What are the courier packaging guidelines?

If you haven’t used couriers much in the past, you may think you’re just calling them and asking them to pick up your package, and you may not think much about the packing you need to do beforehand. How you pack your shipments for pickup really matters a lot, and if you ask them, your Chicago courier service will likely stress the fact that they require all customers to pack deliveries to meet their specific packaging guidelines.

Each courier company will have their own set of courier guidelines. Although there may be things that set them apart, most will have a lot in common. The first of these things will be that the packages must be packed with the proper materials. This means using company shipping labels (if necessary), proper boxes, and proper tape, such as packing tape. Companies often ask customers not to use weaker tapes, as they can easily come loose if the package gets wet or even gets too hot.

Courier companies are also going to be very specific about their guidelines on packing fragile items. This is because they want all shipments to travel safely so they don’t have to worry about insurance claims if the items are damaged. Typical requirements include ensuring that heavy breakable items are double boxed and that any empty air space in a package containing breakable items is filled with packing grains or a similar material.

Another aspect of the packing guidelines is dealing with anything that could spill or leak. The fear is that if you are shipping something that could spill, it could not only damage your package, but also those belonging to other customers that the courier is sending. Therefore, they normally require that any such product be carefully sealed in plastic or another leak-proof container of some sort.

Other packing guidelines may be specific to the type of vehicle you are shipping in. If you ship on a truck instead of a van, a company may require you to ship using their standardized pallets. If you ship with a bicycle courier, you may need to fit your products into a container below a certain size threshold.

Remember to always adhere to all the guidelines of your courier service. If you don’t, they may refuse to accept your package. You could end up having to repack it and wait for another pickup.