Heavy and oversized items will require the right packaging to avoid damaging them or other things in the shipment. For the entire process to be time and cost-efficient, you’ll have to ensure that your packaging is tight and educate yourself about the legal guidelines you’ll have to comply with. Here’s a list of tips you’ll have to remember when shipping and packaging heavy and large items internationally.
Clean Them Thoroughly to Avoid Fines
Not cleaning the parcels might be dangerous for other items. For example, you didn’t clean wood before having them shipped. It can start rotting and turn into the breeding ground for organisms and parasites that carry diseases and infections. If you don’t use the right packaging or declare harmful items, customs might confiscate them. Or, you might have to pay hefty fines.
Don’t hesitate to ask your courier service providers to clean your parcels thoroughly and inspect for elements that can cause product damage or rot.
Check the Weight Guidelines or Limits
You’ll also have to educate yourself about each country’s weight restrictions and guidelines. Usually, customs will only implement these depending on your package’s size, especially with heavy and oversized items. You can also find increasing charges even with a smaller package as weight and size grow. Do your research about the courier’s rates because it can be cheaper to use pallet boxes for smaller items.
Use a Heavy-duty Packaging Material
Use corrugated boxes durable enough to withstand the weight of the packages placed on top of them. It’s best to use new corrugated boxes securely sealed with reinforced water-activated tapes. If possible, add another layer of protection to the inner part of the package. You can use padding on the top, the sides, and the bottom of the box. It’ll give you excellent cushioning and protection for your products like heavy duty battery charger and other items.
Make the box more durable with an added layer of reinforced water-activated tapes.
Use Another Layer of Box or Padding
You can also put your packed box in another empty box with a larger size and pad the space with air pillows or bubble wraps. Depending on the items you’re shipping, you’ll need at least two inches of clearance between the outer and inner boxes. On the other hand, fragile items will need more clearance. You’ll have to use the right amount of cushioning to protect your items during transit.
Invest in Export Insurance for Safety
Investing in export insurance is another tip you’ll have to remember. It’ll protect you from the risks of not meeting the conditions stated in a contract or not getting paid under an export contract due to events that prevent the shipment. Export insurance will give you peace of mind because a nation’s politics and economy can change. It’ll also save you significant amounts of money.
Know Which Objects Are Dangerous
You’ll have to label and pack potentially dangerous items properly. It’ll also inform the courier how they should handle that package. If you keep shipping these kinds of packages regularly, you might also have to hire a dangerous goods safety advisor. You can classify them into different categories, depending on the damage they can cause and the circumstances that will force them to be hazardous.
Examples of dangerous products can include but are not limited to:
- Radioactive materials
- Infectious substances
- Toxic waste
- Flammable gases or liquid
Use Pallets to Lessen Damage
One of the best ways to save space is to strap your packages into a pallet. It’ll also make sure that your packages arrive at their destination safely. You can easily transport pallets by using a pallet jack; hence, saving you money, time, and energy for the carrier and receiver of the package.
Use Water-activated Tapes as a Seal
In shipping large items, you’ll have to use fiberglass reinforced water-activated tapes for added protection. You can pair them with a corrugated shipping box, protecting an item from damage during transit. Using the wrong tapes will not stop the package from opening and might allow damage during the transit.
Give Your Package Box a Good Shake
Once you’ve sealed your package, shake it. Make sure everything isn’t moving around inside the box. If something is loose inside, it might damage other fragile items inside the box, potentially damaging the packaging material. If you still notice shifting or rattling noises inside the box, repack it. Most logistics companies will not accept a package if the items inside are loose, shaking, or rattling.
Heavy and oversized items are vulnerable to damage. Following these tips will mean they’re more likely to withstand the damage caused by over-the-road transit, transfers to new vehicles, conveyor belts, and forklifts. It’ll also mean minimal returns and damaged goods. In the end, your customers will most likely purchase from your store again.