It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the Holidays. Between shopping, coordinating travel, and planning meals, shipping your holiday packages might not be the #1 priority on your list. Here are some quick tips to help ensure that your packages arrive safely and aren’t mistaken as New Year’s gifts due to their late arrival. Make sure you know your deadlines. With today’s technology, it’s easy to expect things instantly – instant coffee, instant news, instant movies, instant shipping… and it’s all too easy to forget that shipping a package halfway across the country does take time. From your friendly Pak Mail staff to final recipient, your package might go through 5 physical touch points, and with standard shipping, this can take 5 to 7 days on average. As a general rule, the later you ship your packages, the more costly and less likely they will arrive on time. Given that today is December 15th, Pak Mail recommends you send your packages by midday December 17th or your chances of arrival by the 25th are very slim. If shipping from your local Pak Mail, you have the benefit of an independent shipping expert who can select the best carrier for your needs depending on size and distance. Remember, your package is competing with more than 100 million others – it’s not cheating to give yourself the advantage. Box your items appropriately. At Pak Mail, the most common issue with shipments from all carriers is inadequately boxed items. If you box items yourself, follow these simple guidelines:
- Ship your package inside a sturdy shipping box. Almost every shipment should contain an inner and outer box with adequate packing space in between to avoid damage to the item.
- Make sure the outer box allows for at least 2 inches of padding between it and the inner box. If you have multiple boxes inside the shipping box, place packing material between those as well. Your packing material should be adequately thick and sturdy relative to the size, weight, and fragility of the items being shipped. The final package should be bulging and tight with packing material, there should not be air space left inside the shipping box.
- Properly seal your package with pressure-sensitive nylon or plastic tape. The tape should provide adequate surface area to make it difficult to remove. Seal the inner box of your shipment as well.
- Clearly label your shipment and ensure that your shipping box does not contain old labels.
When shipping from your local Pak Mail, feel free to bring your items in and we can expertly package them for you. Declare accurate value for your shipment. While a very small percentage of packages are damaged or lost during the shipping process, it can happen. To protect yourself against unnecessary loss, ensure that you have adequate Declared Value Coverage on all packages you send. Declared Value Coverage is not insurance, rather it raises the financial liability of the carrier above their base limitations, which are often $0. If your declared value is incorrect or lower than your carrier’s limitations, in the event of a lost or damaged package, you will recover less than you might feel entitled. This is especially important when shipping items of high monetary or sentimental value. Pak Mail offers Declared Value Coverage of up to $25,000 internationally and $50,000 domestically. It’s time to hurry to your local Pak Mail to ship your Holiday Gifts. If you take only one thing away from this post, know that we are here to help package, schedule, and deliver your shipment on the right carrier and in the most cost effective way.