What should you keep in mind when packing large bags and containers?

Large bags and containers break in different ways than small items. They tear along a seam, leak at the closure, or get damaged when something is placed on top of them. Since they are also expensive to reship, it’s worth determining the packaging method in advance.

The original packaging is rarely sufficient

The bag in which the feed is delivered is designed for transport on a pallet, not for individual shipment. Additional outer packaging or a protective layer is often necessary when shipping by package. The exact requirements depend on the bag’s material.

A standard procedure for each article

For items that require special attention, specific packaging instructions are established, just as they are for liquid products that might leak. This ensures that every order is handled the same way, even on a busy day and even if someone else is packing it. That’s exactly what goes wrong when you handle shipping yourself under pressure.

Stacking as Agreed

What can and cannot be included on an item is part of the information you provide about heavy items. Without that information, items are stacked based on what seems logical, and with bags, that isn't always the same as what's safe.

A leak affects more than just one item

A bag that tears open during shipping damages the items around it. For orders with multiple items, that’s the difference between replacing a single item and having to reship the entire order.

Keep track of your claims ratio

Make a note of which items are returned damaged and why. If you notice a pattern, the solution often lies with your supplier or the packaging size, not with the packing process itself.

The parts cost less than a new shipment

Packing items more securely takes materials and time. With heavy items, this almost always outweighs the cost of a damaged shipment, because in that case you lose both the product and the cost of two shipments.

Test the actual route

When launching a new major product, have a few shipments actually sent out before you scale up production. That way, you can see if the packaging is right before your customers do.

If something does go wrong along the way

A damaged bag leads to a complaint and sometimes to a package getting stuck with the carrier. What happens when a shipment gets stuck is the process that’s followed. The better your packaging, the less often you’ll run into that problem.

Packaging materials are not a minor issue

For large and heavy items, the material determines whether a shipment arrives intact. It’s a trade-off between the cost per order and the damage per hundred orders, and when dealing with heavy products, that calculation almost always favors sturdier packaging.