A package has several touch points before reaching your end customer, so it’s important to ensure your packaging is fit to hold up through transit to avoid damage. To claim insurance in the event your package is damaged, your packaging needs to comply with packaging standards set by the carrier and show that care has been taken in order to protect the goods.
This article covers best practices for packaging your goods for shipping with any Shippit carrier. We strongly recommend that you also check the packaging guidelines of the carrier you’re using.
Best practices for packaging
To ensure your packages arrive safely and to be eligible for insurance claims in case of damage, it's crucial that your packaging meets carrier standards. We strongly advise checking specific carrier guidelines. This section covers general recommendations for effective packaging:
Choose appropriate packaging: Select strong, well-fitting, and durable packaging based on your product type, and seal your packages with tape that is at least 38mm wide.
Prevent movement: Use void fill materials, such as foam peanuts, airbags, or crumpled paper, to eliminate empty space in satchels or cartons, preventing items from shifting during transit.
Internal protection: Add multiple protective layers internally, such as bubble wrap, protective film, or double-wall cardboard, to safeguard your items.
Individual items require individual labels: Do not tape items or boxes together. Each individual item requires its own shipping label. Taped-together items might not be covered if they separate or go missing.
Don't rely on Fragile stickers: It is common for most carriers to use machines to handle packages. Make sure your packaging provides sufficient protection, and do not rely on fragile stickers, as the machines can't read them.
Double check your labels: Remove old labels and make sure new shipping labels are clear and scannable. Do not cover barcodes with tape. Packages with unscannable labels might be rejected.
Obtain proof of damage: Remind your customers to retain damaged goods and provide photos for any insurance claims.
Dangerous or restricted goods: All dangerous goods must be pre-approved, correctly labeled, and accompanied by the necessary documentation for each shipment. Surcharges apply for non-compliance. Only ship dangerous goods if have prior approval from both Shippit and your carrier. For more information, see the shipping dangerous goods article.
Consider using Shippit transit protection: You can turn on Shippit transit protection for added coverage. For more information, see the transit protection article.
Packaging fragile items
Fragile items require extra care. This section contains information about internal and external packaging for fragile items.
Fragile items includes:
Musical instruments
Electrical equipment
Ceramics
Wood homewares
Ceramic homewares
Wood furniture
Delicate furniture
Delicate goods
Antiques
Artwork, canvases
Breakables
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Glass products are generally not covered by most carriers, or by Shippit transit protection.
Internal packaging for fragile items
Individually pad or wrap each item with bubble wrap, protective film, or double-wall cardboard.
Use void fill, such as foam peanuts, airbag cushioning, or crumpled paper to prevent movement.
Where possible, use corner protectors, a good way to do this is to attached 5cm thick styrofoam, and allow 5cm between contents and outer packaging).
Add a final layer of bubble wrap or protective film around the entire item before boxing.
Artwork or canvases should be in cylindrical or flat wooden cases as appropriate.
External packaging for fragile items
Use high-quality double or triple-ply cardboard boxes.
Include protective inserts, such as foam peanuts, foam inserts, corner protectors, or bubble wrap to secure goods and protect against external impact.
Seal with strong, durable, waterproof tape.
Use Fragile or Do Not Bend stickers as a secondary precaution.
Packaging liquids
Any item that could spill during transit is considered a liquid, this includes:
Paints
Oils
Creams
Wine
Alcohol
Beverages
Internal packaging for liquids
Use dividers and separators, such as moulded carton constructions, to protect products and prevent movement.
Ensure all contents are secure with no internal movement. Even if you use dividers, fill any empty space to avoid movement and potential breakage.
Bottles should be positioned upright in the carton to leverage the strength of the base and neck, supporting weight from above.
External packaging for liquids
Use corrugated cardboard with a minimum thickness of 3mm. The packaging should be securely sealed at the top and bottom to prevent damage when lifted.
Keep the maximum number of bottles per parcel to twelve to minimise breakage risk.
Apply informative labels like 'Wine delivery service manual handling only" to at least two sides of the carton for manual handling identification. For items 16kg and over, you also need to apply a 'Heavy' sticker.
For more information about shipping alcohol, see the shipping alcohol article.
For Australia Post guidelines for packaging liquids, see the Australia Post wine guidelines.
Packaging non-fragile goods
It's important that you package goods sufficiently and safely, even if they aren't fragile.
Satchels
Satchels are a cost-effective option for the right type of goods and you can use bubble poly mailers for extra protection if required.
Don't over pack the satchel: Trying to fit too much in a satchel might cause it to burst open during transit.
Seal the satchel securely: Fold over the satchel if the contents don't fill the entire satchel space. Use extra tape to make sure that any protruding parts don't stick to something else and tear open.
You can't use satchels for:
Heavy, fragile, or breakable items
Sharps
Liquids
Boxes and cartons
The carton itself is only an external barrier, so it needs to be strong and durable to hold up during travel. Adequate internal packaging is always required to protect what's inside. If you don't have adequate internal packaging, your goods are not covered in the event of damage.
Choose the right size carton based on the weight of your goods and use high density cartons for heavier goods:
For items weighing | Choose these cartons |
Up to 5kg | 111B or 212C |
5kg - 10kg | 212B, 212C, or 313B |
10kg - 15kg | 313B, or 313C |
15kg - 20kg | 313C, 623B, or 2112CB Ensure you choose a double wall |
When using cartons:
Make sure the carton is strong enough to carry the weight of the goods inside.
As you're charged for the greater of actual or volumetric weight, don’t leave any dead space inside the carton.
Pack dead space is filled with a void-fill material such as bubble wrap, newspaper, or air pillows to avoid items moving around during transit.
Use durable and water-resistant tape in case the box comes into contact with wet weather. Tape should be at least 38mm wide.
Do not tape items or boxes together. Each individual item requires its own shipping label. Taped-together items might not be covered if they separate or go missing.
Packaging bulky and palletised goods
You'll be required to palletise heavy and bulky goods as these can't be manually handled. Pallets require a forklift when handling goods and a special tail-lift vehicle to transport the goods.
Goods over 30kg that are being delivered to a customer should be placed on a skid or pallet for delivery otherwise you will incur fees from the carrier if they need to palletise the goods for delivery.
When you consolidate goods onto one pallet for collection to be broken down at the depot, you can also incur a palletisation fee if any of those goods require palletisation for delivery.
For more information about shipping bulky goods, see our shipping bulky goods article.
Need packaging supplies?
You can purchase shipping supplies directly from our supply store.