Shipping Big Weight

One thing I have been fascinated with is how things are getting shipped in 2020.  With the pandemic I am seeing the amount of shipping go through the roof.  Even in my own life we are ordering more than ever from online retailers and are receiving all kinds of items.  What amazes me the most is that some very heavy materials are being shipped in regular cardboard boxes.  But what I noticed is that they are indeed not regular boxes. These packaging supplies are made extra heavy duty and I am fascinated with the strength they provide.

As I looked further into the process I found that there were two major types of heavy duty boxes.  What separated them out was the materials they were made out of.  There are generally three different levels of heavy duty packaging supplies and they are labeled as this. The first and lowest grade heavy duty box is usually made from  275# (44 ECT) test RSC (Regular Slotted Carton) brown corrugated the ECT grade and RSC go up as you get into more weight that they can hold per inch. The thickness of the wall is what really is increased and some are double layered.  The heaviest oncs are triple layered.

The difference in cost is also greatly spread out depending on the size, thickness and weight that these are rated for.  I was amazed that some companies spend upwards to 100 dollars a box on their packaging supplies.  The heavy duty boxes average 30 dollars to 60 dollars, but can get very expensive if they reach certain sizes. The cost does go down dramatically once you start to buy the boxes in bulk.  The average cost for 1 box vs 20-50 boxes can drop by as much as 50% depending on quantity. So if you are going into the packaging business you need to make sure you are adding the cost of boxes into the cost of running your business.  Weight of the items to be shipped can have a large impact on the profit margins you are actually bringing in after shipping.

Now if you are shipping an item  that is under 20 lbs you most likely do not need to spend the extra money to get a heavy duty box.  Most cardboard boxes will do the job just fine for average weighted items.  But if you are shipping weights or appliances that get above 20lbs you may need to look into using a specialized box on shipping so it arrives safe and without any issues.

Save your Company Thousands of Dollars

One of the most difficult parts of business is staying on top of expenses.  For my companies work must go on and there is usually not enough time to do everything or every project perfectly.  Those that take the time to be perfectionist are looked down upon because they are producing less work and taking more time to do it. The time needed to keep up with costs and expenses can be less than you would immagine.  For my company we are a marketing business and we end up sending packages to clients and in turn their customers. 

For our company we saw costs were getting expensive for packaging supplies that we never imagined would come with a high price tag. We would add it all up and our costs would be an actual decent percentage of the entire project which needed to be adjusted in our price. So here are some ways to keep track of all those expenses especially with packaging supplies while doing the job that won't make you look like a slacker. Instead it will make you look like a hero by saving so much money.

When your next project starts, take your computer with you or laptop and if you are in the dark ages, a pad of paper.  From here set out a column or a line for each product you are using for the project.  It does take a few minutes, but it is essential to know what products you have and which ones you are using.  Now, remember to know what project you are working on.  The quantity of items you are shipping is important so you can map out the future amounts of products based on the type of project.  So if you are shipping mailers.  Find out how many mailers and where they are going.  Then you will know the size of the project.  Also find out when they need to go. So  you have a timing based on when a project needs to be started.

Now carefully start your work but keep track of every item used.  You know what you are using and the quantities of each piece. So keep track of the envelopes or the packages you use.  Know the number of stamps of labels you are going to use.  Are they printed on paper or sticky pre-made labels? Does it save time to do one or the other? Once you know how much you used, you can then purchase in bulk of those products to match your next projects.  By buying in bulk you can get the right size and quantity needed and get discount pricing.