Packaging and crating are one of the steps of the supply chain that is constantly ignored… until the goods arrive at its final destination and you receive the ungrateful surprise of damaged products.
Most of the delays and losses that companies face in their shipments process are because of the bad packaging of their goods. At this point, good packaging and a good optimization of it became a must for the entire supply chain.
In this opportunity, we want to give you some tips and recommendations on how to optimize packaging to protect your goods, so you can avoid potential losses, bad consumer experience and maintain the good reputation of your company
Choose the right material for packaging
- The fragility of your goods.
- The freight transportation method.
- The amount of goods that are you shipping.
- The handling that it will have during all the process.
- The risks to which the freight will be exposed.
Generally, the lighter materials will be cheaper but less effective to protect your goods, on the other hand, strong materials will give you more protection but will be bulkier and it can affect the cost of shipping; so you need to analyze the cost of a packaging and shipment against the protection that your goods need in order to determinate which material is better for packaging.
Also, the society is becoming more conscious about the environment, so they tend to use biodegradable or recyclable material to packaging in order to minimize the carbon footprint and contamination.
Optimize the space of your packaging
After choosing the right material for your packaging, now you need to focus on how to optimize the space to prevent potential damages but also reduce cost of shipment, here are some tips for this:
- Pack fragile goods separate from other goods. Wrap the fragile goods with bubble wrap to prevent any damage.
- Fill any gap with foam or any cushion material to prevent bouncing and shocking between goods.
- Compact your packages to reduce the space used in the freight transport.
- Stack your goods correctly: heavier goods on the bottom, and lighter ones on top of the heavier.
- If your goods are perishable or affected by humid, pack them with moisture wicking bags.
Use of pallets
Pallets are used to stack the boxes and crates and secure them for the shipment, also they allow easy handling and transportation. Use the correct size pallet to stack your goods and pack them without exceeding the dimension of the pallet, this prevents any damage.
When you stack your goods, stack them as bricks putting the heavy items on the bottom and light items on top, avoid pyramids on the top. When stacking, avoid gaps between the boxes to prevent bounces, if it is necessary use foam or bubble wrap to fill these gaps.
Normally, wood pallets are used for ocean and truck freight but for air freight use plastic pallets that are light to distribute the weight but are more expensive. Finally, use a band to hold your items to the pallet.
Keep in mind the transportation method
Every transportation method required some care to handle your goods. For ocean freight, try to use foam or plastic wrap to secure your goods, and compact them as much as possible to avoid movement and bounces. Check the condition of the containers, specials the bottom, if it is any dirty or moist it needs to be clean. Finally, use moisture wicking bags to keep your goods dry.
For air freight, keep in mind the vibration, movement and shock that your good can face. You need to wrap them with anti-shock material to prevent damages; also for the constantly atmospheric changes it can generate moisture that affects your goods, so pack them with moisture wicking bags.
Finally, for truck freight, the vibration generated by the road can damage your goods, so use cushion material that isolated them from the vibration and keep them safe and sound.
A good packaging can solve a lot of problems in your supply chain and save your money, but you don’t have to worry about this, because Cargo Care Service can do it for you. We have a specialized team in packing and handling withthe possibility of acquiring a Cargo policy or extra coverage for your shipment so you are completely covered.