Ever arrange a delivery to a customer only to have it arrive damaged? Ever received something fragile in pieces? Properly packing items and choosing the right partner to make the delivery can go a long way in a successful transaction.
The first thing you should do is to contact your shipper, freight handler or courier service. Not only do these providers have size and weight limits on what you can ship, they may also offer the best insight into how to prepare items for safe transport. Companies like On Time Logistics will even help you prepare your items for transport with their white glove service.
Any successful delivery starts with properly preparing an item for transportation. Here are some basic tips for safely packaging items.
Fragile items require extra care
Bubble wrap comes in four sizes – 1/8”, 3/16”, 5/16”, and 1/2″ – which measures the height of the bubble. Smaller sizes should be used for smaller, more fragile items. Wrap these items tightly with the bubbles facing the object and tape them tightly. Loosely wrapping items allows them to move around and possibly break.
Place it in a box that provides room around the wrapped item, but isn’t too big. Generously fill the box with packing peanuts or large-bubble wrap and tape the box shut tightly with shipping tape. Frequent shippers, like eBay shop owners, recommend against using newspaper for packing as it settles and allows the item to move too much. In some cases the ink can also stain your item.
Not only will your item arrive in good condition, it will be safe to handle. Small items are easier to handle than large items.
Packaging the big stuff
Industrial parts require their own special handling. Oftentimes, these items must be crated or require special packaging, such as a forklift or pallet jack. Palletized shipments should be properly stacked and labeled to prevent tipping and spilling.
Be sure to talk with your shipper about their ability to properly handle large items. Employees moving large items without the proper equipment could damage your shipment or risk injury.
When transporting large items, such as furniture, or items that require extra special handling, such as artwork, the professionals should be called in. Couriers that offer white glove service are typically very adept at special handling. On Time Logistics will not only move the item within our service areas, but we will wrap up the items and prepare it for the move.
Packing medical and temperature-sensitive shipments
Medical and laboratory shipments are the one category where packing is not a matter of preference. Most diagnostic and patient specimens travel as UN 3373, “Biological Substance, Category B,” and that classification carries specific packaging expectations rather than general advice.
The standard arrangement is triple packaging: a leak-proof primary receptacle holding the specimen, leak-proof secondary packaging with enough absorbent material to take up the entire contents if the primary fails, and a rigid outer package carrying the labels and paperwork. The outer package is what handlers see, so the UN 3373 diamond and the sender and receiver details belong there, clearly and on one face.
Temperature is the second half of the job. Anything with a required temperature range travels in a cold chain — an unbroken sequence of temperature-controlled handling from origin to destination. Gel packs cover refrigerated ranges; dry ice covers frozen ranges but is itself a regulated dangerous good, needs ventilation, and must never be sealed in an airtight container. Pack the refrigerant so it stays in contact with the specimen for the whole journey rather than settling to the bottom of the box, and include a monitor if the shipment has to be proven compliant on arrival rather than merely delivered.
Finally, treat documentation as part of the packaging. A shipment that arrives intact but without a complete chain of custody — who handled it, and when — can still be rejected by a receiving laboratory. Agree in advance who signs at each transfer.
If you are moving this kind of freight regularly, talk it through before the first pickup rather than after. Our STAT delivery and courier service handles time-critical runs, and specialized medical logistics covers the recurring healthcare work.
Special handling required
Above all, when it comes to transporting items, you need to hire a provider with a proven record and who you can trust. Be sure to check references and to ask if the company is insured. No amount of preparation and packing will protect your shipment from improper handling.
Companies like On Time Logistics provide a variety of service options, such as on-demand delivery services, medical courier and warehousing/distribution. If you have questions about how to package your items for safe delivery, give us a call at 888-261-8282.