6 Helpful Tips To Protect Fragile Items During Shipping

All items need to be packed properly for shipping. However, fragile products deserve a bit of extra attention. Items that are prone to breaking easily, such as glassware, lamps and picture frames need to be protected from vibrations, bumps or shocks of any kind during transit.

If you run a business that requires you to regularly ship delicate products, here are some tips that you must keep in mind.

• Right-sized packaging materials

One of the most important ways to protect your fragile items during shipping is the box or vessel that you use. You need to make sure that the boxes you get are the right size for your items. It is ideal that you choose boxes that are large enough to accommodate some protective wrapping around your products. However, take precaution to not get a box that is so large that the wrapped item bounces around inside when it is being handled.

• Invest in premium quality wrapping materials

Since fragile items need extra care, you need to make sure that you have some bubble wrap or similar protective materials that can be wrapped around the products. Get enough of such materials because you have to make sure that every section and surface of the item is covered by the material. In case you have items that are shaped uniquely or need to fit more than one product into a box, you will have to fill the rest of the box with protective materials so that the items do not have any space to move around.

• Use shrink-wraps or plastic bags

During the packing of orders of fragile items, you need to take care of all probable situations, such as your item being thrown around, mishandled or dropped in some way. However, rough handling is not the only thing that you have to worry about, you also have to keep your products protected against elements, such as rain or snow. To avoid such situations, you can use shrink-wrap or plastic bags that will help to prevent any moisture or harmful elements from getting to the products.

• Attach the wrapping securely

The protective materials that you decide to wrap around your items in order to keep them protected must remain intact throughout the shipping process and delivery. For that reason, you must make use of bags that zip, packing tapes or such other items that will help to keep the wrapping in its right place till the product reaches its destination.

• Avoid wrapping products too tightly

It is important to wrap fragile products securely, but not too tightly. Wrapping too tightly will potentially put a lot of pressure on your breakable items, such as antiques and glassware. This pressure can lead to breaking the product during the shipping process. This is why, it is recommended to pack the items in a loose fashion that leaves just enough space, but not too much so that the items will bounce around.

• More distance, more wrapping

The basic law of shipping states that the farther a package has to travel, the more it is going to be handled. This means that if you are shipping internationally or to any far away location, your package is going to have a lot of opportunity to be mishandled or dropped. You need to be prepared for such instances and for that, remember to add an extra layer of tape or wrapping.

Packing fragile items is a long process and there are no short-cuts. You need to have all the right materials, tools and the experience to pack the products properly. In case you are finding it difficult to manage every aspect of your business, you can outsource the responsibility to third-party companies who have years of experience in packaging breakable items.

3PL Fulfilment Ltd. is one of the leading providers of third-party logistics, warehousing and fulfilment solutions. Contact : 3plfulfilment.co.uk