If you need to pack or ship fragile items, consider using a corrugated Gaylord box. These cost-effective shipping containers help you keep your goods safe and sound as they make their way across the country or the globe. They’re lightweight, durable and they won’t cost your business a fortune. Corrugated Gaylord boxes come in all different sizes and varieties, including cardboard, plastic and even metal.

Learn how to keep fragile items safe using these packing tips.

1. Get Rid of Extra Space

Leaving too much empty space in your corrugated Gaylord box can be a recipe for disaster. Your goods are bound to move around if they have plenty of room to do so. They could easily knock into the sides of the container, tip over or smash into another item.

You should always try to keep your goods stationary inside the package. Get rid of empty space by choosing a smaller corrugated Gaylord box. If you still have extra space, use plastic peanuts, plastic wrap and other packing materials to keep your goods in one place while in transit.

2. Wrap Fragile Items Separately

Avoid wrapping fragile items and non-fragile items together. Ideally, fragile items should be packed separately so they don’t rub up against non-fragile items. You can even use a separate shipping container for fragile items and label it with the word “fragile” to make sure your goods are always handled with care.

3. Pack Heavier Items on the Bottom

Consider the weight of individual items before packing your corrugated Gaylord box. Put heavier items on the bottom so they don’t crush lighter items on top. Mark the sides of your box with arrows to show carriers how the box should be positioned.

4. Protect Against Moisture

You need to protect your fragile items by wrapping them in plastic wrap so they don’t fall apart or become damaged during transit, but don’t forget about rain, snow and mud. Insulate your items from the elements using plastic bags and shrink wrap to make sure your goods don’t get soggy on the road. You can also use flat pieces of plastic to hold up the walls of your box to make sure it stays structurally sound.

5. Save Money with Used Shipping Materials

Shipping can be expensive, especially if you’re shipping express or overseas. To reduce your shipping costs, invest in used corrugated Gaylord boxes and look for pallets for sale. Plastic pallets and boxes tend to hold up well over time, so you can easily reuse them over and over again. Find resellers with pallets for sale that inspect and test their used products before putting them back on the market.

6. Use Additional Wrapping for International or Long-Distance Packages

How you package fragile items also depends on how far they need to travel to reach their destination. If your packages are traveling overseas or across international borders, they will be handled more along the way, which means there’s a greater chance that someone could drop your corrugated Gaylord box or accidentally damage your goods. For international shipments, take extra precautions and use additional wrapping and shipping materials to keep your goods safe and sound. Pack your container tightly so there’s almost no chance that your products move around during transit. Reinforce your padding for more peace of mind.

7. Consider What Kinds of Products You’re Shipping

You should use different packing materials based on the kinds of products you need to ship. If you’re packing glass, such as a vase, bottles of wine or a sculpture, wrap each item separately in bubble wrap. You never want glass rubbing against another glass item. If there’s a chance your products could spring a leak, seal goods tightly to make sure they don’t ruin the rest of your shipment.

Choose a corrugated gaylord box based on your shipping needs. Cardboard boxes tend to be the most cost-effective, but metal and plastic corrugated Gaylord boxes tend to offer additional support and protection.

Final Thoughts

There are lots of variables to consider when shipping fragile items in a corrugated Gaylord box. Make sure your container has been properly sealed and labeled before sending them on their way. Small errors like these can easily spell disaster down the road. Don’t forget about shipping insurance, which will help you cover the cost of damaged items if anything happens along the way. Also, look for used corrugated Gaylord boxes and pallets to keep your costs as low as possible.

Use these tips to make sure your goods reach their destination intact.