Top Tips for Packaging Freight

Your parcel is handled by people, planes or trucks all of which pose there own travel conditions for your package.

So how do you make sure it arrives in tip-top condition?

We take all possible care when transporting your goods. But along the way there are going to be conveyor belts, X-ray screening, forklifts, potholes, turbulence, and all sorts of other conditions.

To help ensure your parcel gets to its destination safely it’s important you follow these simple guidelines to:

• protect your item against damage while it is being transported and delivered
• protect other customers’ items – your parcel can cause damage to other items that are travelling with it if inadequately packed
• protect our staff and equipment against injury or damage

The contents of the package is just as important as the packaging, ensure any hazardous/prohibited material is declared or removed appropriately. As the sender you are the only person who knows exactly what is contained in your shipment and can ensure your parcel is correctly packaged.

Internal cushioning and strong external packaging protect your package against knocks and shocks. Cushioning material should be packed around all sides.

Suggested packaging materials are:

• bubble wrap
• poly chips
• corrugated cardboard
• shredded or rolled paper
• polyethylene foam sheeting
• plenty of tape sealing the seams of the box

Wrap the item enough times so that you can no longer feel the shape of the object. Items packed together in one container should be individually wrapped and separated from each other with more cushioning material.

If you are sending heavy items make sure they can’t move within the parcel during delivery, as this could damage the outer packaging.

Fragile stickers are an excellent indication for us to take extra care with your shipments. They are no defense however against turbulence or rough roads. Packaging for the transit process is just as important as the human handling of shipments to ensure your shipments are protected for there whole journey.

Consider what is the actual weight of the packages contents. Archive boxes can hold up to 15kgs with the optimal being 10kgs. If the contents exceeds the limitations introduces the risk of the box coming apart or damaging other shipments it may be stacked upon.