Many businesses earn their livelihood through shipping products to clients. These items run the gamut from extremely durable to frustratingly fragile. Needless to say, if the products your company ships fit into the latter category, it behooves you to take certain precautions. If your enterprise develops a reputation for shipping packages that arrive damaged or broken, you’re liable to see a downturn in repeat business. Fortunately, securing fragile shipments doesn’t have to be a cumbersome chore. When working to ensure that your products arrive at their destination in mint condition, take heed of the following pointers.

Work with Reliable Freighting Companies

Businesses that regularly ship large items, like machine components and industrial tools, would be wise to work with freighting companies that are experienced in handling shipments of this type. The more experience a company has with your business’s products, the more peace of mind they’ll be able to provide. Some freighting companies specialize in transporting immensely heavy and/or fragile items, so if this describes the type of products your business ships, take care to find a freighting service that’s sufficiently accommodating. Additionally, any freighting company you work with should be willing to own their mistakes and take responsibility for shipments that are damaged as a result of negligence on their end.

Invest in Monitoring Devices

If full peace of mind is what you’re after, consider investing in monitoring devices for important shipments. As the name suggests, these devices are designed to monitor shipments that are en route to their respective destinations. With their help, you’ll be able to keep track of any unexpected obstacles your shipments face, as well as any damage they incur while in transit. Furthermore, there are quite a few connectivity options for monitoring devices, with cellular, Wi-Fi and USB being among the most popular varieties.

Pack Carefully

Some damaged shipments can be blamed squarely on freighting companies. Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, shipping mishaps are sometimes unavoidable. However, this isn’t to say that the fault always lies with delivery personnel. In some instances, damage can be traced back to a lack of proper packaging. That being the case, it’s important to be vigilant when prepping your products for shipping. In addition to selecting shipping containers that don’t leave too much or too little room, you’ll need to equip any free space with padding and shock-absorbers. If you’re unclear on how to properly pack certain items, your preferred freighting company should be able to bring you up to speed.

Any business that regularly ships products should be meticulous about ensuring the safety of their merchandise. If your packages frequently arrive at their destinations in poor shape, even your most loyal clients are liable to think twice before doing business with you again. With this in mind, make a point of securing each and every package you send out. While this may strike you as daunting, protecting your shipments is neither difficult nor time-consuming – provided, of course, you have the previously discussed tips at your disposal.