How to Pack Your Parcels and Avoid Damage During Transit

Before you pass your parcel over to any courier or removal firm you have to pack it. If you don’t pack it carefully it could be seriously damaged during transit, resulted in disappointment, expense and long insurance claims. You can avoid all this by ensuring you take the time to pack your goods in a way that will reduce the risks of your goods inside being broken while they’re handled.

Choose the Right Box

You’ll need to use a suitable box that’s strong enough and the right size for the items you’re sending. It’s perfectly acceptable to reuse cardboard boxes but you’ll need to check it over to ensure there isn’t any damage that will weaken the box. Ideally choose a double walled box made from corrugated card as they are incredibly strong, ideal for when parcels are being couriered together.

Remove any labels that are on the box and replace it with the shipping address and any shipment documents that need to be included. If the item is fragile you can write this on the box, but never use this method without carefully packing the box as couriers may still throw or stack the box regardless of the fragile items inside.

Pack the Items Sensibly

If you have any items that add up to a heavy weight it is better to pack them into two smaller parcels rather than just one.  The risk of damage increases the heavier the box is. It’s also important not to pack heavy items with fragile items as they could easily damage the fragile item as the box is moved.

Add Internal Packaging

The aim of packing is to limit damage and you can do this by limiting the possible movement inside the box. In order to do this you need to fill up the entire space. There are lots of different packing materials that will help hold all the items inside, provide cushioning and stop them from moving freely into any empty spaces. The different types of materials include:

• Paper – scrunched up paper can be a great way to fill up the voids. The paper balls fill up the space around the objects providing shock absorption and limiting movement. They can be reused and easy recyclable.
• Air – Air pillows are what they sound like, pillows filled up with air to form a soft and shock absorbing pad that surrounds the objects. Place the pillows into the box, put your objects inside and inflate them with air.

Add layers of internal protection to the bottom of the parcel, around the sides and on the top. Ensure none of the objects are touching the sides at any point to avoid chipping and other damage.

Secure the Package

The last thing you want is for your parcel to open and all your objects fall out. Therefore you need to secure the box well with suitable parcel tape. Other kinds of tape aren’t suitable as they will not be strong enough to deal with the transit process. Never use string! Remember you really can’t use too much tape, the more you put on the more secure the package will be. Add tape to all the corners, sides and to seal all the openings and flaps. Visit www.cobproducts.co.uk for more information.