Small Move Boxes on Pallets

Small Move Estate Distribution

Packing for small move shipping requires a little more preparation than packing for UPS, FedEx, and DHL small package shipping. First, the items are inventoried and separated into categories – furniture, linens, clothing, jewelry, china, glassware, tools, non-fragile, fragile, size, value (especially higher value items). Then the appropriate packing methods are chosen based on how the small move is being shipped.

• Blanket wrap shipping requires the least amount of packaging. Furniture is wrapped in protective moving blankets and all fragile, high-value, and delicate items are packed according to carrier and insurance standards. High-value and extremely delicate pieces – artwork or grandfather clocks, for example – are often crated.
• Air freight, LTL truck, and ocean freight shipping require that all items be packed in boxes based on fragility and value. The boxes are then arranged on a pallet(s), shrink wrapped, and tied to the pallet(s) with metal banding. High-value and extremely delicate pieces are packed in Styrofoam-lined wooden crates.
• International shipments that are not crated are containerized with a corrugated tray on a pallet and a corrugated wrap and lid. The container is then banded to the pallet.
• All wood used in pallets and crates for international shipping must be heat treated and stamped with the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM 15) mark, also known as the “bug stamp” or “wheat stamp.”
• Insurance coverage is only provided for appropriately packaged shipments. Customer-packed boxes are not covered unless inspection prior to shipping indicates proper packaging.

Pak Mail makes custom boxes, pallets, containers, and crates for any size or shape small move shipment.

Packing items for UPS, FedEx, DHL and freight carriers is different from packing for moving companies. Moving companies typically pick up household items at one location and drive them to the destination without any unloading or reloading along the way. The recommended packing for moving fragile items is well documented by various moving companies like United Van Lines and Two Men And A Truck. This method incorporates sturdy corrugated boxes, packing tape, and lots of packing paper. Items are individually wrapped in the paper and cushioned in the box with additional wadded up paper. 

Domestic standards for packing fragile items for shipping are set by the carriers – UPS and FedEx. The shipped boxes are loaded and unloaded multiple times and ride on conveyor belts at the carrier facilities. The packaging standards include a minimum of two inches of cushioning – bubble wrap and packing peanuts or Styrofoam, not paper – around all of the fragile item’s dimensions. For example, a fragile glass bowl measuring 8”x 8”x8” would require, at a minimum, a 12”x12”x12” box. If the item is valued under $200 and is easily replaced, that box with appropriate cushioning is sufficient. If the item carries a higher value or is one of a kind and not replaceable and/or sentimental, it would be double-boxed in a 12”x12”x12” inner box and a 16”x16”x16” outer box, each with two inches of appropriate cushioning.

In the event of a damage claim with a shipping carrier, the outer box is examined for visible damage. If there is no damage to the outside of the box, the carrier representatives will examine the inner package to ensure standards have been met. Any questions? Visit the professionals at your local packing and shipping store.

New Year’s morning my husband Jim and I trekked to Bon Ton’s Café in Old Colorado City. Perusing the menu – the centerfold of a small “newspaper” created and written by Artist Bill Crowley of Caricatures America – is as much a treat as the food! After ordering our favorite breakfast items, we started reading the tabloid filled with local small business advertising, fun stories, jokes, and tidbits. The article Bubble Wrap Wallpaper??? caught my eye.

Bubble Wrap® had its beginnings in 1957 when two young New Jersey engineers tried to invent textured wallpaper. The invention bombed as wallpaper. Sealed Air Corporation later branded bubble wrap as protective packaging, something Pak Mail uses daily for wrapping fragile items.

Pak Mail’s corporate office celebrated the New Year by donating 10 miles of bubble wrap for the Children’s Museum of Denver’s annual Noon Year’s Eve event.

The success and popularity of bubble wrap has gotten so large that the last Monday of every January is dubbed Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day. Search “bubble wrap fun” on the Internet for some great ideas and stop by our store for a stress buster.

The holiday season is once again upon us. Pak Mail offers packing and shipping services. You do the shopping and gift wrapping… we’ll do the rest! We’ll choose the most cost-effective method to ensure your holiday treasures arrive safely and on time.

Quick tips for Christmas present shipping:

• Keep all receipts for gifts purchased.
• Come prepared. Information includes:
  • Ship-to name, address, & phone number;
  • Contents of the package being shipped;
  • Which items are fragile;
  • Value of the item(s) being shipped; and
  • When you would like the package to arrive.
• Ship early in the season.
• Perfume, wine, and liquor cannot be shipped.
• International & APO shipments require an itemized contents list for customs.
• Shipping guarantees can be interrupted by inclement weather, so ship as early as possible to allow for possible delays.
• There are no deliveries on Christmas Day.

We’ll help make the process simple and easy!

Let the games begin! Thanksgiving is this week along with Black Friday and lots of shoppers. Our shipping store is decorated and extended holiday hours are posted. Our winter holiday ducks are in a row!

We have holiday tips for packing and shipping gifts from Colorado Springs. We stock a variety of boxes and packing materials for the “do-it-yourselfer.” Or we can free up your time for some holiday baking and safely pack your gifts for you. The gifts will be on their way to loved ones and you can check something off your list.

Do you want Santa to put your long-distance gifts under the tree on December 24? Here is a simple guide for 2013 Holiday Shipping Deadlines for UPS, FedEx, and DHL:

Mexico / Canada (DHL, UPS, FedEx)
Remember to allow for customs clearance.
Monday, December 16, or earlier

Domestic US (UPS, FedEx)
Ship earlier in the month if possible to allow for bad weather delays.
Tuesday, December 17 – Ground (1- to 6-day transit time)
Thursday, December 19 – 3-Day Air
Friday, December 20 or Saturday, December 21 – 2-Day Air
Monday, December 23 – Next Day Air

Customers walk through our front door and say, “I need a box.” Our first response is, “Are you moving or shipping?” What’s the difference? Standard moving boxes from big-box stores, moving and storage rental businesses, or packing and shipping stores are not as sturdy as shipping boxes. Some have pre-cut side handles, which work well for moving. A box shipped with UPS, FedEx, or DHL does not necessarily remain upright in its journey, so small items might escape through the holes. Moving boxes are great for packing and moving everyday items, but even packing a heavier item for moving requires a sturdier box, or possibly a crate.

How do you know the strength of a box simply by looking at it? The bottom flap will most likely contain one of two stamps indicating the strength test certification for that box. For single-wall corrugated boxes, the stamp indicates Edge Crush Test (ECT 32) or Bursting Test 200#. Lee Fredrickson, owner of the Cedar Rapids Pak Mail, co-authored a franchisee newsletter article a number of years ago about box quality. The difference between the two tests (ECT and Bursting Test) is the orientation of the testing equipment – up and down on a vertically oriented sample of the corrugated (edge crush) or from the sides (burst). The strength of an ECT 32-stamped box can vary depending on the weight of the facing paper, which is not part of the ECT process and subsequently not controlled. A 200-pound Bursting Test carton will have minimum rated facing weights totaling 100 pounds (half the Bursting Test), using at least 50-pound paper on each facing.

Some moving and storage businesses claim their boxes are approved for shipping with UPS and FedEx. That’s true, but the statement is typically based on the ECT 32 rating and the box would only be suitable for soft light-weight, non-fragile items. Even when using the small moving box for moving books, the pre-cut handles should be reinforced with tape.

Are you moving or shipping? Choosing the right box can make all the difference in getting your treasures to their new home safely.

Bursting Test 200# stamp

Bursting Test 200# stamp

Edge Crust Test 32 stamp

Everyone’s heard about the devastating tornadoes ravaging parts of Oklahoma.  It seems to be one weather disaster after another on the daily news, with no relief in sight. However, there is light in this time of darkness — a home in the path of destruction in Oklahoma survived amid mass wreckage because of its durable construction. See the full story covered by our local KRDO 13 News station here. This particular house was built with Tegrant Protexic ICFs (insulated concrete form), which is highly wind and fire resistant.  The hollow blocks of Styrofoam are supported by rebar and filled with concrete.  Tegrant uses recycled Styrofoam to make its products.

Something unique about Pak Mail is that, in addition to packing and shipping, we also accept clean Styrofoam for recycling! We bag the Styrofoam pieces that people bring in and take them around the corner from the store to Tegrant. Instead of sending this non-biodegradable material to the landfill, it’s re-manufactured into concrete forms. The Oklahoma home constructed with this building product withstood one of the most devastating tornadoes in recent memory. It’s just one way Pak Mail helps out not only our local community, but the national community as well. We’re humbled to know that a local business we donate to has made an impact in a time of grief. Many Coloradans are starting to look into building homes with the Tegrant form because of its fire-resistant and insulating properties.

Did you receive a shipment of fragile items protected with Styrofoam? Not sure what to do with this packing material? Bring it to Pak Mail! If we can’t re-use it in our packaging, we’ll recycle it with Tegrant and make it count for something!