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Products/items should always be safely contained
within a box, carton, crate, or other protective
container. Carriers will not pick up loose items,
(ie: sofa wrapped in plastic). Shipments consisting
of multiple boxes each weighing over 200 lbs,
or heavy machinery or equipment, should be securely
placed on a pallet or in a crate so the driver
can load into the truck with a pallet jack.
(see #5 & #6 below for pallet and crate guidelines) |
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2. |
Determine weather your items are Fragile/breakable,
Non Fragile or need to be crated or palletized
and follow the recommended packaging below.
The following are some examples of fragile,
non fragile and crate/pallet items. |
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Fragile Items
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Non Fragile Items
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Anything Breakable
such as:
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Anything Non-Breakable such as:
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Glass items |
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Clothing and footwear |
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Computers (Cpu's, servers |
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Paper items |
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monitors, flat screens etc) |
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Plastic items |
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Electronics (all
types) |
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Machinery parts |
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Small furniture |
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Canned products |
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Household goods |
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Granular products |
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Personal Effects |
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Carpeting |
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Artwork/fine art & sculptures |
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Tools and hardware |
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(see # 4 for packaging) |
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(see #3 for
packaging) |
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Crate/Pallet Items
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The following are some examples of items that
should be crated and placed on a pallet or boxed
and shrink wrapped to a pallet. |
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Machinery |
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Ovens/stoves |
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Heavy equipment |
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Dishwashers |
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Engines |
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Washing machines/dryer |
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Compressors |
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Fridge |
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Generators |
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Sofa |
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Lawn mower |
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Tables/Desks and chairs |
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Motorcycle |
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Large Furniture & Televisions |
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see # 5 for using pallets and #6 for crating
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Pack Non fragile/non breakable items
inside sturdy new boxes or containers. Place
items that may be affected by dirt or water
or items that contain liquids (ie: shampoo bottle)
in plastic bags inside the box/container. Use
bubble wrap, foam pillows, rolled foam or other
interior padding to fill gaps in box and prevent
movement of items during transit. Do not over
pack box. Securely tape the seams of box with
durable boxing tape and label. See # 7 for Taping
& Labeling below. |
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4. |
Pack Fragile/breakable items inside new
sturdy boxes or containers. Wrap each item
individually in bubble wrap or foam padding
(with 2 inches of thickness around item) and
place snuggly inside box. Leave room around
the sides of box and pad with cushioning.
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For extra caution: use a second larger box (about
5 inches wider and deeper) and place the first
box inside it. Fill the remaining space
in the larger outer box with cushioning material
(example A below). You can also bubble wrap
the first box and then place in the second outer
box. (example B). Do not use newspaper or other
paper to wrap items or for cushioning. Do not
over pack box. Securely tape the seams of box
with durable boxing tape and label. See # 7
below for Taping & Labeling. |
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Example A
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Example B
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5. |
Pallets: For multiple boxes or heavy
boxes that need to be
placed on a pallet:
Always use pallets that
are in good condition and durable.
Stack boxes squarely on pallet, corner-to-corner
with no overhang (stack near the edge but don't
go over). Distribute weight evenly on pallet
and make sure the top surface is flat to minimize
chances of damaged boxes. Make sure every box
is labeled before stacking on pallet (see #7
below for labeling).
Secure the boxes/cartons to the pallet using
shrink-wrap, aka "stretch-wrap" (industry standard
thin, stretchable plastic film, 70 gauge recommended).
Attaching the shrink-wrap: Take the shrink-wrap
roll and peel out about a yard or more of the
plastic. Squeeze about 8 inches of the end together
into a loose rope shape and thread this around
all 4 corners of the pallet. You do not need
to tie a knot, just hold the end snug against
the boxes and fold the rest of the yard over
it, as the plastic sticks to itself and this
should be sufficient to keep it from pulling
loose when you begin to wrap.
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Beginning to Wrap: This is the
most important step to keep your boxes
securely on the pallet. Your goal is
for the entire pallet to feel like a
solid unit. It should move as one piece
without wobbling. Begin by tightly wrapping
the shrink-wrap around the base/bottom
of the pallet in same direction
Wrap the base at least four or five
times. A wrap to go underneath
all the corners. Pull before
going around each corner. |
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that you started with. llow the
edge of the the roll tightly just |
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Work your way up from the base so that the next
layer is joined securely to the first base layer
and so on. Be sure to pull and take as much
stretch out of the plastic, as possible, while
you are wrapping. Stretch the plastic to the
point of almost breaking. Wrapping too loosely
will allow the shrink wrap to stretch while
in transit. The more "stretch" you can
take out of it, the more firmly it will hold.
Wrap each section 4 or 5 times. (Base, bottom,
middle & top).
When you reach the top of the pallet you can
either stop there or wrap back down the pallet
again. To decide what is needed, try pushing
the upper boxes to see if the unit is tight
or loose. If you see the plastic ripple or the
stack wobbles, you either didn't wrap tightly
enough or it needs more layers. Go around it
a few more times, working your way back down
to the base.
Additional Banding or
strapping is recommended for heavy items to
secure them to the pallet.
Once you are finished wrapping, tear or cut
the plastic apart from the roll and fold the
end of wrapping under the edge of one of the
wraps at the side of the pallet. This will keep
your wrapping from coming apart.
Helpful Tip: Do not tie the shrink-wrap to the
pallet with a knot. Later down the line someone
will have to use a knife to sever the knot or
cut the plastic. The shrink-wrap sticks to itself,
so knots are unnecessary and It's easier to
unwrap the shrink-wrap then to cut it.
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6. |
Crates: For Large items that need to
be crated, we recommend you have this done by
a professional crating company, unless you have
experience in properly making a crate yourself.
We can arrange professional packaging, crating
and pallet services for you at discount prices.
We can provide you with the following types
of packaging as well as custom crates and pallets.
Please call us at:(800) 541-0700 or email:
packaging for assistance. |
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Pallet
Box
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Wood
Crate
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Enclosed
Crate
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Specialized
Crates
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Pallets,
Shrink-Wrapping and Banding
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7. |
Taping boxes closed: For light boxes:
Use durable plastic tape that is at least 2-3
inches in width. For heavy boxes use reinforced
tape at least 3 inches in width. Do not use
household scotch tape, masking tape, duct tape
or kraft paper tape. Place tape evenly across
the flaps and seams of the top and bottom sides
of the box, as shown below:
Labeling: Every box in your shipment
must have a label indicating the shipper's and
consignee's complete address (just in case your
boxes get separated). Additional information
such as shipper and consignee phone numbers,
bill of lading number, carrier pro # and date
shipped can also be added to your labels to
assist the carrier. The labels should be clear
and easy to read, preferably printed. You can
use any adhesive printer address label. Place
the label on the top surface of every box in
your shipment, as shown above. Avoid placing
over flap seams.
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