If you run your own business, especially one that relies on shipping to get your product into the hands of your customers, you know how frustrating it can be when your product sustains damage during transit. It means more work for everyone involved and a completely sunk cost. While shipping and logistics companies have their own systems to secure packages, you still want to do everything you can to protect your own. Here we’ll take a look at how to prevent product damage during shipping so that you can rest easy once you send off your product.
Remove as Much Negative Space as Possible
Without crushing your product inside, you want to make sure that the packages you use don’t have a lot of empty space inside of them. This extra space does nothing but provide more places for your box to collapse and crush the product inside. When choosing your packaging, try to keep the shape of your product in mind so that you can keep the fit nice and snug.
Utilize Cushioning Materials
One way to fill in that negative space is with cushioning materials like foam or plastic. Even if your product isn’t particularly fragile, you never know what it might encounter on the road. It pays to use as much cushioning as possible, but don’t go overboard, as dealing with it once it arrives can be a hassle. Simply create a decent-sized barrier around the product, and it should be fine.
Label Packages Properly
You can’t expect someone to take extra care with your delicate package if you don’t provide the instructions to do so. Fragile labels may seem like a small detail, but they can go a long way to informing those who interact with the package of how to handle it. Along with this, getting the right insurance for truly fragile pieces is essential to preventing any unwanted costs.
Do a Trial Run
Before you start to ship your products to customers, it’s worth it to test how the product will do during shipping. Ship it somewhere that you have access to, and assess any damages that occur in transit. This trial shipment will tell you how you need to change up your packaging to protect your product better. Try to do these tests every so often to make sure everything is still working as you intended.
With these tips on how to prevent product damage during shipping, you should be able to safely and securely ship your products with ease. Make sure you don’t overlook these issues, as they can be the difference between business success and failure.
