Tips on shipping fragile packages
There are plenty of things out there that we know are fragile. They include TV’s, glassware, computers and the like. We ship them, they get a ‘fragile’ label slapped on them and they’re sent off to handlers with a warning to use caution so as to prevent any kind of significant damage from happening.
That being said – if we’re shipping with a generic delivery service, you might want to try to be a little bit more careful with the packages that you’re shipping out. Lamps, anything made of wood, appliances – if they can’t handle much in the way of impact – they should be considered fragile and you should give more careful consideration as to how you’ll be shipping them.
That being said, even if you use all the caution in the world, there’s no guarantee that the handlers will take the warning to heart and some may even disregard the heads up. To avoid this, you’ll need to put in a little extra elbow grease.
Doing research
Always go with companies that closely monitor deliveries and almost overtrain their delivery drivers. Find companies who have employees that are trained and certified to handle a wide range of materials. These will be companies that will obviously be more receptive to your requests, but also will allow you to keep an eye on the progress of your delivery and give you the peace of mind that your package is being delivered safely.
Think local
Give local delivery companies a chance. They depend on killer service to generate business as they don’t have the benefit of a national brand. For fragile/specific deliveries, these local companies can be the best options because their success means so much more. Big companies like FedEx and UPS can’t match their levels of customized services.
Help yourself out
Always err on the side of caution whenever shipping fragile goods. Use the proper packaging for any shipment. Follow company and delivery service guidelines as to how to mark and pack your shipments. Use common sense as well – like not using old, worn boxes, using the proper packing materials and remembering your labels. You can’t always control what happens with a service, but you can certainly control what you can – and packaging your shipments the correct way is one of them.
Hopefully these tips are helpful and will take the edge off when it comes to sending fragile packages. If you have any questions or need help getting something delicate from point-A to point-B – give us a call today and we’ll be happy to help you. Until then – good luck!