Share Your Shipping Secrets/Tricks Here

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dibbons

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The flimsy Fed-Ex carton/box I picked up there was not going to cut it when I shipped out a full set of door hinges (although they fit easily enough in the space the box provided). I went about the house/yard looking for something to reinforce the package. Came across an old, abandoned plastic pitcher with lid. The four hinges fit perfectly inside, even after wrapping them individually in some bubble wrap. Put the lid on the pitcher with the hinges packed inside and secured the lid with clear packing tape.

Stuffed more bubble wrap between the pitcher and the inside edges of the box, then gave the exterior of the box a few wraps from all sides with the clear packing tape. Customs, of course, could destroy all my good work in a flash.

We will have to wait and see the condition of things when they arrive on the other side. Package weight 4.67 kilos and distance travelled (per mapquest) a little over 1,000 miles. Paid about $41.00 in US dollars using "MexPost". I was told deliver in about two weeks, but who knows.

One of the major United States based international "express" companies showed an estimate of $99.00 for the same thing with a 7 day delivery time scheduled. About 150% more than what I paid.

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been shipping intake manifolds for years in a large flat rate "game" box. must remove the studs of course. Never had one arrive damage. I think you can ship a 8.75 pig in a 5 gallon paint bucket if you take the pinion off. Heavy as hell but it should make it. I shipped tires via Fedex but I had to shrink wrap them? Said the driver wont handle a bare tire but I have to ask how does tirerack.com ship the tires to your mounting location? I sent a box of headers (huge) via Greyhound bus when they were still reasonable for $35 from So. Cal to Phoenix area. Also received a box of headers from Greyhound, had to go to the terminal to get it, not a problem as it was 4 miles from my house. They are now more expensive than UPS....Oh, and if your packing something and dont want it to flop around, stuff the box with empty capped 20oz water bottles, they take up space, weigh next to nothing and are strong. you can crush them by taking the top off if the box wont close.
 
It depends on the weight and shape of what I'm shipping, but if it's heavy ...I like to buy insulation foam board and line the box all around with it taped together inside.
 
I generally use bubble wrap. Crumpled newspaper, old towels and T shirts. If the box is a little big I cut another box down to line the bottom, top and sides for extra protection. We just got flat rate boxes up here but they are only good for Canada. With a 11 pound limit. Smaller lighter packages will be about $20.00. Medium about $25.00-90.00. Large are crazy $. Kim
 
plastic bags
Meijers, Walmart, piggly wiggly
whatever is local to you

if your like me, you got hundreds of em kicking around
tie a knot in em, and use em as filler

cheap alternative for packing peanuts
 
I ball up the local paper to use as packing material, filler, stuffing, to send the parts that i sell.

UCA's Done & Shipped 003 (Copy).JPG
 
Box within the box. Inside box has the part surrounded by packing material and the outside box has it surrounding the inside box. Haven’t lost a package done that way to damage yet. I just recently shipped a computer that way without any issues from the gorilla handling at the USPS.
 
Problem with paper is the weight shakes it's way to the bottom, or side ...and pokes through the box.
You talking about the guy that shred's the paper, or me that crumples it up into "balls"
Been balling up the paper to pack the sides, of boxes, for decades in selling parts, as packing material.
Never heard a complaint from anybody, in all the years that i have been doing it.
Never had a problem with my "style" of doing it.
Got many thank you's, with an excellent packing job.
 
No secret or trick here, but I always insure for the purchase price, not just "what's included" with the shipping. To me, it's only fair and honest. That way, the buyer will be reimbursed completely and be out nothing if something happens. It's just good business.
 
You talking about the guy that shred's the paper, or me that crumples it up into "balls"
Been balling up the paper to pack the sides, of boxes, for decades in selling parts, as packing material.
Never heard a complaint from anybody, in all the years that i have been doing it.
Never had a problem with my "style" of doing it.
Got many thank you's, with an excellent packing job.
I’ve bought several parts with packing this way. Honestly, I look for the Sunday comics after I check out my parts
 
Retired from the USPS....as is my wife. One of her jobs was to repair damaged parcels. Care to guess what the biggest problem was? Poor packing by the shipper. You leave an open air space in the package you have just created a crush zone. Once this happens the chance of package ending up bursting opens sky rockets. People need to realize that anything shipped thru the larger carriers are no longer handled by humans any more.
Damn near every phase of the shipping process is automated. Does not matter what to use to fill the air space in the box, as long as it is filled. One thing that works very well if you are shipping something that may be able to puncture a cardboard box no matter how much stuffing you put in the box is line the box with Styrofoam. Take one of those cheap disposable ice chests and line the box with it prior to putting anything in it. Depending on how much weight you are shipping those Styrofoam coolers themselves make pretty damn good shipping containers...providing that they are filled with packing material and VERY securely taped.
 
Put enough packing in the box so that when you close it and shake it, you can't hear it moving... If you can hear it moving, then add more packing... No open air space allowed...

Keeping it from moving around in the box will prevent it from damage or breaking through the side of the box during shipping....
 
If you really need to protect it. A cheap can of expandable spray foam. Put the part in a plastic bag. Put it in the box with something to support it off the bottom a bit and hit that sucker with some triple expanding foam. Works every time.
 
In the spring I put out a wanted ad on My local selling sites asking that anyone throwing out their old swimming pool solar covers let me know and I will pick them up. It’s free, and very tough bubble wrap, and you get about a mile and a half of it from just one pool.
 
No secret or trick here, but I always insure for the purchase price, not just "what's included" with the shipping. To me, it's only fair and honest. That way, the buyer will be reimbursed completely and be out nothing if something happens. It's just good business.

Have you ever had to file a claim? I've read they won't fulfill a claim if the shipping company didn't package it, but luckily, I've never had to go through that process.
 
Have you ever had to file a claim? I've read they won't fulfill a claim if the shipping company didn't package it, but luckily, I've never had to go through that process.

Not yet. The USPS has some really unrealistic guidelines for their flat rate boxes. For instance, whatever you're sending must be 3" away from every side of the box inside to allow for packing. That's ridiculous. It's simply another way for someone to get out of something. I still insure it nonetheless.
 
And the bigger the box the more it costs for shipping and insurance. So ur pretty much dammed if u do and dammed if u don’t. Kim
 
Have you ever had to file a claim? I've read they won't fulfill a claim if the shipping company didn't package it, but luckily, I've never had to go through that process.
This is really the best, let the shipping company package it and take pictures, too many scammers out there.
 
I overpack things, but have only gotten burned once, but UPS covered the cost. They destroyed the box that I packed a Dana 60 Sure Grip with ring and pinion in. When the guy got it, they had written "box damaged. Please let us know if you would like to return to sender". But I retain the bubble wrap and other packing I get in boxes and re-use them when I send parts. I typically quote a little larger box and weight than what the part is to allow me to pack lots of stuff around the actual part.
 
Somebody (customs?) enroute opened and left out the packing that Dante sent me one time and screwed up (turned them into spirals) the '72 BBody rear window seals. Shipper made good on it I guess because I was mailed a second replacement pair.
 
I overpack things, but have only gotten burned once, but UPS covered the cost. They destroyed the box that I packed a Dana 60 Sure Grip with ring and pinion in. When the guy got it, they had written "box damaged. Please let us know if you would like to return to sender". But I retain the bubble wrap and other packing I get in boxes and re-use them when I send parts. I typically quote a little larger box and weight than what the part is to allow me to pack lots of stuff around the actual part.

You can never overpack IMO. Good on your to exceed the standard. If something shows up half stepping on the packaging I will THROW you under the bus immediately and take pictures before I open it and ask the seller do I proceed..... People are generally lazy in sealing the deal. With that being said I have also received over the top packaged products this year too.

One thing I do but it's not easy for most is wrap something in bubblewrap and then put skrink film overtop of it and use a heat gun to shrink the bubblewrap. It will lock something in like nothing else I have ever seen short of more expensive options. It has never failed me in 15 years...

JW
 
When shipping a transmission or other heavy item to a shop for repair or some other kind of work, one of the best money saving things I've found is to ask the receiving shop to email me a shipping label. I let them know that I will happily pay them for the cost.

They get such a better deal on shipping than I do, and I've never had a place tell me no. It usually saves me 40% or more on the shipping cost.
 
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