a bit of fun with the absurdity of the situation. User Jaded-Coffee-8126 joked, “Oh god, its the guy from the math tests.” Some users of course, asked the right questions. As user VixxSynn put it, “Is it just me, or does anyone else compulsively need to know WHY our friend needs 165 pool noodles???” Unfortunately, that remains a mystery.
Published: May 17, 2026 02:52 pm