When you're handling loads of that value, how valuable is your packaging? It's probably pretty valuable, in your mind, but how much does it actually cost to protect your products?

Like any good business owner or manufacturer, you undoubtedly know the value of your products when you're shipping them. Sometimes your truckload can hold a value in the tens of thousands of dollars. Maybe it's closer to a million (depending on what you're shipping). But do you know how much it costs to protect your trailer-load? Surprisingly, not that much.

Many figures estimate that the cost of packaging on a full trailer-load of product can be as low as $200, if you're packaging correctly. And who isn't willing to spend a couple hundred bucks to protect tens of thousands of dollars of products?

  • Corner board = $100Dunnage air bags and proper blocking & bracing can help protect your whole tralier load of products.
  • Dunnage air bags = $15
  • Chip board sheets = $20
  • Stretch film = $30
  • Total cost of packaging per truckload = $165

So, if you're shipping 10 truckloads a day, that's about $1700 for packaging. Not too shabby, if you ask me.

And when you're shipping truckloads of pallets, the most important thing to remember is blocking and bracing. Because no amount of stretch wrap is going to stop a pallet from toppling over if it is not properly secured. That can lead to both visible and concealed damage, meaning that you're looking at damaged products and a damaged reputation. And the industry average states that it takes about 12 products to make up for the cost of the damage of one product.

Now imagine a trailer with 22 single stacked pallets or 44 double stacked pallets. With $15 in dunnage air bags and $100 in corner board, you can protect all those pallets.

Suddenly, a few hundred extra dollars just doesn't sound so out of the realm of possibility.

To learn more about dunnage air bags or all about corner board and it's protective qualities, check out our resources or call one of our Packaging Account Specialists.

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