Everyone has shipping supplies laying around their house.  If you don’t think you are part of this crew, think again.  Got a roll of tape in the junk drawer?  Hanging onto a bag of packing peanuts so the kids can make a craft out of them?  How about just a plain old cardboard box?  …That’s what I thought.

Shipping Supplies

Most people like to have their friends over every once in a while, but if you aren’t the drinking and football watching type it would help to have stuff to occupy you all and give you some good memories, too.  Or, if you are responsible for hosting any events these are good ways to break up the speaking and also act as fun ways to get people comfortable with each other and talking.  Here are a few adult party games you can make out of those random shipping supplies, and I bet you everyone will leave asking when the next one will be:

  • Tic Tac Toe Frisbee. So yes, you need Frisbees for this, but you mostly need a square, flat piece of cardboard and some tape.  Any kind of tape.  Use the tape to mark the cardboard for tic tac toe and then take turns trying to throw Frisbees (which you previously marked with Xs and Os using a Sharpie).
  • Bubble Wrap Sumo Wrestling. That’s right.  I said “bubble wrap sumo wrestling”, if this isn’t self-explanatory enough for you than you probably have never seen sumo wrestling, but the basic idea is to wrap yourself in bubble wrap (your torso, upper arms, top of your head), using tape to secure it all.  The more you wrap yourself the better.  Then, let the sumo wrestling begin!
  • Tape Ball Game. The object of the tape ball game is to get at something has been wrapped up in miles of tape.  For adults, if you put a $5 Starbucks gift card in the center you will discover that they are not too embarrassed to play this game.  You have to make sure that people don’t use their teeth, though.  And I have even played this where you wear oven mitts to make it even harder, but if you’ve wrapped that thing up good enough you won’t need to add the extra challenge.  Have everyone stand in a circle and set a timer.  Every fifteen seconds have a timer go off, which means that the tape ball has to be passed to the next person.  Whoever winds up getting to the gift at the center on their turn wins the gift!

The different mailing Options

by Pat Frank on

Oversimplifying the supplies that you have such as boxes and envelopes tends to happen, but you also need to pay attention to the nature of this. Boxes do come in all sizes and shapes and are constructed out of cardboard and heavy-duty corrugated materials. There are so many different options, and boxes are a fixture in any department that uses shipping. Envelopes and mailing bags are often shortchanged by casual people, but they’re pretty diverse, and we shall touch on that right now.

First, you need to look at the material for mailing bags. These have varying levels of protection along with security. First, there is paper which is good for casual documents or flat parcels, and it’s inexpensive, but also gives a lot of protection for printed materials. Then there are ship lite envelopes, which gives six times the level of protection compared to standard mailing envelopes. They are constructed out of paper, reinforced with durable fibers. Then there are poly mailers, which adds fortification against moisture and damage. These are stronger and come in different clear varieties that highlight the contents. and

Then there is Tyvek, which is a highly visible application, giving high levels of tear and puncture resistance, and it’s ten times stronger than paper, giving protection against moisture and the other packaging materials. Finally, you’ve got nylon reinforced mailers. When padding isn’t required, but you need that extra resistance against tears, you can get this as an alternative that will save you on some freight cost. They are self-sealing and expandable too, which is good for flat parcels.

Then you have the envelopes and mailers. Some are padded, giving extra protection, and it will give you extra protection during transit, especially for items that aren’t flat. They are enclosed in Kraft paper exteriors, with fiber padding and bubble wrap that works similar to this. It does have colored plastic film exteriors and a metallic silver cool shield thermal mailer designed for protection.

Then there are expansion envelopes. Gussets shippers do grow as they are filled with more documents. These are flexible alternatives that are constructed with many materials, including those resistant to puncture and moisture.

There are also extra long mailers, that are used to accommodate wallpaper, artwork, and poster rolls that are there. Legal documents and extra long materials are good too.

Then there are tamper evident ones, which provide extra security to your mailing envelopes, and it uses verifiable features on there. Once opened, they can’t be returned to the original state.

Finally, you’ve got flat mailers, which, when the tabs are closed, they give a stiffer enclosure for documents along with photos. The self-sealing options can be re-secured as needed, and they have extra padding as well.

Choosing the right mailer for your item is really just based on what it is that you’re going for, and what you want to get from this. By choosing the correct mailer, you’ll be able to ship your items quickly, and efficiently.

Efficient Packing Turnaround is the Key to Success

by Stan Lee on

One of the biggest challenges faced by any business, regardless of scope and size, is fixing about the turnaround time for packaging orders. Even though shippers have a manufacture, wholesale, and retail levels, each has similar experience with this.

There are some strategies that are used to secure a timely turnaround without adding much to the production costs and delivery, but there may be unique needs. you’ll want to make sure that you do address all the cases, and here are a few ways to improve the fulfillment options on items.

There are several different ways to get into the hands of the consumers, each requiring both commitment and an understanding of the packing industry. Many wholesalers and manufacturers often choose to play roles in packaging and sending them out, or they rely on companies to work on getting this.

When turnkey packaging is selected, outside companies handle the process that’s required, whether it be designed to materials sourcing to warehouse and logistics. Packaging with clients to establish production and fulfillment options are followed in a price manner.

This is a mostly hands-off approach, and it’s not good for every business. For some shoppers, contracting the process may be inefficient or not worth the costs, but only a fraction invest in a specialized infrastructure and the needs for operating autonomously in-house. Most businesses need the flexible solutions, which allows them to contract services that they can’t provide, and this can help with keeping the well-stocked shipping facilities for order fulfillment.

Then there are shipping departments. Some like to contract with outside providers, and for small and medium sized facilities, fulfilling orders with shipping departments varies in responsibilities and size.

Packing suppliers get new insight into the products and from there, give recommendations about the shipping methods that give the most protection and security when it comes to transit. For example, computers, files, and electronic components get specialized inserts for this.

Packaging suppliers are also good at detecting any irregularly shaped goods and protecting these, giving countless standard shapes and sizes of these boxes. Kraft paper, along with other materials round out the packaging for individual units before grouped into cartons. You can get display packs and master cases that are based on the size and shape of units, determining the high-volume orders of the pallets.

Having good shipping rooms is also an option for some small parcels, since it can maintain the inventory of some orders quickly, and having good mailers and envelopes is good too. Nylon reinforced versions also offer more protection against punctures and tears.

Other shipping supplies are around to help turn around orders in house quickly.

These shipping options are good if you feel like you need that extra little boost. They can help make getting products out way easier, and with the right kind of shipping, you’ll realize it will make all the difference when it comes to customer repute and the overall standards that exist.

The Best Packing Contents for Safe Delivery

by Pat Frank on

Shipping departments have different types of filling materials that accommodate the diverse needs of customers. While they vary, these protect packages during shipment and that’s the name of the game for shippers. To what extent is based on what you want. Electronics are good with packing peanuts that reduce the charges during shipment. Using all of the options available will allow you to choose the best options for you to ship items.

First, is bubble wrap varieties. These are good for boxes that are appropriately shaped but need some extra cushion for the material. Do not use this with large voids since it creates open spaces, but bubble wrap is good to protect against damage. They are the first layer of insulation against boxed contents, and this is for a sug security. You should notice as you use it that there are air bubbles of different sizes molded onto the sheeting used to protect this. The materials are available in the rolls that are good without or with perforations, and you can also get pouches and sheets, which allow for contents to be pushed in before they’re sealed. The larger bubbles are good for heavy duty protection, and there are anti-static bubble products that are good for minimizing electrical charges when you ship these. The specialized adhesive bubble wrap is also used, and this contains sticky surfaces that cling to the contents but they don’t leave a residue.

Then there are foam fillers. Foam is good because they can wrap around the corners and the edges. Conventional foam products are similar to bubble wrapping since they protect the packages in the same way bubble wrap does. Foam sheets get their effectiveness from the air pockets that they have, and cushioning against these does impact the handling. Air foam sheets have many widths, and they are sold in roles both with or without protection. Air foam sheets have different widths and they can be pre-cut or pouched sheets too.

Finally, you have loose fill and kraft paper. Both of these items are used to fill the voids. There are multiple sizes and styles, and the wax paper options and poly coated ones are good. They’re usually 100% recycled or combination papers of virgin fibers. Kraft paper is in precut sheets and the rolls are installed on horizontal and vertical cutters.

The loose fill can be polystyrene and used to cushion the contents on each side, giving evenly distributed impact resistance, along with shock absorption. Virgin and recycled options for this provide the same levels of protection, and there are biodegradable options to choose from as well, along with gravity dispensers which make this good for many shipping applications.

To put it simply, there are a lot of fill options, and as a shipper, you’ll realize this. It’s up to you to figure out what you want from this, and each of the different means that best work for you since it allows for cushion.