Most people share a single concern when sending a package—will it get there in one piece? Was it packed to tightly or loosely? Maybe the address might get confused with another label, or the tape will come apart? Well, stressing about a potential scenario is no help at all. Instead, we’ve come up with seven box shipping tips to help you mail with confidence.
1 – Remove Any Old Labels
The last thing you want is for someone at the post office or parcel service to hold the box the wrong way and see the wrong address. If you’re re-using a box and it has old labels on it, peel them off, or thoroughly cross them out with a black Sharpie. The same goes for any bar codes you might see. These days a handler is more likely to scan a bar code than read the label.
2 – Tape it Right. Tape it Tight. Make an H.
If you don’t want your package coming undone mid-trip, you have to tape it right. The H-tape method is where you don’t just tape down the middle, but along the sides as well, sealing the top up tight and leaving no room for movement. Make sure you’ve made an H on the top and bottom and you should be in good shape!
3 – Don’t Cheap Out on Tape
That bargain tape you got might not have what it takes to keep your package together. You want a plastic or reinforced tape that is specifically designed for packages (2 inches wide preferably) and is able to take at least 60lbs. Using regular home tape, such as Scotch or masking tape, is just asking for an accident to happen.
4 – Lessons from a Russian Nesting Doll
If you’ve got something especially fragile, consider putting your box inside a box. First nest your precious item in a box with your packing materials (ie foam peanuts), then get a larger box (at least 6 inches larger on all sides) and put that box inside it, also stuffed with packing material. Pack it tight in both boxes—restricting movement is the key to the cushioning effect.
5 – Using Newspaper? Beware of what it’s up against!
There’s nothing wrong with using crumpled newspaper to pack materials in. For many, it’s a means of recycling something they have on hand. But be mindful of the fact that ink can rub off onto other surfaces, so make sure it’s not going to smudge on something important.
6 – Provide an Inside Label or Business Card
Sometimes the unthinkable happens, and a package is damaged or the label is otherwise made unreadable. Adding a second label along with shipping information to the contents, or even just a business card, will allow the shipper to still deliver the package, or at least get in touch with you if there is a problem.
7 – Take Advantage of Tracking Services
All major shippers offer free tracking these days, so make use of it. You can track its progress online or get updates sent directly to you via email or text. This is by far the easiest way to get some piece of mind if you or an impatient client is waiting for your package to reach its destination.
With a little care, you can help make sure your package will arrive at its intended destination exactly as intended. At Racer Boxes, we can reduce packaging and overhead costs by manufacturing custom box sizes specific to your needs. Forget about unnecessary oversize costs and extra padding. Combine these helpful box shipping tips with the right sized box to keep items safe and secure.
Contact us at (604) 270 – 8205 or racerboxes@gmail.com to learn more.
For businesses and individuals mailing merchandise to clients, it’s important to ensure that goods arrive as intended. Merchandise that’s been crushed, soiled, battered, or broken will likely be returned, potentially impacting bottom line profits—and maybe even your reputation. By mastering the basics of box packing, you can help deliver a better customer experience to your end user.
Broadly speaking, there are four basic steps when it comes to Box Packing 101. These are:
- Boxing
- Cushioning
- Sealing and
- Labelling
Boxing
The protective outer box works to protect items from becoming damaged or dirty during transport. Corrugated cardboard generally works well to protect non-fragile items while double-wall boxes may be required for heavy or fragile items to prevent crunching or tears. In either case, there should be no holes, tears, or corner dents—and the flaps should be intact.
Cushioning
Fillers like old newspapers, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, and foam work to fill empty spaces and prevent movement that could potentially damage the goods inside the box. Items should be individually wrapped and positioned away from the sides. For fragile items, FedEx recommends a minimum 3″ (8-cm) thickness of air-cellular cushioning material. There should be about 5cm thickness of cushioning on all sides, so the items are snug and secure within a corrugated cardboard box, or any other container.
Sealing
More commonly called taping, it’s important to ensure goods are protected both from theft and damage. Nothing good will result if a package of electronics or even a food box springs open mid-delivery. That’s why it’s important to use an appropriate sealant. For most boxes, a 60lb pressure-sensitive plastic tape is what’s recommended. In some cases, it may be possible to use a water-activated reinforced tape, but make sure it’s at least 5cm wide.
Labelling
This is the final step. All delivery information should be on the outside of the box, including an address for the recipient—and the sender. Make sure any old addresses are removed or crossed out. Additionally, make sure all labels and packing slips are facing the same direction on the same side of the package. For boxes, with fragile contents, the position of the label will often determine how the box is handled (i.e. this end up only).
A few thoughtful steps can significantly increase the odds that your package will arrive as intended. For additional tips, don’t be afraid to contact your shipper and ask for advice. To learn more about the different boxes available for shipping, contact Racer Boxes at (604) 270–8205 or racerboxes@gmail.com.
Who doesn’t love getting packages in the mail? Every surprise is a celebration, a well-deserved treat that offers some respite from the everyday humdrum. Considering all the joy and delight a surprise package elicits, the skyrocketing popularity of monthly subscription boxes is largely straightforward.
Notably, the most successful companies spearheading the subscription box trend pay meticulous attention to their packaging. This isn’t simply a cover for their box, but an attempt to sustain the excitement and anticipation that comes with opening every beautiful surprise. These boxes are works of art that delight the recipient even before they’re opened.
For anyone unaware of the subscription box phenomenon exemplified by companies like Nicely Noted, the premise is simple. A user signs up for a monthly fee and usually completes a short survey about their tastes and preferences. After that, the subscriber gets a box of personally selected goodies delivered right to their doorstep every month.
Each package is a tiny mystery, and the anticipation and suspense makes each surprise that much better. These packages are often a far better value than purchasing the items individually, and they offer chance to try sample exciting new products.
Most subscriptions cater to very specific interests. This allows brands to create experiences that will truly resonate and delight their buyer’s personalities—and their packaging is a big part of this. Take a look at five subscription with boxes that are almost as delightful as what’s inside!
5 Subscription Boxes People Can’t Resist
With Snack Boxes for $20/month, Pantry Boxes for $30/month, and Signature Boxes for $40/month, Try the World offers an assortment of mouth-watering gourmet snacks, drinks, and ingredients that are delivered to your doorstep every month.
Based on your Palate Profile, Club W delivers 3 bottles of wine, starting at $13 a bottle ($39 total) plus a $6 flat shipping rate. They work directly with winemakers to get you better quality at a lower price. Satisfaction is guaranteed and you can even manage your account via their phone app!
Unlike most subscription services, FabFitFun is a seasonal box sent out four times a year, but it packs a lot in its quarterly punch! For $50 each or $180 for a full year, FabFitFun delivers a mix of full-size beauty, fashion, fitness, wellness, and home treats for subscribers to enjoy. Each box touts a $200 value!
The one that started it all! Birchbox offers both a monthly women’s beauty box for $10, with 5 beauty samples, and a men’s box for $20 that contains 4 samples and a lifestyle product.
BarkboxWho says humans get to have all the fun? Barkbox will ship your furry best friend a monthly box of dog goodies, including toys and healthy treats for as little as $19 a month. All you have to do is pick your dog size and the duration of your plan (1, 3, 6, or 12-month), and it’ll be delivered to your doorstep.
Got Your Own Subscription Box Idea?
There are over 600 of these services today, with millions of subscribers eager to get a new surprise every month. However, the firms that are most successful are those who know how to think outside the box.
As a local box manufacturer and printer, Racer Boxes can create a small customized mailer that really delivers the unique experience you offer. Contact us at (604) 270 – 8205 or racerboxes@gmail.com to learn more.
BC is a major producer of fruits and veggies in Canada. Now that it’s spring, many growers will be getting ready to ship their bounty across the city or across the country. As a Vancouver-based box manufacturer, we know that shipping produce isn’t as simple as dumping it into boxes and hoping it arrives safely. Without proper packing, environmental conditions like humidity and temperatures can cause perishables to degrade, impacting your bottom line. That’s why we’ve created a special line of wholesale food boxes to help get your perishables safely from point A to Point B.
At Racer Boxes, we have created several types of wholesale food boxes, including a produce carton with die-cut holes, stackable cardboard fruit trays, potted plant display holders, and a cardboard floral tray.
Ideally, you’ll want to use a carrier who offers temperature-controlled freight to keep food and/or plants as fresh as possible. Sending perishable items using overnight delivery is recommended. It’s best to try to avoid sending items at the end of the week, as this means perishables could end up stagnating in a shipping facility over the weekend.
Remember to avoid packing moist fruit and veggies, as the condensation in an enclosed space is conducive to mould growth. Our produce boxes contain die-cut air holes for exactly this reason. It’s a simple design, but it helps keep food aerated, prolonging its quality and freshness during delivery.
Remember, if you’re shipping heavy items, like potatoes, the box should be sufficiently strong to avoid bursting. If you need help creating a customized solution for your produce, we’ll be glad to help. As manufacturers of corrugated die-cut boxes and cartons, Racer Boxes offers superior pricing and quality. We cater to customers with low, mid and high volume requirements—and we’re pleased to work with farmers and food producers all across the province.
At Racer Boxes, we know that how you present and package your goods is an important part of what makes your brand. As a wholesale box manufacturer, we create boxes right here in Vancouver. However, while we love all things related to packaging and cardboard, we’re also outside-the-box thinkers. We pay special attention to brand packaging, which is why we provide custom box printing to enhance the beauty of your products and brand.
While we believe that custom-printed boxes are the way to go for ultra-professionalism and flare, we understand that start-ups have to be budget conscious. For clients who need to pretty up their packages without breaking the bank, we recommend incorporating some customized stickers.
In packaging, stickers are most commonly found inside boxes—such as a seal on tissue paper. However, there’s no reason why you can’t use a customized sticker to enhance the beauty of your package on the outside, too.
The trick is to consider the design. Simply chucking a bunch of stickers on a box can look unprofessional. Instead, why not go for a label-like look that doubles as the sealing tape on your mailer box? Conversely, if a more traditional look is the objective, a metallic seal with a little embossing can be an inexpensive ticket to a classy look. For a more home-grown, grassroots kind of vibe, a label that incorporates space for a short handwritten message is sure to appeal to earthy lovers of kombucha and avocado toast.
There are many creative ideas out there. Try working with a designer to come up with a solution that’s both professional and affordable.
Then, when you’re ready to take your business to the next level (or when sticking 500 stickers to boxes every day is no longer a viable option), ask us how custom box printing and custom packaging can lend greater cohesion and polish to your brand. Don’t forget, we buy in tremendous volume at Racer Boxes, and pass our purchasing power onto you. That means bigger savings for small, medium, and large businesses.
Earth Day wasn’t that long ago. As a box manufacturer, we have to consider the impact we have on the environment. Many people love to hate packaging, but good packaging is actually is one of the most underrated tools for reducing waste. It makes sense when you think about it. If your packaging is snug, it means less material and less waste, which also translates into less cost—win-win!
Sometimes creating the right boxes for your goods is a customized job, but certainly one worth considering if it means eliminating extra bulk and weight, which can shave off expensive shipping costs. At Racer Boxes, we’ve created a range of standardized box sizes that fit a variety of applications. However, we’re always ready to help with a custom job. After all, providing the highest quality, the best service, and the most affordable pricing is how we’ve built our reputation.
While opting for the correct box sizes is an environmentally savvy choice, there are other factors to consider as well. Take the food industry, for example. An enormous amount of energy goes into producing, storing, and preparing to transport fruits and vegetables. When food is damaged during transportation, it means all of the water, land use, energy and financial resources that went into producing it are also squandered.
When it comes to protecting and transporting food, the right packaging makes all the difference. The produce boxes at Racer Boxes are specially designed for shipping fruits and vegetables. These boxes are durable with die-cut holes that allow your produce to breathe, ensuring it stays fresh while keeping it protected. In addition, our stackable (space-saving) fruit trays are the perfect fit for fresh strawberries, mushrooms, tomatoes, apples, peaches, and more!
Custom printing is available for all our products, and we are pleased to offer prices on complete skids. Being based in Richmond, we are in a position to deliver all over the Lower Mainland, and can arrange flexible shipping options for clients concerned about space and storage.
Learn more about how Racer Boxes can help you save money—and the environment. As a BC-based wholesale box manufacturer, we are pleased to work with clients in Burnaby, Langley, Surrey, Abbotsford—and beyond!
A Great Place to Buy Packing Supplies in Vancouver BC
If you are a business operating out of the Vancouver Lower Mainland and need an affordable, good quality cardboard box supplier, Racer Printing and Box Manufacturing is worth checking out. Unlike most packing supply distributors, Racer Boxes manufactures and sells their boxes directly to businesses. On top of that, Racer Boxes also sells other packing supplies wholesale, making them more of a one-stop packing supply distributor.
Packing supplies are sold in bulk by the case, such as cases of pallet wrap and cases packing tape, and includes free shipping within Metro Vancouver for orders over $500. One of the things that sets Racer Boxes apart is their custom boxes and custom box and tape printing services, as well as their exception customer service. Racer Boxes truly listens to their customers’ needs, which is actually why they continue to add new packing supply items to their list.
Things to Pick up When You Order From Racer Boxes in Richmond BC
- Hand Shrink Wrap – AEP and DC branded Pallet Shrink Wrap: order 4 per a case or by the full skid of a volume discount
- Packing Tape – BOPP packing tape and Freezer Tape (features acrylic adhesive designed to work cold temperatures). Order 36 per case or call for a volume discount
- Custom Printed Tape – custom printed packing tape, 1 – 2 colours on either clear or white based tape
- Accessories – Racer Boxes sells a bunch of other packing supplies that makes life easier in the shipping and packing department
The Place for High Quality & Affordable Shipping Supplies
Racer Boxes manufacturing facility provides among the highest quality corrugated cardboard boxes along with with high definition printing services — all available in-house. Stand out services such as box printing and custom printed tape makes Racer Boxes an excellent choice for branded packaging as well.
If you are in the greater Vancouver Area, contact Racer Printing and Boxes Manufacturing at (604) 270 – 8205 and get a quote for your wholesale packing supplies. With free delivery within Metro Vancouver for $200 orders, it’s an excellent and convenient service!
Buy Your Clothing Shipping Cardboard Boxes Locally
Racer Boxes in Vancouver BC makes and sells apparel cardboard boxes for shipping garments, hats, and clothing in Vancouver BC. This gives local Vancouver area businesses in the apparel sector a great reliable partner for their wholesale shipping boxes supply. As a cardboard box manufacturer, we make high quality boxes for apparel, including Clothing Display Trays, 2 Piece Insert Organizers, and slotted cartons.
For those in the Vancouver apparel industry, there’s no need to order your boxes and clothing packaging from far away when you can save by buying your boxes directly from a local box manufacture. There are plenty of advantages with working with Racer Boxes as your clothing box supplier, we’re local to the Vancouver area which keeps shipping costs down. We offer flexible services. And we pride ourselves on industry leading customer service. If you have questions or particular needs, we encourage you to call us without hesitation.
In terms of order sizes, we provide small, medium, and large size shipments and we offer flexibility — such as smaller, weekly shipments. That service can come in handy, for instance, rather than ordering a whole pallet of boxes at a time, you can save yourself the storage space with our regular weekly deliveries. Whatever your apparel box needs, give us a call so we can work according to your needs.
To be sure, we do not produce retail boxes, rather we only make shipping boxes for apparel. We also make and sell custom cardboard boxes according to your needs and specifications.
Your Greater Vancouver Apparel Box Manufacturer
If your business requires wholesale apparel cardboard boxes or considering unique ways of saving on your packaging overhead costs, give Racer Boxes and Printing in Vancouver BC a call. To get started, give us a call at (604) 270 – 8205.
Local Cardboard Boxes in Bulk for Wholesale Prices
Retail Price Kills Margins
When you are buying your cardboard boxes from a box store, you’re giving your margins to the distributor. While there is the convenience of buying very small qualities, you are paying full retail price. If you are selling with any volume, it’s better to buy bulk and get a wholesale price. You can easily get the same quality as any brand name store provides but at a fraction of the cost. That savings means more profit on your end.
Buy Direct from the Manufacture
A lot of the bulk cardboard suppliers are not actually manufactures of the boxes, rather they buy in bulk and markup the price. There’s far fewer manufactures that sell directly to businesses, many are not setup to provide customer service to end users like we are at Racer Boxes Printing and Manufacturing. The advantage of buying direct is savings, essentially you’re cutting out the middle men reducing your cost and effectively increasing your profit.
Buy from a Local Box Manufacturer
Some of the big cardboard box distributors may appear to have low prices per box when you’re browsing their websites, however in the end the added shipping costs often mitigate any savings. Going with a local box supplier means the shipping is local. That means less of you money goes into gas and labour and so on for the shipping company. Again, reducing your cost per box and increasing your profit.
Get Weekly Shipments
Another advantage when you’re buying from a local box manufacture like Racer Boxes is that we can provide weekly shipments of our products. Rather than buy a whole pallet of boxes at a time, you can save yourself the storage space and rely on weekly deliveries.
Whether weekly shipments will save you money depends on your situation; for example, in some cases you may not have the space and will require to buy lower volume. In other cases, the space located for storing your boxes may be put to better use than inventory. Here’s a case study where one of our customers saved by switching from buying his boxes in bulk to getting weekly shipments delivered from us.
Your Greater Vancouver Corrugated Box Manufacturer
If your business requires wholesale cardboard boxes or is looking into unique ways of saving on your packaging overhead costs, give Racer Boxes and Printing in Vancouver BC a call. To get started, give us a call at (604) 270 – 8205.
In our last post on How to Save on Buying Pallet Wrap in Bulk, we looked at reasons why every business should be using pallet wrap to save money – both in terms of less upfront costs and also in terms of the potentially devastating back-end costs.
In this post, we will review common mistakes when wrapping a pallet and how to properly secure pallets for shipment.
Improper pallet wrapping
To wrap your orders effectively to reduce shipping damage, costs, and liability, it’s important to first know what not to do. Putting the disaster scenarios from the last post aside, the more common expense is from shipping damage due to items moving or falling off the pallet during shipment.
Shipping damage often happens when loose boxes or products are not wrapped properly.
Improper wrapping can be a major concern, one of my clients who sells large heavy rolls of industrial fabric has had to reconsider his shipping partner after having many of his customers complain that their orders where arriving with rolls thrown across the trailer floor.
The issue wasn’t that the shipping partner wasn’t using pallet wrap, it was that there were not using it correctly to contain the rolls.
Here’s the most common mistakes of incorrectly pallet wrapping:
- Loosely packing a shipment. If the items are not packed tightly before shipment, you can count on them shifting during shipment. In this case, it doesn’t matter how well wrapped or how tightly stretched the pallet wrap is. If the palletized items have gaps between them, those gaps will allow items to shift inwards during shipment and this will make the pallet unstable. A related issue is incorrectly staking a load. Stacking a load takes a bit of foresight and understanding of physics. For instance, a shipment of rolls should be cross-hatched rather than stacked all in the same direction. Or a mixed shipment should have the looser heaver more stable Essentially, this creates the same dangerous situation that we find in #2.
- Not stretching the wrapping tight enough. Pallet wrap must be stretched tight as drum. If the wrap is put on loosely (read: not stretched tightly enough), the items will begin to shift outwards during shipment and create an insecure load. A pallet wrap dispenser with a tightly calibrated tensioner helps to resolve this issue, yet it’s not fool-proof as we will see in the next steps.
- Not anchoring the load to the pallet. Anchoring products to a pallet is an often-skipped step yet it can easily lead to items shifting off a palate during transport – especially due to wild forklift rides where the operator believes the pallet is more secure than it actually is. The reason why this step is skipped is because it takes a lot of conscious effort and work. You need to get down very low with the wrap dispenser to ensure the bottom corners of the pallet are wrapped and bring the wrap up to the upper corners of the stack to ensure the load is firmly secured to the pallet. This requires going around the pallet multiple times in a bottom-to-top, top-to-bottom cross-hatched pattern. It’s dizzying and takes a lot of effort.
- Inconsistent tension. If the wrap is too loose or too tight, it can compromise the containment of the load. Too tight and the wrap might rip. Too loose, specific pressure points can also lead to instability. Some shippers and warehouses don’t use wrap dispensers and this can easily lead to the film being inconsistently stretched. The benefit from having a tight tensioner set is that it helps to ensure the same amount of force is applied across the whole wrapping process. Yet a tight tensioner also means a lot of effort is required to wrap the pallet. It takes some effort to stretch the pallet wrap by hand, even with a dispenser.
- Sparse, inconsistent coverage. To apply pallet, wrap securely to contain a heavy load for long distance shipments, it’s necessary to wrap several times around the entire bundle – going over the same areas several times. A single wrap may work in principle, however it’s easy to leave weak points where the coverage is missing or where wrap could tear or stretch out over time. Having multiple layers provides redundancy and ensures full coverage to protect from punctures, rips, tear, and overall containment.
How to Properly Wrap a Pallet
- Use a pallet wrap dispenser with tensioner and calibrate the tensioner so it stretches the film firmly as the wrap is dispensed. You want the film tight and secure but not pressing the limit of tearing.
- Anchor the film first by pulling a foot or more out by hand and tying it to the pallet by hand. Then use the wrap dispenser to walk the wrap around the base of the pallet several times. The aim here is to secure the load to the pallet.
- Walk the pallet wrap dispenser around the palletized items, starting at the bottom moving slowly to the top. Be sure to overlap ea lap by about half the width of the film.
- Criss-cross the wrap from lower corners to adjacent upper corners for several laps – as shown in the diagram on the right.
- Keep overlapping to build-in redundancy and to protect against rips and tears and abrasions as well as g-forces.
Overall a general rule here is that you want to overdo it a little. The cost of overusing pallet wrap is lower than the potential cost of under using it.
Buy your Pallet Wrap Wholesale in Richmond BC
If you are looking to save on your Pallet Wrap purchases, you can buy your wrap wholesale (at 4 rolls per case) from Racer Printing and Box Manufacturing in Vancouver BC.
To place an order, call us today at (604) 270 – 8205.