05/13/2022
Top 7 myths about packaging
1. MYTH: Packages marked “fragile” will get special treatment. TRUTH: In package shipping, everything gets handled the same. “Lots of people put on stickers to make up for bad packaging, including customers,” Rut says. “Those stickers have no meaning in the package industry. To be safe for shipping, it has to be able to drop 3 feet — on every side and every corner — and not break.”
2. MYTH: Factory packaging means it’s OK to ship. TRUTH: The vast majority of factory packaging does not protect the item enough for individual shipping. “Most things packaged at a factory were packaged to be grouped on a pallet and shipped, which is way different from packages traveling individually, going on conveyers, getting stacked in trucks, etc.”
3. MYTH: Two layers of bubble padding is enough. TRUTH: There must be at least four layers, because that creates 2 inches of padding — the required minimum. “Many people wrap something in two layers of bubble wrap, put it in a box, and think it’ll be OK,” Rut says. “That’s not the case.”
4. MYTH: Bubble padding is good to pack anything. TRUTH: Items that are heavy or have sharp or thin edges — such as laptop computers — can burst bubbles. (That’s why FedEx offers specialty boxes for laptops, tablets, and small electronics.)
5. MYTH: Packing peanuts are a padding material. TRUTH: Vibrations during transit can cause the item to move through peanuts and end up on one side of the box, where it could be damaged. “Peanuts were developed for void fill,” Rut says. “If you pack in just peanuts, it doesn’t protect properly. Use other padding first, and add peanuts to fill up any space.”
6. MYTH: Air bags make good padding. TRUTH: These too are intended as void fill. They don’t work as padding because they can easily pop or deflate.
7. MYTH: All corrugated boxes are the same. TRUTH: The box can add a lot of packaging protection — but only if the structure is strong. “People who pack their own item like to use the box it came in. Often, that box is damaged and doesn’t have the same strength anymore,” Rut says.
