The long process of design, manufacture, and testing is finally completed and your product is ready to ship. Understandably, you’re nervous.

Sending your carefully constructed product out into the world can be a scary prospect because your package is likely to face a frightening list of dangers as it travels from your facility to your customer’s location. But if you take the proper precautions, the results won’t haunt you.

Eyes Wide Open

It might seem like the odds are against your package arriving safely when you consider the challenges it may encounter en route. Here’s a shortlist of the dangers that might keep you up at night — and how to help protect your product.

Rough Handling
If you’re using a common carrier to deliver your product, your shipment is likely to be loaded and unloaded at least half a dozen times on its way to your customer’s location.

You might get lucky. Your package might be transferred by a true professional:

But for every forklift-operating champion your package might encounter, there are plenty of fork truck drivers who should have their licenses revoked:

So, it’s important to build protection from shock and vibration into your packaging. Choosing the right combination of protective elements such as bracing, foam, skid mates, and multidirectional padding can help make sure that your product successfully weathers bumps, drops, and shakes during transit.

Wild Weather
Shipping internationally may involve an ocean voyage.  If you have never traveled by sea, it’s hard to imagine the relentless power of the elements. This video offers a glimpse into the changeable weather and constant motion that your package might encounter in transit:

Even if your package is staying within the Continental U.S., it’s likely to face wet weather or rapid changes of temperature. (For example, shipments that travel by airplane are vulnerable to damage if moisture contained in the air within the packaging condenses on the surface of the product as the air cools at higher elevations during flight.)

Taking precautions to prevent moisture damage is paramount for any equipment with unfinished metal machined parts. Using vapor bags, desiccant, VCI, and/or external plastic sheeting, along with humidity monitors and proper unpacking procedures can protect moisture-sensitive products from leaks and the hazards of condensation.

Sleep Better Thanks to CDC Packaging

Don’t let nightmares about your next shipment keep you up at night. Working with an experienced custom industrial packager can help ease your worries and ensure that your product arrives safely. As one of our long-time customers put it, “I have no problem sleeping at night knowing CDC is our supplier of choice in insuring that our equipment gets to our customer intact.” Contact us today to learn how we can make your next shipment a lot less scary.