It’s important to keep your packages safe. If they’re misplaced, damaged, or stolen, you could end losing not only money, but customers. If you’re wondering how to keep your products safe during shipping, follow this useful advice.
Pick the Right Packaging Materials
You’ll need strong, appropriate packaging materials if you want to keep your products safe during the transportation process.
Invest in durable, high-quality boxes. Avoid boxes with tears, broken flaps, and other noticeable damage.
For sealing, you’ll want something equally strong. Use clear, brown, or reinforced packaging tape. Stay away from easier-to-break materials, like duct tape, cellophane tape, string, or cord.
You should have padding inside the box, too. You can use simple cushioning, like bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts. For extra protection, wrap your products in stretch wrap or shrink wrap.
Don’t forget to label fragile or perishable items. This tells drivers and handlers to treat the parcel with caution.
Worried about items breaking or spoiling? You can use the two box packaging method for fragile items and put perishable items in insulated containers.
Communicate with Your Drivers
Another way to keep your products safe during shipping is to communicate with the people delivering your products.
If you can, work with them directly. A good driver will ensure packages are secure. They’ll also be aware of potential hazards on the road.
For a hassle-free delivery, make sure your packaging is correctly labeled. Your drivers need to know their route—if they don’t, your packages can get lost or misplaced.
Your drivers should be well-vetted, reliable, and trustworthy. If you hire ones that aren’t, you might end up with damaged, or even stolen, products.
If you’re worried about potential mishaps, investing in parcel insurance coverage might be a good plan. It protects against financial loss, and can be reassuring for customers, too.
Stay Organized
It’s the driver’s job to deliver your packages—but if products are lost, late, misplaced, or incorrect, the blame falls on your company.
To avoid this, you’ll want to stay organized. Implementing new, reliable technology can help.
Invest in a CMS, or customer management system. It helps you keep track of crucial information, like a customer’s full name, billing address, and shipping address, along with the details of their order.
If you can, offer shipment tracking. It keeps track of your packages, which can reduce the amount of lost, misplaced, or stolen goods.
Missing something? Contact the distribution center where it was last scene. Is a customer wondering where their package is? With a few clicks, you can give them its exact location.
