3 Packaging Tips for Damage Prevention

There is nothing more frustrating than receiving a damaged product. It negatively affects the consumer, the business, and the environment. The best way to prevent damages is to properly assess products being shipped and determine the best packaging options. Investing in the right packaging to protect your product through the distribution cycle will save you from dealing with excess damage and costs in the future.

Shift Happens!

Load shifting is one of the largest causes of damage during transit. According to Packaging Digest, as much as 11% of unit loads arriving at a distribution center have some level of case damage. While typically less than 1% of the actual products are damaged, there is still the alarming possibility that upon delivery dock workers see a heavily creased and torn case and make the decision the mark it as “damaged on delivery” or reject the entire load.

Since what happens to your products once the truck pulls out of your loading dock is out of your control, properly packing and stretch wrapping product loads will give you the best chance in preventing damages.

Know Your ECT

Most of the damage during transit is compression based. The lowest tier of packages is the most susceptible to being crushed. Testing your packaging is essential to see how it will hold up in possible scenarios it could encounter during its journey to the consumer. You must take into consideration durability, the weight of your product, how many levels a load be stacked, and the overall design of a load. Once you have the right corrugate, it should be followed up with effective stretch wrapping that uses the necessary amount of containment force.

Learn more: The Difference Between the Mullen Burst Test and the Edge Crush Test

Prepare for Impact

Whether your customers are end-users, distributors or retailers, they will expect to receive the products they ordered intact. Damaged products lead to costly replacements and even worse, a damaged relationship with the customer. Using impact protection products, such as bubble wrap, kraft paper, and air pillows, is the standard for providing additional product coverage from drops, vibrations, compression, and humidity. It’s important to assess your products’ needs to find the optimal void fill required to avoid under and over packaging.

There are a lot of hazards your products may face along their journey and you can find examples of poor packaging all over the internet, from overpacking to shredded boxes. The following video shows an extreme example of what your package might have to overcome during delivery.

In summary, always make sure to pack your products in durable, correctly sized packaging, seal the packages properly, only load on to strong, damage-free pallets, and stabilize pallet loads with the right amount of stretch wrap. This is easier said than done, and that’s why we’re here to help. If you want to better your packaging, so not even Ace Ventura could damage your product, contact our packaging engineering team. We will assess your product and packaging needs to customize a solution that will reduce your damage rates, costs, and packaging waste.