Summary
There is no doubt that almost all Manufacturers, businesses, and consumers across the globe dislike void filler packaging.
Since parcel carriers charge for DIM weight and consumers want less packaging waste, shippers are encouraged to reduce package size.
This blog post explains how dimensioners machines can reduce shipping costs by eliminating the need for void fillers.
Introduction
Think about the following scenario: you order a product, and when it arrives, it has numerous fillers. You pay more every time you shop online; did you realize that? Fillers are only one of the several justifications for spending more; countless others exist. The void fillers can be fruitful in some circumstances, especially when buying fragile products, but they usually come at a price.
So why do package void fillers exist?
The most typical purpose of void fillers for packaging is to fill the empty spaces in the packages; however, in other instances, these void fillers are wrapped around the product to ensure product safety and prevent the product from moving inside the box.
Therefore, the following list includes some typical packaging fillers:
- Bubble wrap
- Airbags
- Packing peanuts
- Paper
- Board honeycomb
Common packing issues with void fillers
Even while void fillers are a godsend for delicate goods, manufacturers and shippers nonetheless encounter difficulties. Some of the typical empty fillers packaging issues are outlined below:
Additional expenses
Anyone who packs products is aware that void fillers cause the most annoyance. The price increases due to differing DIM weight charges because void fillers are needed to fill the empty spaces in a box while packing a product. Therefore, void filler indicates that you are utilizing an excessively large package.
Unproductive effort
Most of the time, packing a product with additional fillers is a waste of time; alternatively, assign your personnel to some beneficial initiatives instead of having them load the box with fillers and dunnages. In other ways, you are losing time on this void-filling operation due to poor labor optimization. Selecting the right packaging for your products can reduce packaging and fulfillment time. In addition, you may extend your delivery cycles and use your staff’s time better by doing non-value-adding chores like void filling instead.
Space utilization
Using your priceless space on your property is another annoyance caused by void filler. Void filler packing can often occupy valuable warehouse space that could be used for stocking goods and equipment or engaging in other lucrative activities. Furthermore, the void filler is frequently heavy and bulky, making it difficult to store, especially when it is required nearby for packing on the production line.
Non-ecofriendly
Your company’s green reputation will suffer greatly if you pack with void fillers. In addition, it can be hazardous to the environment to use extra cardboard that needs to be recycled and processed or dangerous plastic that is frequently not recycled.
Void fillers might not be recycled because many consumers won’t know how to use them. Whether you use recyclable materials or not, the reality remains that you can still be squandering unneeded things that do not promote a company as being environmentally friendly.
So how to reduce void fillers to get rid of unexpected shipping charges?
The following are some suggestions you can use at your workspace to lessen the use of void fillers and eliminate unforeseen shipping costs:
Be aware of the packaging size
Knowing your package size is a surefire technique to prevent your business from incurring excessive shipping costs. By being aware of your box size, you may optimize it by expanding it with more products or shrinking it to accommodate your product. Additionally, you can use automated dimensioner machines to quickly calibrate product DIM data to know your product size better. Installing these automated dimensioner machines in your workspace can also dump conventional dimensioning and DIM-centric errors.
Choose the right-sized packaging
Instead of using a standard box or envelope to package your products, think about providing a range of packaging sizes to meet customer demand better. In addition, it can be far more efficient to use the proper packaging rather than a generic box and to include the necessary empty fill to reduce the space.
Using the proper sizing strategies to get the right-sized boxes for each product could save your business much money. Alternately, making an effort to select packaging that is a better size might be advantageous.
Here again, deploying the automated dimensioner machine could be the biggest lifesaver as you can measure package dimensions at a lightning-fast speed and boost your pack station productivity by 17 to 20 percent. In addition, by integrating your WMS and shipping software with these automated dimensioner machines, you can seamlessly optimize your workstations’ inbound and outbound product movement.
Accurate box sealing
By using strong materials to seal products, such as pressure-sensitive tape, you can significantly increase the strength and durability of the package. Sealing objects also helps to protect them from harmful elements like dampness and stink. Additionally, it can help maintain equilibrium during shipping, assisting the box in keeping its shape and reducing the likelihood of crushing and compression.
Conclusion
Packaging is imperative for industries that ship products to the customer’s doorstep. Hence, it is essential that the packaging of products should not be a source of irritation for both customers and shippers. Unfortunately, using void fillers is a major contributor to the cause of DIM-centric shipping chargebacks and space utilization problems; as a result, we need to do away with them. In place of this, you can deploy reliable solutions such as automated dimensioner machines to precisely calibrate the product’s DIMs and optimize its packaging.
Does including void fillers costing you more shipping chargebacks? Then it’s time to optimize your box size. Deploy vMeaure Parcel Ultima Automated Dimensioner equipment to precisely calibrate parcel DIM information and effortlessly optimize your box! To know more, schedule a free live demo!
