- Effective shipment packaging relies as much on science and engineering as it does diligence and common sense.
- Matching the right box for the product and properly securing palletized shipments is crucial in the physically challenging environment of a less-than-truckload or parcel network.
- That’s a viewpoint shared by many across the industry as innovations in packaging material design, testing and application help prevent cargo damage.
- These efforts are refining decades-old dock operations, trailer load planning and material handling practices to improve how goods are prepped, loaded and secured for transit.
A recent news article published in the TT News reveals the expert views on how online shopping has changed the entire shipment packaging design.
A subtle example of packing detergent bottles
Previously, detergent bottles were designed to ship on pallets in large, stacked quantities to stores, where they’d then go onto the shelf for consumers to buy.
Consumers essentially acted as their own last-mile delivery provider.
But with the stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines implemented during the coronavirus pandemic, store visits have dropped.
And those detergent bottles that once traveled as palletized unit loads now were being shipped one or two at a time in a cardboard box through an e-commerce channel.
Shipment packaging to protect the product
Shipment packaging must be designed to protect the product from the unexpected.
Proper load planning and loading technique, coupled with effective bracing, blocking and use of dunnage, is essential.
Make sure the outside packaging complements and is right-sized for what’s inside.
Common mistakes shippers
Using poor-quality packing tape or an incorrect or inefficient use of stretch wrap.
For businesses with a relatively high volume of shipping, he recommended investing in automated stretch wrap machines.
How to counter the problems?
It’s imperative to know what forces are affecting the product and both its display packaging and shipment packaging, and then build a solution that can withstand those forces.
Start with three basic guidelines as best practices: Understand the needs and realities of your supply chain, design packaging to survive the supply chain, and then test and verify.
Tell your manufacturer what type of primary packaging you are working with. Is it rigid? Can it support some of the weight of the shipment?
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Source: TT News
