The regular shipping of goods is a key activity of many businesses today. Whilst some companies have been shipping items for quite a while, some newer start-ups may only now be looking to complete their first orders. In any instance, good packaging is vital to keep products safe and secure during the shipping process.
Using a courier to ship items is often the most efficient way to have your items delivered both domestically and internationally. Often during the transit process, your parcel will be subjected to high levels of pressure that the contents might not be able to withstand without first providing adequate protection.
Here at Parcel Direct, we do recommend a drop-test as a means of measuring the survivability of your box and its contents. To conduct a simple test at home simply follow the steps beneath.
1. Making sure that you have a clear space where you can drop your parcel straight down without it damaging anything or becoming an obstacle of any sort.
2. At this stage, simply hold your parcel out at the designated height listed on the table below and drop your parcel without moving.
3. If your parcel remains intact and all contents within remain undamaged, your parcel is ready for shipping.
To carry out a drop-test, follow these drop height standards:
Up to 10 kg – 76 cm
Up to 18 kg – 61cm
Up to 27 kg – 46 cm
Up to 45 kg – 30 cm
How Strong Should My Box Be?
Under 11 kg – Double-walled Corrugated Box
Under 31 kg – Triple-walled Corrugated Box
Over 41 kg – will likely need a strong wooden box.
Product Packaging!
When it comes to shipping by courier, most items can be comfortably placed inside a regular cardboard box. This is very different when sending other items such as bikes, musical instruments and artwork. These should ideally be shipped in specialist packaging.
Good Packaging!
It doesn’t matter what you might ship, having the confidence that your item will arrive at its destination address intact is very important. A well cushioned item is the most important way to ensure that no damage whatsoever occurs during the shipping process. Prior to commencing the packaging process, you should have polystyrene peanuts or packaging paper at the ready.
Firstly, pour packaging material into the base of your box. It is important to have a layer of packaging material covering the entire base.
Ensuring your item fits comfortably inside the box, place it on top of the layer of packaging material.
Now, add more packaging material making sure that the sides of the item in question are cushioned from the sides of the box.
Once the box is filled with material, close the box and give it a good shake. If you detect any movement, add more packaging material.
The final step before sending is to seal your parcel. We recommend wrapping a strong tape around your box at least 3 times to ensure sufficiently.
In the instance you are unsure of which box to pick, we recommend that you speak to our Customer Service Team in Parcel Direct for advice.