According to one study, about one in ten packages arrive damaged.
If you want to ensure that your materials make it there safely, you should learn how to pack and ship all kinds of different items.
Thankfully, we’re here to help you out! Keep reading to find the perfect guide on packing and shipping packages safely.
Choose the Correct Box
You need to make a good first step and choose the right box. While you might be tempted to save some money and re-use a box or even buy a cheap one, this could end up damaging your shipment.
If you are going to recycle a box, inspect it first. Make sure there is no water damage, tears, holes, rips, or anything else that will weaken the structure of the box.
Keep in mind that after the first shipment, most boxes drastically lose their integrity.
You’ll also want to find a box that will support whatever you’re shipping. You may want to find a box that has a double wall. This wall will create a flute in the box and make it thicker and stronger. These kinds of boxes are great for shipping fragile or heavy items.
If you can’t find a box light that, you might want to consider also getting a double box. You’ll take your first box and then place it in a slightly larger box that is about one to two inches larger. You can then fill in that extra area with cushioning.
Wrap Each Item
When you’re shipping a fragile package, make sure it’s wrapped in something, but don’t wrap it too tightly.
If you wrap something too tightly, you could be putting more pressure on it, making it more likely that it will break during the shipping process.
Instead, wrap it in a secure but looser way. This will depend on the style and size of your product.
If you’re going to ship more than one item, don’t wrap them together. Instead, wrap them individually so that if one piece breaks, it won’t affect the rest of the items in your box.
Use Filling Materials
Once you’ve wrapped your items, you should fill in the empty space in the box. You can use bubble wrap or packing paper. Some people also use pieces of strong cardboard to keep their items from rolling around the box.
Bubble wrap is great because you can use it for large or small packages. It’s normally made out of two or three layers, so it will keep your items safe but also protect them from any dirt or moisture.
You can also get film bags. These are small plastic bags that are filled with air to avoid having your product slide around. Many people use these to send out phones, watches, and tablets.
Find the Right Tape
Just like the boxes, make sure you invest some money into your brand of tape as well. Do some research to see what brands are best for shipping packages.
For example, you shouldn’t use masking, painters, duct, or Scotch tape. These aren’t strong enough, and they can actually make it harder for the carrier to scan them as well. Because of that, most scanners won’t even take packages with those kinds of tape.
Instead, use some packing tape. This is a heavy-duty tape that is normally brown or clear. It should be strong enough to hold all of the flaps of the box down and bring the sides of the boxes together.
You could also consider using strapping tape. This kind of tape has a piece of twine in it that will help to hold your box together. If you’re going to use this tape, tape it around the entire box to make sure that it has a good hold.
Once you’ve bought your tape, you should tape the box together with the H-tape method. To do this, place a strip of tape over the seams on each side of the box.
Then, close the flaps together so that there isn’t a gap between them. Once you hold them closed, tape over that to ensure it stays.
Make Accommodations for Any Liquids
If you’re shipping liquids, you’ll have to take special precautions to ensure that they don’t spill.
First, make sure that all of the lids are screwed on tightly. Tip the bottles or containers upside down to ensure there is no leakage.
You should also make sure that the cap won’t buckle under a change in pressure. Some bottles will start leaking when you take them up in a plane, for example.
In case it does leak, add an extra layer of protection. You can always put the bottle into a sealable bag.
If you’re shipping multiple items containing liquid, you might want to use Styrofoam or cardboard to separate them.
Purchase Insurance
While you can take every precaution possible, you can’t always control what happens after the item leaves.
In case something does happen, you should consider buying shipping insurance. That way, if something bad does happen, you’ll still be reimbursed for the cost of the item.
Learn More About How to Pack and Ship Anything
These are only a few tips to consider when trying to figure out how to pack and ship your items, but there are many more tips out there.
We know that worrying about shipping packages can seem overwhelming, but we’re here to help you out.
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