Anytime a box, pallet, or container is moved, there is the risk of damage. Product loss due to damage during transportation can cost companies a fortune every year. And that money comes right out of the bottom line.
Reducing the risk of transportation damage is just good business. But you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get results. Instead, here are five simple, effective, and affordable ways to reduce the amount of product damage.
Avoiding Broken Pallets
When you load products onto pallets, wrap them in shrink wrap, and place them into the back of a truck, cargo container, train car, or another vehicle you expect them to arrive at their destination in the same condition as they left your facility.
But if the vehicle is not full and there is space between the pallets, even something as simple as turning a corner too quickly can cause the pallet to become unstable or even tip over.
The first way to avoid this is to apply more shrink wrap around the base of the pallet and the first row of goods. If you only wrap the top of the pallet or are chintzy on the shrink wrap around the base, the odds of a tip-over accident during transport are significantly higher.
Another solution is to overlap the shrink wrap as you move up the pallet. Leaving gaps unwrapped and unprotected can cause products to easily slip off and become damaged.
To ensure protection, each layer should have about a 50% overlap with the next two to three layers of shrink wrap.
Broken Cardboard Boxes
Have you ever opened up the back of a delivery van and found that cardboard boxes have been split open and their contents are spread out all over the floor of the van?
This is caused by several reasons. One is that the boxes were not properly secured. When boxes slide around, are stacked too high or aren’t secured to the sides of the van, they are prone to damage even if you drive extremely carefully.
Another problem may be the quality of the cardboard boxes you are using. The fibers in recycled cardboard boxes are typically shorter than new cardboard. This can make it more difficult for packing tape to stick to the surface.
Top-Quality Packing Supplies
Packaging is usually not the place to save money or cut corners. If you can’t afford new cardboard boxes, at least use high-quality packing tape.
It’s also a good idea to clean the surface of packaging before applying packing tape. Dust, dirt, and other debris can build up on the surface of boxes, especially in a busy warehouse or dock, making it more difficult for packing tape to adhere to the boxes.