Fragility, value and shipping method determine packaging preparation

Pak Mail prepares items for packing and shipping based on several factors including fragility, value, and shipping method. Packaging prep for non-fragile items like clothing or soft toys is simple: place the items in a bag to keep them clean, then into the appropriate box for shipping with UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS, or freight. Easy!

Packaging preparation for shipping other items is a little more complicated. The shipping method — freight on a pallet or small package — is the first consideration.

1. Freight on a pallet: Small pieces of framed artwork require glass mask, small bubble, and corrugated sandwiches. A small amount of cushioning material will keep them safe during transport. These pieces shipped with the furniture shown in #4. This same artwork shipped as a small package requires two inches of protection around all dimensions (large bubble and packing peanuts).
2. Small package with FedEx ground: High-value artwork needs soft foam on the plaster frame, acid-free paper on the painting, and Styro lining before being placed in a custom wooden crate.
3. Freight on a pallet: Van conversion kits from Wayfarer Vans are wrapped in felt blankets and placed in custom corrugated boxes.
4. Freight on a pallet: Delicate furniture is wrapped in a felt blanket before placing in a Styro-lined box.

1. preparing framed artwork

2. preparing high-value artwork for crate

3. preparing van conversion kit

4. preparing fine furniture

Directional arrows work… sometimes

We recently had a discussion with a customer about shipping plants inside a box with “up” arrows. UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS and other small-package carriers do not guarantee that a package will remain in the “up” position throughout its shipping journey.

This interaction prompted some research; it never hurts to enhance — or confirm — our shipping knowledge. Under Packaging Guidelines for Flowers and Plants on the FedEx Express website, we found the following bullet point: “Secure contents inside the shipping container, because directional arrows cannot always be honored, and plants and flowers may be shipped in different orientations.”

This is true of all small-package shipments. A package is handled multiple times before reaching its destination. There is no guarantee that a package will remain in its original “upright” position. The carrier sorting facilities employ conveyor belts. A question to ask: Can the contents of this package survive a 4-foot fall off a conveyor belt?

At Pak Mail we ensure all items are properly packed based on fragility, value, and even sentimentality, so they arrive at their destination safely.

Packaging with UP Arrow

Hours of operation for the holiday weekend

About five years ago, we made an executive decision to close the store two 3-day weekends per year: Labor Day and Memorial Day. Pak Mail will be closed Labor Day weekend, September 2, 3, and 4, and will be back to normal business hours on Tuesday, September 5. All carriers — UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS, and freight — are closed on Monday, September 4.

From our family to yours… have a safe and rejuvenating weekend!

Pak Labor Day Weekend Holiday Hours

UPS, FedEx, DHL, & USPS are closed July 4

Pak Mail’s Holiday Schedule

Saturday, July 1 — Open 9 to 3

Monday,  July 3 — Open 9 to 6

Tuesday,  July 4 — CLOSED

Normal hours the rest of the week.

Enjoy a safe holiday!

Pak Mail Independence Day Holiday Hours

Trust Pak Mail to ship your FedEx packages

Looking for FedEx on Garden of the Gods Rd? Pak Mail is conveniently located at the corner of Garden of the Gods Rd and Centennial Blvd in the Albertsons (Safeway) shopping center.

Pak Mail is authorized to ship with FedEx – Ground, Home, Air, and Freight:

• Small package – if it’s not hazardous or illegal, we can ship it.
• Document – needed overnight or next week, we can ship it.
• Large item over 150# or 139″ dimensional calculated weight – we can freight it.
• Pre-labeled small package or document drop off – we can ship it.

Can’t find the right box? Is the item fragile? Does it need a custom box and a pallet? We offer packing services, too.

FedEx provides daily pickups from Pak Mail.

Pak Mail – FedEx Authorized ShipCenter

Pak Mail – 4419 Centennial Blvd

Pak Mail, 4419 Centennial Blvd, will be closed Memorial Day weekend.

Saturday, May 27       Closed
Sunday, May 28         Closed
Monday, May 29        Closed     UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS are all closed.

Memorial Day: a day on which those who died in active military service are remembered.

Thank you!

Caring Transitions of Colorado Springs Online Auction Ends May 3

Chandelier – Caring Transitions of Colorado Springs Online Auction

Pak Mail provides packing and shipping for Caring Transitions of Colorado Springs’ out-of-town online auction customers. The current auction ends May 3. Lots of practical items, as well as treasures — big and small — are available in this auction.

Pak Mail handles all shapes and sizes of shipments. Smaller items ship UPS or FedEx; larger items ship with one of our contracted freight carriers. Packaging services range from a simple stock corrugated box to fragile handling and a custom-made doublewall corrugated box to protective packaging on a pallet. You can request a quote prior to placing a bid.

Good luck bidding… and have fun!

The Centennial Boulevard reconstruction project is underway. Pak Mail, at 4419 Centennial Blvd, is open for business during the roadwork. Two entrances to the West Wind shopping center remain open:

1. Garden of the Gods by Starbucks
   

   Pak Mail – 4419 Centennial Blvd

2. Centennial Blvd traffic light entrance by the ARC donation center

Click here for more information about the Centennial Boulevard project.

Pak Mail is open for business! See you in the store.

Colorado College Student Shipping on a Pallet

Shipping a student from Colorado Springs

Student shipping from Colorado College or UCCS  – home for summer break, to a new college for extended classes, or abroad for intensive studies – is easy with the right help. It’s a small move of the accumulated stuff after a year in a dorm room or small apartment.

Make the necessary shipping arrangements before final exams and clear the plate for studying, final projects, and, of course, socializing. Start the process by organizing. Ask some questions.

• What can be recycled? Organizations like Discover Goodwill of Southern and Western Colorado thrive on donations of gently used clothing, household goods, furniture, and electronics. Old cell phones can be donated to Cell Phones for Soldiers.
• What can be discarded? Get rid of the items that are no longer useful and cannot be donated or re-purposed.
• What is absolutely needed for the final few weeks at school? This is anything that can be safely packed in a suitcase. Everything else can be shipped ahead. Pak Mail can also pick up, pack, and store all of the non-essential items, and ship them when the final boxes are ready.
• What items require special packing? It’s a definite no-no to pack electronics in the middle of clothing. Leave those items for the professionals.

There are several ways to ship a student… their stuff, that is. If there are three or four boxes, UPS or FedEx (DHL for international) is probably the best option. If there are more boxes and a myriad of sports equipment, shipping them all together on a pallet with an LTL truck carrier is more cost effective. US Air Force Academy foot lockers are best shipped on a pallet.

Get an estimate, arrange for pickup and shipping, and get on with studying.

Ship Happens at Pak Mail Colorado. WayfarerVans freight shipment, student shipment for Colorado College and custom box for painting shipped FedEx.