When it comes to choosing the right dunnage air bag, your needs trump everything.
Using a dunnage air bag helps protect your shipments from 360* of movement during travel. These relatively inexpensive, inflatable air bladders, allow you to protect your valuable product during the most treacherous part of the journey. Upwards of 1 in 10 packages are damaged during shipping. And it's not just about damage. Without proper loading techniques (helped along with a dunnage air bag or two), you can be wasting thousands in transportation costs and empty space in your containers.
- Paper Dunnage Air Bag: Available in a variety of sizes, a dunnage air bag made of kraft paper is easy and economical because no special storage or repairs are needed when using a paper dunnage air bag. When you are finished, all you have to do is deflate and discard.
- Polywoven Dunnage Air Bag: A polywoven dunnage air bag is both weatherproof and resistent to harsh chemical environments, making them best suited for medium to heavy weight railcar loads. They are also much easier to handle because they are up to 60% lighter with a single-ply construction allowing for a greater pack-out.
- Vinyl Dunnage Air Bag: When it comes to pliability and the ability to take the shape of odd pack-out configuration, a vinyl dunnage air bag is your best bet to ensure your products stay in place during shipping. Unlike other dunnage air bags, these vinyl bags allow the use of elasticity to expand and contract with the change in altitude, making them best for loads in any elevated condition, such as flying or high altitude truck or train transit. They are also reusable, up to an average of four times.
But it's not just about what a dunnage air bag is made from; it also matters what you're shipping and how you're shipping it.
A dunnage air bag can protect against 360* of movement in a container during shipping.Depending on the ply of the dunnage air bag, you can restrain up to 120,000 pounds in a container. But knowing what ply works best for what size load will help you make the right choice
- 2 ply: up to 40,000 pounds
- 4 ply: up to 60,000 pounds
- 6 ply: up to 100,000 pounds
- 8 ply: up to 120,000 pounds
And when it comes to how you're shipping your products, you'll need to consider what type of dunnage air bag is needed for each mode of transportation?
- For truck shipment, you will need a 2 ply bag.
- For intermodal (piggyback) shipment, you will need a 2 ply level 1 bag.
- For sea container, you will need level 1 or level 2 bag.
- For rail car shipment: Depending on the load of the products transported, you will need level 2, Level 3, level 4 or level 5 bag.
- For vessel shipment: Depending on the cargo configuration, you will use Level 3, level 4 or level 5 bags.
Let us help you choose the right dunnage air bag.
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