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How to properly pack a box for shipping in 4 steps
Whether you are a professional or a private individual, you need to pack your parcels properly before sending them to your recipient. Choosing the right packaging and filling materials is crucial to avoiding potential inconveniences.
For a safe shipment, you need to ask yourself a number of questions, such as what type of goods or products are being sent, who your recipient is or what location your parcel will be delivered to. You also need to think about the different materials needed to protect your products and your package.
In this article, our experts recommend the 4 steps to take to properly pack your boxes and goods for shipment.
Step 1: Choose the right packaging for your package
The first step to properly pack a box is to know the exact dimensions and weight of your products or goods. Before looking at how to calculate these elements, you should know that heavy packages (+ 50 kilos) are more complicated to transport. The packaging will have to be adjusted. A wooden or metal box can be an excellent solution to protect your package.
How to measure the dimensions of your product
First, measure the longest side of your product. You can use a ruler or a tape measure to do this. Write down the length you find so that you can round it off later if necessary.
Next, measure the width. With your product lying flat, measure the smallest side of the product. Note the number you measure.
Finally, measure the height. You can also write down this result.
The numbers you find will help you choose the box that will hold and transport your products and goods. Remember to leave some extra room for cushioning later on.
What about irregularly shaped items?
If your product has an irregular shape, treat it as a parallelepiped (3D shape whose faces are all parallelograms) with the maximum dimensions (length, width and height) of your package.
How to calculate the weight of your product
Calculating the weight of your product is quite simple. Simply weigh it on a scale. It is best to use an accurate scale as the weight of your product will be compared to its volumetric weight.
Write down the result once you have it. It should be as accurate as possible. This will help you choose the best packaging for your product.
The special nature of volumetric weight
The volumetric weight of a good reflects the density of the package in which it is contained. It corresponds to the volume that a parcel occupies in a truck or container in relation to its actual weight.
If the volumetric weight is greater than the actual weight of the package, the volumetric weight will be used for pricing. For most packages destined for foreign countries, shipping companies offering international delivery services use volumetric weight to determine their prices.
To make the calculation easier for you, Globex Courier offers an online volumetric weight calculator. Try it out!
Step 2: Consider additional protection
Once you have chosen the packaging for your parcel, you can add additional protection to it if necessary. Not all products require extra protection. Less fragile items such as clothing do not need to be over-packaged.
However, depending on how fragile your goods are, it may be a good idea to add some extra protection to keep your package safe during transport. This could be bubble wrap or plastic protection.
At Globex, we pay special attention to the protection of the goods we ship. Whether we are transporting artwork, shipping fragile items or fulfilling e-commerce orders, we always advise our clients on the right shipping supplies to protect the products or goods being sent.
Step 3: Properly cushion your items
Choosing a package with the exact dimensions of your product will not effectively protect it. You should think about leaving some empty space in your package in order to add cushioning material that will reduce the impact of external shocks.
There are many advantages to ensuring that your product is properly cushioned. In addition to protecting against shocks, the cushioning effectively protects against vibrations and prevents your package from moving during transport. Whether your product is fragile or not, you can add cushioning solutions.
There are many cushioning options available, such as air cushions, polystyrene balls or bubble wrap. But there are other alternatives to properly wrap and protect your package, such as expanded foam, kraft paper or wood fiber. The choice is yours!
Step 4: Secure your package
The last step to properly pack your package is to secure the outside of it.
Our experts advise you to use wide and resistant adhesive tape for this. Remember to reinforce the areas that need additional protection, such as the corners of the package or possible openings.
It is important that the items remain in one piece and do not break loose from their packaging. The use of metal chain is another solution.
Contact Globex Courier for the best practices in parcel packaging
As you can see, there are a number of steps to properly pack a box for shipping. It is not enough to take a big box and place your item inside. Your package needs to be well thought out in order to protect the merchandise during transportation.
If you have any questions about shipping services in Canada or what the proper packaging is for your products, please feel free to contact our transportation experts. By phone at +1-800-359-211 or by form, we will be pleased to assist you and answer all your questions.
