Whether you’re planning to move or you want to start an eCommerce store, one of the first challenges you’ll face is how to deal with fragile packages. There’s nothing more nerve-wracking than knowing the package you’re sending or receiving can be damaged by the slightest impact. To avoid any potential damage (as consequent losses), here are a few simple yet effective tips that will help you become better at handling fragile packages.
Prepare in Advance
Preparation is key when it comes to packing and sending your fragile items. If you’re operating a shipping company or an e-commerce store, it’s crucial that you plan out the shipping of your fragile products in advance to get the orders. You should have an accurate idea of the number of fragile items in stock so you can prepare for the best way to ship each item. Likewise, identifying your fragile items in advance will help make your moving process much less nerve-wracking. Packing the fragile items will be one of the most time-consuming tasks, so be sure to be well-prepared and avoid being in a rush.
Order Packaging in the Right Size
Once you identify the fragile items, you should start planning for the best way to package each one of them. You’re likely to have small, medium, large, and huge items, and each size will require its suitable packaging option. Once you divide your items, calculate the number of vessels of boxes needed to carry out your task.
On a different note, you may be someone who gets frequent packages delivered to you while being away on business trips or at work, which is a common occurrence for UK citizens. For these people, the genius innovators at iLoveParcels suggest installing a parcel drop box at their gate or home exteriors to receive the packages safely while they’re away from home. Not only will the foam-coated interior of the parcel drop boxes keep the packages unharmed, but they also protect the delivery against theft.
Apply Proper Wrapping
While the size of the package plays a big role in keeping the items safe, it usually comes down to the quality of the wrapping. If the wrapping is not secured enough, the chances of the fragile getting damaged will increase exponentially, even with the right package size.
For starters, you should make sure to get enough wrapping materials. Although the wrapping material may vary depending on the kind of fragile items you have, bubble wrap can secure most fragile items in place to a great degree. You’ll need to make sure that each item is well-wrapped from all directions. In case you’ll be including a few items in the same box, make sure to fill in the rest of the space by packaging peanuts to secure the items in place.
Sometimes, you need more than bubble wrapping to secure the item(s) in place. In that case, using additional wrapping materials like tape, zipline bags, and other securing materials can serve as insurance that your items will stay in place throughout the journey. Although you want the items to stay secured in place, you want to avoid wrapping too tightly as well. Wrapping the items too tightly will impose more pressure on the items than they can handle, which can be counterproductive. Finally, add enough wrapping for the journey. As a rule of thumb, the longer the distance, the more wrapping you’ll need.
Take the Journey into Account
The amount of wrapping is not the only thing you should consider when thinking about the journey. It’s important to take into account all the situations the package will face during its journey, and that includes more than rough handling or being dropped. For instance, the package can be completely damaged due to the sudden onset of rain or due to being placed in a puddle. Taking these elements into account will help you secure the exterior of the package to be more resistant, thus saving your precious items.
Seal the Box Well
Once everything is well-wrapped and placed in the box or vessel, you want to ensure that they remain that way. That’s when you start sealing the box with tape. Be sure to choose the right kind of tape that can securely seal the box you’re using, as not all boxes can be sealed using the same tape.
Label Your Package
Whether you’re shipping the package yourself or sending it via a courier service, don’t forget to label the package. Alerting outsiders that there are fragile items inside the package will make them more careful in handling it.
Dealing with fragile items can be pretty nerve-wracking, especially if they’re precious or expensive. Since most fragile items are both precious and expensive, it’s important to take all necessary precautions to prevent the onset of any damage. By applying the aforementioned simple tricks, you’ll find dealing with fragile packages much easier than ever before.