Updated: Thursday, July 04th, 2024
Effective packaging benefits your business in many ways. Use best practices like right-sized packaging and consolidated shipping to deliver shipments effectively and securely.
Packaging Guidelines for Secure and Effective Deliveries
Lower costs and more efficient shipping: Why effective packaging matters
Every successful business needs a well-thought-out packaging strategy. Effective packaging itself can be sustainable. Proper packaging means no wasted commodities, packaging materials or shipping costs.
Additionally, properly packaged items don’t have excess space or air. As a result, they contain less volume, take up less space and help lower your carbon footprint. This also leads to more efficient packing overall, increasing the “cube” specifications of a pallet. Cube calculations are a critical part of shipment planning based on the number of boxes that can be loaded onto a truck.
Learn how to package fragile items securely and how to handle oversized and irregularly shaped products. Plus, discover what types of shipping solutions best suit your business.
Tip: Choose a vendor that aligns with your organization’s sustainability goals and establish a vendor code of conduct. This will ensure responsible procurement practices.
How to pick your packaging
Boxes, polybags and bubble mailers are the most commonly used types of packaging. Here are some of the features and benefits to help you decide which ones are best for you:
| Boxes | Polybags | Bubble mailers |
|---|---|---|
| Durable and suitable for both heavy and fragile items | Best for non-fragile items such as clothing | Lightweight and ideal for flat items like books |
| Boxes that are recyclable are an excellent sustainable option | Flexible, thin and affordable | Cost-effective and comes in a range of sizes |
| You can brand your boxes to improve the customer experience | Keeps items dry during transport through rain and snow | Bubble wrap offers a protective layer |
How to ship a package with irregularly shaped items
Protection is key. Package irregularly shaped items with extra care and follow these tips to keep them secure in transit:
- Plan for extra costs. Shipping irregularly shaped items requires special handling, so you’ll have to pay additional charges.
- Remove any hanging tags from the outer packaging.
- Wrap and tape any protrusions or sharp edges. You can cover them with scraps of corrugated cardboard and tape them in place.
- Cover all parts of the item that require protection during shipping.
- Place a completed shipping label on the flattest and largest surface of the outer packaging, and apply clear tape over the whole label.
- Pack items in the centre of the box, ensuring 3” (7.6 cm) of separation from the box walls.
- Wrap and pack all items separately and ensure each article is surrounded by cushioning material. Fill all empty space with appropriate filler material.
Packaging for fragile items: Double-box each fragile item by lining a second box with protective packaging and placing the first box in the middle. The objective is to ensure the items move as little as possible during transit, so right-sized packaging is crucial. Here’s how to package fragile items:
- Choose the right box: Use a sturdy corrugated cardboard box with undamaged flaps. Refer to the Box Manufacturer’s Certificate for information on shipping box strength.
- Place items in the box carefully:Wrap items separately and place in the centre of the box, but away from each other. Use double-wall boxes for heavier fragile items.
- Ensure adequate cushioning: The double-box packing method tends to work best. Make sure you have at least 3” (7.6 cm) of cushioning around each fragile item inside the inner box and between the inner and the outer box. Fill empty space with cushioning material, like void-fill air pillows, air cellular cushioning, polyethylene foams, polystyrene foams, corrugated inserts, loose fill peanuts or crumpled newspaper/newsprint.
- Seal and secure the box: Remember not to use strings, plastic wrapping, elastic bands, paper overwrap, masking, Scotch or duct tape around the package. Instead, use adhesive poly tape. Seal the box with the H-style taping method detailed below:
- Apply the first strip of tape to seal the centre seam.
- Seal the edge seams on both ends with two strips of tape.
- Repeat the process for the bottom of the box.
- Clearly label the package: Like with any other package, remove any inapplicable labels or markings from previous shipments from the outside of the package. Then, place a clearly completed label with full delivery and accurate contact details on the outside of the box, as well as an extra copy of the label inside.
Shipping option considerations
Purolator packaging and shipping options come in different shapes and sizes. With these various customizable solutions, we can cater to your shipping needs. Here’s what you need to know about Purolator’s freight and courier solutions:
Freight shipping solutions
Purolator offers flexible freight shipping for businesses that need cross-border, truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) options. Purolator’s expedited and standard TL and LTL freight shipping offer high on-time performance and easy online tracking. It’s also easy to arrange and customize shipments within Canada and to and from the U.S.
These are the factors you should think about if you’re considering freight shipping.
- Consolidated freight options create more route efficiency and generally make shipping more sustainable.
- There are standard, expedited and cross-border options for both TL and LTL freight shipping.
- Remember that freight shipping for overweight items can come with additional costs.
- This solution helps reduce your transportation-related carbon emissions.
Courier shipping solutions
Courier solutions are ideal for quick delivery for small items. Purolator uses express ground shipping to deliver packages to and from businesses across Canada.
Here’s what you should take into account:
- There are many flexible options to meet your expedited shipping needs.
- Courier shipping is an excellent choice for Canadian businesses that want to use ground shipping and tap into Purolator’s sustainable delivery fleet.
- You can use Purolator Express® 9AM, Purolator Express® 10:30AM, Purolator Express® 12PM, Purolator Express® or Purolator Express® Evening for your most urgent shipments.
- Customers can take advantage of flexible delivery times and pick-up and delivery services on Saturdays.
- Small businesses that work with Purolator have access to Canada’s largest courier network and can save 65% on shipping
Investing in shipping materials and effective packaging
As you devise a packaging strategy, it’s important to consider how your business can stay prepared for market changes, evolving sustainability goals and more.
Investing in proper shipping materials and practicing effective packaging is crucial for businesses across various industries. For example, automotive companies often ship dangerous goods like batteries and oversized items. This can make shipping far more expensive. However, if a business takes the time to test out different packaging methods for security and sustainability, they will inevitably save money, time and resources.
Medical suppliers also frequently handle hazardous materials. They need to ensure secure and on-time delivery. A company that delivers prescriptions, for example, needs to ensure compliance in every location they ship to. They also require temperature-sensitive shipping. Additionally, they have to meet high packaging standards and use packaging that deters theft. In this case, with such specific needs, packaging can become expensive. With Purolator, healthcare businesses can save 50% or more on time-sensitive and fragile shipments.
Across all industries, paying closer attention to shipping and packaging can:
- Cut costs by preventing your business from buying unnecessary shipping boxes and packing materials.
- Make your packaging practices more sustainable and therefore more appealing to eco-conscious customers.
- Help you package dangerous goods safely and effectively so your business remains compliant and becomes more environmentally friendly.
- Save money and reduce returns by getting more items delivered in one piece.
Here are some other essential factors to keep in mind as you evaluate your approach to packaging:
- Prepare for peak times: If your business has seasons when you experience a significantly higher volume of orders, it’s crucial to prepare for these times. Make sure you have adequate packaging materials on hand. You should also have a variety of boxes at your disposal and well-defined packaging processes.
- Get familiar with different types of packaging: When you understand your options, it’s easier to compare prices to keep costs down. There are many packaging and filler materials to choose from, including bubble mailers, boxes and bubble wrap. Get familiar with the different shapes, sizes and price ranges on the market so you can optimize your packaging.
- Partner with the right provider: Consider your unique business needs and choose a delivery partner that caters to all of them. This could range from Dangerous Goods services for shipping lithium batteries to special handling for irregularly shaped items to Mission Critical delivery for time-sensitive goods.
- Remember that final-mile logistics are critical: The final leg of getting your products from your warehouse to the customer is vital to the success of your business. Right-sized packaging is at the heart of the final mile.
- Purolator packaging solutions and resources: Your business has unique packaging needs.
Get help with these resources:
| Ship automotive parts and supplies Purolator caters to the unique needs of automotive businesses with Special Handling Services (SHS) to, from or within Canada. Check out our flexible delivery options including cross-border, 500 kg Exemption and international freight forwarding. Learn more | Get help shipping a package Not sure how to ship your package? From shipping documents to where to find your nearest shipping centre, we have what you need to get your package delivered. Find quick start guides for creating freight shipments online, tracking and more. Learn more |
| Find packaging solutions and supplies If you need assistance, Purolator’s packaging experts can help. From self-seal bubble mailers to shipping boxes of all sizes, we’ll support you on the journey to your next freight or courier shipment. Learn more | Prepare pallets for freight shipping Is your pallet ready to be shipped? Here’s what you need to know about preparing pallets securely and correctly. Follow six simple steps for smoother freight shipping. Learn more |