The United Parcel Service (UPS) will hit 7 billion packages deliveries by the year 2025. This projection is an indicator of the growing confidence in package delivery services among Americans.
While package delivery is useful, there's always the risk of damages to the package during shipping.
You certainly hope that your parcel will get to the intended destination in the original condition. However, shipping entities such as UPS, USPS, DHL, and FedEx insist that your package needs to be packaged appropriately to avoid unnecessary claims.
Shipping damages can cost your business or personal finances unprecedented losses. These eight simple steps on how to send a package safely are all you need to ensure that you avoid damages to your parcel during shipment.
1. Use Sturdy Outer Material
This is a no-brainer, but your parcels’ safety depends on the kind of outer material you use.
Remember that UPS and other shipping companies will often dismiss your claims for damages if your packaging material does not meet the safety threshold. Whether you’re mailing a valuable item or a highly brittle parcel, the outer material should be a critical consideration.
Ensuring that your outer packaging material is sturdy enough reduces the risk of impact due to external pressure. Such secure external covering also reduces the risk of damage caused by weather elements during the delivery process.
You may opt to use new double-walled boxes to ensure that the outer package can withstand any potential external force.
2. Consider Fragility When Separating Your Items
Before you send your products, you may need to consider how delicate they might be as a precursor to settling for the best shipping option. Items made from glassware and porcelain are highly fragile and stand a high risk of damage.
You might need to consider using smaller but solid boxes to ensure the safety of such items remains intact. You also need to pack fragile items individually to avoid damage due to collision.
3. Use Bubble Wrap to Reduce Impact
Most of the damages to packages occur due to impact. If you’re looking to ensure total protection during the process of shipping, it would help to consider bubble wrap. Packages that are adequately wrapped with bubble wrap rarely get damaged due to minor impacts.
The only downside to the use of bubble wrap is in the cost. These materials are pretty expensive, and therefore, adding an extra layer of bubble wrap to your package may cost you more. This one tip for how to send a package securely could save dozens or hundreds of package contents.
4. Consider Kraft Paper for Brittle or Sharp-Cornered Items
Parcels come in all shapes and sizes. If you are looking to package and ship your products with relative ease and safety, then you might consider packing papers. Packing papers are made from high-quality kraft paper.
Most packing papers are counter-sized rolls that are designed to enhance customers’ convenience when packaging highly breakable products. Compared to most other wrapping options, kraft papers offer one the safest and most secure product packaging options.
5. Ensure Proper Labeling of Packages
The failure to properly label your products can lead to unprecedented damages. Most times, fragile products require a precise description when marking to reduce the underlying handling risks. Even the most secure packages may be prone to damages if the handling is devoid of care.
You need to properly label fragile products clearly to ensure that anyone handling such a package understands the nature of the items. Further, if you have a product with a definite shape, it would be critical to ensure that there is clear labeling of the up-side and the down-side. Using labeling options such as "this side up" would be a vital step to save your products from probable mishandling.
6. Fill Any Empty Spaces
Void spaces can pose unprecedented risks during shipping. Having empty spaces when moving your products is simply courting disaster. This is because even when you have bubble wraps around the item, such void space may lead to notable rattling, which may shatter your item(s).
Filling all the void spaces inside the box would be the first critical step towards enhancing safety. Both bubble wrap and kraft paper can help you in filling such void spaces. However, given the cost implication of bubble wraps, you can always opt for packing papers.
7. Consider Parcel Insurance
Anything can happen during the parcel delivery process. Damages are often unseen, which makes contingency planning hard when the worst happens. Parcel insurance may help you in such cases.
While having parcel insurance does not cushion you from probable damages, at least you have the guarantee that financial reimbursement will be timely. This is especially critical if you’re delivering high-value products.
8. Find a Secure Shipment Service Provider
Are you wondering how to send a package safely across states or abroad? Well, finding a reliable service provider would be a critical first step to ensure that your package gets to the desired destination safely. Finding a trucking company that has a good reputation is vital towards enhancing your parcel’s safety.
UPS Pack and Ship are among the popular shipping options you may consider. Once you consider these eight tips and then source for a reputable shipping company, you’ll no longer have to worry about your parcel’s safety.
Follow These Worry-Free Tips on How to Send a Package
Shipping has gained notable traction over the years as more Americans gain trust in online transactions. When preparing for shipment, there's always an underlying concern on how to send a package safely to the desired destination. In such cases, achieving secure package delivery may seem like a far-fetched expectation.
Are you wondering how to ship something safely to a specific destination? You need to consider using a sturdy wrapping option such as craft packing paper to reduce the risk of shattering. Product packaging is important! That's how to send a package without risk of damage during shipment!
