Things To Test Before Sending Out A Shipping Box

As more consumers take advantage of the convenience of online shopping, businesses are being forced to adjust to accommodate shipping demands. Boxes for shipping and other packaging materials are now an essential expense for all types of businesses that deal in merchandise.

A common problem that less experienced businesses are however facing is damaged goods being delivered. It can be frustrating and costly to have to deal with returns due to shipments that were delivered in less than the assured condition. Costly because it compels the business to make a replacement of the product at their own cost.

This issue, therefore, makes it important to ensure certain checks are done before sending out packages for delivery. This is besides ensuring that you have invested in quality packaging that is suitable to the type of product being sent out and the challenges that may be faced during transit.

Shipping Box Label

Always ensure that the label on a shipping box is clearly displayed and legible. Ideally, it should be positioned on the vertical side that is largest. It may seem better to place the label on top, but boxes for shipping are often stacked and this can make a shipping label placed on top harder to view. The label should also be centrally placed. If you position it towards a corner, there is the risk of denting that could make the details on the label less discernible. Not to mention labels on corners are difficult for machines to read.

Weight

Be sure to ascertain the weight of your package before it goes out. Businesses should invest in accurate weighting machines for this purpose. This information should also appear on the label. Knowing the weight of a package can also help when stacking. It is important to ensure that the heaviest items are kept at the bottom of the stack to avoid damage to lighter boxes on top. If the weight is too much, you may also want to consider breaking up the contents into smaller packages.

Give It a Shake

Before you send out small and medium packages, give the shipping box a shake. You should not hear any noise indicating that the contents are moving around. If you however hear some noise, you will need to reopen the box and do some repacking. You can add stuffing like wrapping paper or packing peanuts to help better protect the contents. Alternatively, if you have them, use smaller boxes. This is a basic check that your shipping company may also conduct. If they think the contents are not well-secured, they may send you back with your package to repack.