Shippers and packers are among the most important roles in our community. They are the backbone of our communities; without packers, shippers, and movers, nothing gets done. For such an important job, there are many rules and guidelines that apply.
If you are packing and shipping standard household items, as if you were moving, you will need a few things first. You will need packing tape, a place to store items during shipping (depending on how much you need to move, you may need a moving truck), and plenty of cardboard boxes. Packing tape and cardboard boxes are available at most large supermarkets, but for the widest variety of box sizes, consider Home Depot or Lowe’s. If you are looking for a good and reliable moving truck there are plenty of moving truck rental companies throughout the nation, there are U-Haul and Penske truck rental services across the country.
Before packing anything, consider organizing the items you are shipping. After carefully organizing the items, place them in any available boxes. Packing boxes is a whole other art form. If you are packing items like books that have similar shapes but different sizes, start with the largest items at the bottom of the box and stack them from largest to smallest, placing the smallest on top. This will mirror how we will later pack the boxes into the vehicle. If you are packing valuables, such as fragile Chinese tea sets or glass items, wrap them in newspaper or another packing paper to prevent breakage or cracking. When packing with newspaper or wrapping paper, wrap the item completely, possibly more than once, depending on its value or fragility, and ensure it is not loose within the coverage. An alternative to packing valuable and breakable items is to use bubble wrap, which is available at most supermarkets. When you are packing something with bubble wrap you would do it the same way you would typically do it with newspaper or packing paper, just wrap the valuable completely around, maybe a more than once (you more than likely won’t have to do it more than two times) depending on how valuable or breakable the item is, and make sure the item is not loose within its covering. This will give you less space to store your valuables and may increase the number of boxes you need, but it will help protect your belongings. If your boxes do not have a natural seal (flaps that overlap and interlock), seal the top of the box with the packing tape you obtained earlier. If there is a natural seal on the box, you can still tape it for extra protection, especially if you are transporting something of high value.
If you are packing something more valuable, such as a painting or another piece of artwork, there are more careful ways to pack these items. You can view videos such as “How to Safely Pack Paintings for Shipping” on YouTube here. If you are trying to pack other artistic items, such as a sculpture, you can watch the video “How to Pack a Sculpture for Shipping” by Arnoff Moving on YouTube.
Once you have successfully packed the items in the boxes, you will want to pack the boxes into the transport. For this part of the job, depending on the quantity and size of the boxes/items you are transporting, you may want a dolly. You can rent these at most stores, including U-Haul and Home Depot. When you place your boxes/items on a dolly, typically place them in the same order you packed them: the largest box on the bottom. When packing the boxes in your vehicle, handle them carefully. Do not hesitate to ask for help carrying something if the box or item you are transporting is too heavy or large for you to carry alone.
When packing boxes into your vehicle, pack them the same way you pack everything else: place the largest box or item at the bottom of the stack. Of course, this may vary depending on the specific items; for example, if you are transporting something extremely heavy, such as a washing machine. With a washing machine, there may be something larger than it that you could place it on top of, DO NOT DO THIS. A washing machine is too heavy to be lifted and set down on another surface. Also, just because something else is larger than the washing machine does not mean the larger item will not be crushed by it.
In conclusion, there are many ways to pack and ship many different items and although it may seem simple, it is very important to be careful and follow the steps laid out.
