Shipping damages and return shipments are costing your business money.

In a single holiday season, these things cost US small businesses around $32 billion. If you want to avoid the costs of shipping damages in your eCommerce deliveries, there are a few things you need to do. The first step is gaining an understanding of the main causes of shipping damage and how to avoid them.

Preventing shipping damages requires a multi-faceted approach, so in this post, we’re going to give you 7 tips to give more protection for packages. As long as you know that you’re packaging your products the right way and using the best possible courier, you won’t lose money on damaged products.

Shipping products the right way always takes extra effort, but maintaining your reputation and saving money on returns makes it all worth it. Keep reading and we’ll give you a roadmap for better shipping outcomes.

1. Use the Right Types of Packaging

The biggest mistake that small eCommerce businesses make is trying to save money on packaging. You can order cheap boxes in bulk and save yourself a lot of money, but it’s almost certainly going to come back to haunt you when products are damaged in transit.

Packaging shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all sort of thing. Each item should be shipped in a package that it comfortably fits in. If the packaging is too big, the product will slide around and if it’s too small, the package could burst open.

Your box size should be slightly larger than the product being shipped. Pack it tight so that the product doesn’t move around and it’ll arrive at its destination safely.

When it comes to packaging quality, you should always shoot for sturdier boxes. Double-wall cardboard boxes are better than corrugated paper or thin cardboard. Remember, a courier is always going to stack boxes to fit more packages in the truck, so your boxes need to be able to handle the extra weight.

2. Use Cushioning Materials for Products

When you’re placing your products in their shipping boxes, it’s always a good idea to use cushioning material. Items in transit, whether it’s in a courier van or an airplane, are liable to jostle around and fall. If you don’t want your products to suffer from the impact, cushioning materials are absolutely necessary.

If you want to save money, you can simply order rolls of kraft paper to crumple up and stuff in the boxes. For fragile items, however, it’s best to think about protective materials like foam, air pillows, bubble wrap, and the like.

3. Place Fragile Labels on Packages

Another important aspect of protecting fragile shipments is actually letting the shipping companies know that they’re fragile. You can easily order “fragile” stickers to place on each outgoing shipment that you’re afraid could get damaged.

At the end of the day, you never know how a shipping company/courier is going to handle your packages. When you hire a quality courier with a good reputation, you can rest assured that they’re doing their best. That said, using fragile stickers is a great way to add that extra bit of communication with your shipper.

4. Pack With Care

If you’re going to take a slapdash approach to pack your boxes, no amount of cushioning or labeling will save you. Whether you’re the one shipping products for your eCommerce company or you’ve got a team of employees doing it, there should be a clear product shipping process in place.

When you’re shipping a lot of product day in and day out, you’re always trying to move as fast as possible. This is when shipping mistakes happen because you’re rushing the packing process.

If you institute a particular process where the product is carefully placed in the box and surrounded by protective materials, you can still get a large number of shipments out every day.

5. Add Moisture Protection

There are other things in the shipping process you should always try to account for. You can’t do much about theft, but when it comes to water damage and infestation, you can take the proper measures to ensure your packages are immune.

A good logistics company will take every precaution to make sure your packages aren’t exposed to adverse weather conditions. You can get extra peace of mind by adding extra protection for packages on your end.

Place the items that could suffer from water damage in extra plastic packaging before it goes into the box. Using double-walled cardboard will also help protect the contents of the package against small amounts of water exposure.

6. Review the Data

Every small business goes through periods of trial and error and your shipping processes aren’t immune. You’ll undoubtedly end up with damaged products in the shipping phase from time to time. You can’t change the fact that it happened, but you can use the data to inform how you move forward.

Looking into the data will help you see where things went wrong, which can help you make better decisions in the future.

7. Use the Best Logistics Company

If your product shipping process is going to go off without a hitch, you need a great logistics partner. This makes all the difference when it comes to batch shipping eCommerce products. It takes most of the pressure off of your shoulders knowing that a reputable and qualified carrier is on your side.

Without one, you just never know what’s going on after packages leave your headquarters. If you choose just any logistics provider, you could be flushing money down the drain. It’s important to seek out the best in the business.

At ACI, we’re America’s fastest-growing parcel logistics service. We offer world-class solutions for some of the biggest names in eCommerce, so you can trust us to get your shipments from point A to point B safely and efficiently.

Preventing Shipping Damages in 2023

Building a great eCommerce business hinges on your ability to get your products to your customers. If you want to rise above the competition, you don’t have time to deal with damaged shipments. Preventing shipping damages in 2023 is possible with the best logistics provider in the country.

ACI is here to streamline your eCommerce business and help you maximize your potential. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can drive your growth now and in the future.