Read these 3 vital tips to avoid damage to your goods when internationally shipping.

Protect against damage to your international shipments with these 3 tips 

It’s the situation that no one wants when they are attempting to move cargo from one part of the world to another: the shipment arriving at its destination having sustained damage along the way. 

If your business depends on shipping goods across international borders, even such damage occurring a relatively small proportion of the time could cost your organisation a lot of time, money, and reputation over the months and years. 

So, drawing upon our expertise in global logistics processes, here at KTL UK, we have put forward some of the ways you can ensure your own shipments are better protected. 

Use outer packaging that is tough and protective  

It might seem like overly obvious advice to give, but not everyone who packs goods for shipment across the globe necessarily does so very effectively. 

Whatever export packaging solutions you use such as boxes, cartons, and crates, they should be sturdy enough to maintain their structural integrity throughout the shipment’s journey to its destination. 

The packaging materials that you choose should be able to cope with the shipment being stacked with others at various points during its transportation by road, sea, and/or air. 

You should also make sure your chosen packaging materials are the most appropriate ones relative to the size and weight of the items inside. This might mean, for example, swapping cardboard boxes for wooden crates to ensure the necessary strength and durability. 

Don’t neglect the internal packaging materials 

Products that are placed in boxes or crates for transit are inevitably often surrounded by empty spaces within the container. This raises the question of what can be done to prevent the transported item from shifting around inside the package, and possibly incurring damage as a result. 

There are various export packaging solutions that can be suitable as packaging “filler” depending on the nature of the package and the item inside, with the likes of bubble wrap, shredded paper, and tissue paper among the possibilities. 

If you would appreciate advice and guidance on this aspect of packaging your goods for global freight journeys, please reach out to the KTL UK team. 

Arrange a suitable freight insurance policy 

Even when the most sensible steps are taken to shield packaged items against damage, you can never rule out the possibility of an event occurring that causes the goods to be significantly physically damaged, or even destroyed. 

All manner of incidents can happen to all manner of shipments. However, businesses that are involved in the import and export of goods don’t all have the same requirements when it comes to freight insurance. 

You are likely to appreciate, then, that here at KTL, we can provide a tailored service whereby we source the right insurance for your specific needs. This will help make sure the value of the shipment itself is protected, while also shielding you from financial liabilities. 

There is a wealth of export packaging solutions that businesses like yours can draw upon, but it might not be obvious which ones would best cater to your needs. Contact the KTL team now, and we can guide you towards the right options to support your import and export operations.