It’s the most wonderful one of the busiest times of the year—and if you need proof, just look at all those hustling mail carriers, delivery drivers and, well, Santa’s reindeer trying to ferry millions of packages to their destinations in time for the holidays.
The U.S. Postal Service expects Monday to be the busiest mailing and shipping day for holiday packages, letters and cards and Dec. 21 the busiest delivery day with more than 30 million packages delivered on that day alone.
That doesn’t mean you don’t have time to get packages in the mail, but you have some deadlines quickly approaching. So now is as good a time as any to get organized—especially if you intend to send booze or perishables, which carry some serious rules.
First, know your options. If you’re strapped for time, consider taking your gifts to a shipping company like FedEx and UPS to have them pack it for you with a pledge to deliver it safely or get reimbursed if the box gets damaged or lost.
But if you’re more of a DIY kind of person, RedEye asked the pros how to do it right.
First get your supplies: a shipping box which has thicker cardboard to provide protection to the item you’re sending if packed right; filler material such as bubble wrap, packing paper, packing peanuts or air pillows; and packing tape, not transparent-type Scotch tape or duct tape.
“Don’t reuse a box that has visible damage to it. Make sure you use filling material or packing material so it doesn’t rattle around inside. Those are the two biggest issues that most people have,” said Nick Fabek, center manager of a Chicago FedEx location.
A “Fragile” sticker on a box doesn’t take the place of carefully wrapping up an item, Fabek said. “If properly packaged, it’s going to survive transit.”
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We asked the pros about the “dos” and “don’ts” of packing. In addition to not waiting until the last minute to send your package, they offered these tips:
Do…carefully inspect a box you plan to reuse to make it is in good shape. Look it over for holes, scratches and folds, which are more likely to become tears and rips and fall apart.
Do…use cushioning material to fill in gaps so it will absorb shock and pressure in transit.
Do…use painter’s tape to affix bubble wrap to an item.
Do…take batteries out of items before shipping so the package is not ticking, beeping or whizzing.
Do…leave at least one inch if not two or more on every side of the box for padding if the item is fragile.
Do…consider double-boxing fragile items for added protection.
Do…use the H-taping method. Tape both flaps and the seams in the shape of the letter H on top and the bottom of the box.
Do…use two- or three-inch wide packing tape.
Do…cover up an old label or cross out the old barcode with black marker if you are reusing a box. It will eliminate confusion.
Do…put clear tape over the label to protect it against snow or rain.
Do…place an extra shipping label inside the box so the item can be returned in case the box or label gets damaged.
Do…ship perishables by air during the week so the shipment isn’t delayed over the weekend.
Do…keep in mind that the larger the package, the more expensive it is to ship.
Do…know that you can schedule package pickups from the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and UPS to save a trip to the shipping service company.
Don’t…just stick a mailing label on the box an item comes in. Put the item into a shipping box so there’s some added protection.
Don’t…leave any empty space inside the box. If the items in the box move around when you shake it gently, it has more potential to get damaged because they are not fully secured in the box.
Don’t…cram everything into the box. If it doesn’t lay flat when you seal it and you have to push down to close the box, that pressure will create greater potential for the box to bust open when it bumps up against another box or item during shipment.
Don’t…use Scotch-brand or other transparent tape or duct tape on boxes. They don’t hold up well. Duct tape has texture and can get caught on something else and peel off in the shipping process.
Don’t…put wrapping paper on the box because it can tear and you don’t want the label removed.
Don’t…tie string around the box because it can unravel or get caught on another item or piece of equipment.
Don’t…put a label on every side. One side is enough.
Sources: FedEx, U.S. Postal Service, UPS