Safely Packaging and Wrapping Your Items

Exporters should be aware of the demands that international shipping puts on packaged goods. Exporters should jeep four potential problems in mind when designing an export shipping crate: breakage, moisture, pilferage and excess weight. Whether you're shipping international courier service, your parcel will be handled multiple times, may pass through multiple sortation depots. WHC Express guide on how to package your parcel tells you all you need to know to package your items for safe, damage-free transit.

Choosing a Box
Choosing a suitable box is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your items are protected during transit and delivered safely. When choosing a box, there are three things to consider: box size, box strength and whether a re-cycled old box is sufficiently robust.

Packing Materials
There are a wide variety of packaging materials you can use to protect your items. When you use a courier to send a parcel, it will be handled multiple times, it will be exposed to environmental conditions and transport vibrations, so it's really important to use the right packaging materials.

Sealing Your Parcel
Taping your box up securely is just as important as using the correct box. Adequate robust taping significantly reduces the chances of a box collapsing or being damaged during transit.

Labels & Shipping Documents

Specific marking and labeling is used on export shipping cartons and containers to:

• Meet shipping regulations
• Ensure proper handling
• Conceal the identity of the contents
• Help receivers identify shipments
• Insure compliance with environmental and safety standards

The overseas buyer usually specifies which export marks should appear on the cargo for easy identification by receivers. Products can require many markings for shipment. For example, exporters need to put the following markings on cartons to be shipped:

• Shipper's mark
• Country of origin
• Weight marking (in pounds and in kilograms)
• Number of packages and size of cases (in inches and centimeters)
• Handling marks (international pictorial symbols)
• Cautionary markings, such as "This Side Up" or "Use No Hooks"
• Destination Port

1. Shipping Labels
The shipping label should be attached to the parcel using a self-adhesive documents enclosed pouch. If a documents enclosed pouch is unavailable, tape the label to the parcel, ensuring you do not cover the barcodes with the tape.
2. Customs Invoices
WHC Express will do this for you when the shipment arrives at our facility. However, if the shipping label is not addressed to our warehose, you will need to print 5 copies of the customs invoice: place three copies on the parcel and give the remaining 2 copies to the collecting courier.
3. Shipment Receipt
The final document to print out is your shipment receipt. This is your proof of shipping and collection. Whilst most collection couriers are happy to sign this for you, they are entitled to refuse to do so. It's just an extra precaution WHC Express take on our customers' behalf.