How to Prevent Damages to Heavy Products

For a long time, consumers were hesitant to purchase heavy products like furniture and major appliances online, but as the demand for big and bulky online purchases rises, safely delivering products will be vital to maintaining that trust.

Heavier products are most likely to be shipped using less than truckload (LTL) services. LTL services are typically used for any shipment between 150lbs and 15,000 lbs. This article discusses the key methods of disaster prevention when shipping LTL products to prevent damage to your product and your brand.

Shipping Less than Truckload (LTL) Risk Factors

LTL freight shipments are at risk of being exposed to various elements while on the road. Risks include:

Shock: Driving over speedbumps and potholes, hard braking, and forklift handling can cause shock to a product.

Vibration: Occurs during most of the duration of the transport.
Compression: This can be caused by stacking, straps, load shifting, and drivers turning corners or breaking.
Exposure: This is changes in temperature or humidity, dirt, odor, and condensation.

Packaging big & heavy products

The first line of damage-defense for any product, big or small, relies on the packaging materials. Packaging both inside and outside the product is instrumental in eliminating damage from the various risks listed above.

Below are some of the best packaging methods for both outer and inner packaging to help you start protecting your products. We have also included as many practical eco-friendly alternatives we could find! Learn more about eco-friendly shipping with Freight Club here.

Outer packaging

The outer packaging is key to ensuring your product is safe from damages such as scratches, holes, and tears to the product inside. It also ensures the inside contents remain contained inside. Here are some effective outer packaging materials:

Corrugated fiberboard (cardboard) boxes – This the most common “box” packaging that is effective in containing small to medium-sized items or disassembled products.

Stretch film – This reduces contact with dust and secures individual items together.

Pallets – Allows packages to be easily moved and handled without damage.

Corner boards – protect the vulnerable edges of your product.

Inner packaging

Inner packaging materials are an often-overlooked aspect of effective packaging, but they are just as important as outer packaging, preventing damages from vibration, compression, and shifting in transit.

Bubble wrap: Lightweight, flexible material, ideal for shock absorption.

Sheet foam: Good for wrapping around products and freight to add a layer of protection.

Plank Foam: Plank foams are thick and stiff square or rectangular pieces of Styrofoam that stabilize items in a box.

Molded Foam: This foam is customized to fit your product. It is ideal for unusually shaped items or fragile materials.

Sealing packages

Properly sealing a package keeps the box intact and the contents secure inside. We recommend sealing a package by using this Three-Strip Taping Method (H Taping Method):

1. Use pressure-sensitive plastic tape at least 2” wide.

2. Distribute the tape evenly across flaps and seams, using the H taping method shown.

3. Apply at least three strips of tape to the top and bottom sides of the carton.

4. Tape across all seams and flaps.

5. Rub the entire tape surface to ensure contact and adhesion.

Choosing the right carrier & service

Like packaging, carriers are not a one-size-fits-all ordeal. Paying close attention to a carrier’s performance with your products and choosing suitable carriers to handle each SKU is incredibly important. Here are two factors you want to consider for damage protection:

Service levels

Choosing carriers that offer specialty delivery services, like White Glove and Room of Choice services, ensures your packages get special treatment. These services also help elevate the customer experience by taking the product directly into the house and even offering full assembly of the product, in some cases. These options are highly recommended for products like furniture, exercise equipment, major appliances, and luxury or high-value items.

Carrier damage rates

Each carrier has unique damage rates that you need to pay attention to as you ship with them. Pay close attention to each individual SKU's damage rates to determine if a carrier is suited for delivering each product. Our free software can also help you do this. All our carriers are pre-vetted, so we will only recommend to you carriers we know will have low damage rates on your product.

Conclusion

Shipping heavier products can be scary, but the good news is that there are ways to ensure you have low damage rates. By using effective internal and external packaging, sealing packages correctly, and choosing the right service levels and carriers with low damage rates per SKU, you can prevent damages to heavy items.