Tips for Pallet Shipping
When you’ve decided to ship a large quantity of freight across the country, it’s important to make sure all of that freight has been properly prepared for the journey. That way you can avoid having any unpleasant surprises upon its arrival at its final destination.
Keep in mind that the freight carrier’s job is simply to move your freight from point A to point B—not to make sure it is completely prepared for the entire shipping process. It’s up to you to make sure your freight is packaged appropriately and safely.
As a general rule, you should package your products and pallets for strength. Keep in mind that even when your products are inside boxes, they can still be damaged, so you need to make sure you’ve provided them with as many protections as possible. Use high-quality packaging materials, including boxes, pallets, tape, shrinkwrap and fillers, such as bubble wrap or packing peanuts.
Here are a few tips to ensure your pallet shipping goes as smoothly as possible during heavy equipment hauling in Aurora, CO:
- Pack each product properly: The boxes should be full, with no air space. Again, bubble wrap and packing peanuts can help you fill up any extra space. But if you have too much air inside the box, the box and any products inside of it could be crushed during the shipping process. Make sure you have enough tape to keep it from opening up in the middle.
- Stack boxes properly: Make sure you stack all boxes evenly and carefully. Use common sense—heavier boxes should go on the bottom, lighter boxes should go on top. Larger boxes should go on the bottom, smaller on the top. Avoid overhangs and misalignment of boxes. Make sure you distribute the weight of the boxes as evenly as possible, both in terms of the products you place inside the boxes and how you stack each box on the pallets.
- Keep weight from shifting: You might need to get creative with the strategies you use to keep boxes from shifting around inside the vehicle if it’s not fully packed with boxes. Using flat cardboard every couple of rows can help solidify loose boxes and keep them from shifting around too much. Adding cardboard corner pieces around pallets can strengthen the whole pallet.
- Shrink-wrap: Don’t feel like you need to conserve shrink-wrap. Wrap everything three to five times—once around isn’t going to be enough. Don’t skimp on the quality of the shrink-wrap, either. It should be a good quality material. Use it to wrap the top of the pallet, but keep it accessible to the forklift. You can add extra strength to your wrapping by occasionally twisting the wrap.
These are just a few best practices to keep in mind when you prepare yourself for pallet shipping. For more information about how you can get your freight from point A to point B safely and efficiently, contact Osage Specialized Transport today. We’re your go-to source for heavy equipment hauling in Aurora, CO!
