To avoid material minimums and marked-up charges, I’ve assembled an arsenal of packing materials, tools, cleaners, and comfort items that go with me to every show. Here are a few of my favorites.
Packing Materials and Adhesives
D Containers: D containers, also known as cargo boxes, air-freight containers, or air-cargo containers, are large cardboard boxes on a pallet. Sizes vary from 48-by-39-by-40 inches to 58-by-41-by-45 inches. These large, reusable boxes are a good alternative if crates are out of your price range. They break down well for storage, and I can generally get three to four shipments out of each container. They’re great for protecting irregularly shaped shipments or to use as a master box for smaller cartons. They’re also efficient to ship, especially via van line, as they fit two wide and two tall in the van when placed on stacker bars.
D containers can be purchased from companies that sell packaging materials and boxes and cost about $50 to $75 each, depending on the quantity you buy. Before buying them, check with your internal shipping and receiving departments to see if they receive products in these containers and can save them for you.
Portable Strapping Kit: If you’re going to use D containers, purchase a portable strapping kit so you can secure your D containers to their pallets. These three-part kits include half-inch polypropylene strapping, buckles, and a knife. Kits with metal banding are also available, but aren’t as lightweight for shipping and are harder to cut. The kits cost less than $50 and are worth owning, since you’ll pay more than this on show site just to have one pallet banded by your I&D contractor. They weigh less than 15 pounds for 3,000 feet of strapping and 300 buckles, making them easy to ship. If you don’t need the whole kit, you can pre-cut pieces long enough to fit around your D containers and put them in plastic bags with their metal clips. More.
I would recommend you to use galvanized steel strapping for your D containers, as this is more durable compared with polypropylene strapping. You could also use a strapping sealer to make sure your cargo is well-protected and sealed until it reaches its destination.
ReplyDeleteCarl Patten