Shipping Fragile and Heavy Goods

Fragile is a packing problem

Fragile goods rarely fail because of the item. They fail because of void space, because two hard objects were packed touching, or because the carton was too light for the weight inside.

All three are fixable at the warehouse and none are fixable after dispatch, which is why reinforcement belongs in your pre-dispatch request rather than in your hopes.

Read the carton in the QC set

Most buyers look at the product and skip the packaging. Look at both. A crushed corner at dispatch predicts a crushed item on arrival.

If the photo set does not show the box, ask for one. It is the cheapest question you can ask before an international shipment.

Heavy goods and the sea option

Air freight bills on weight or volume, whichever is larger, and dense goods are punished by that. Sea freight prices the same box far more kindly.

For non-urgent, dense, heavy items the wait is usually the right trade. For anything with a date attached, it is not.

One restricted item reroutes everything

Batteries, liquids, aerosols and magnets can move a parcel onto a different lane. In a consolidated box, that decision applies to every item in it.

Ship restricted goods in their own parcel. It costs a second base charge and saves the whole order from a slower route.

Volume, not weight, for bulky goods

Home and kitchen items are often large and light, which is the worst combination for air freight. Expect the volumetric figure to exceed the scale weight.

Group them with dense items so the box is not mostly air, or send them by sea if the timeline allows.

FAQ

Further reading