How to avoid damaged goods during shipping
The major challenge for every importer is how to avoid damaged goods during shipping.
Many importers experience that moment of joy and thrill when they hear that their “container has landed” but not many still maintain that joy afterwards. Every importer has shipping fears.
Especially when they have a large volume of goods and fragile items coming in, they think more of shipping conditions than actual buying sometimes and the reason for this is not far fetched.
Damaged goods cost money and because the goods probably left the suppliers factory in good condition, it is hard to hold anyone responsible for these damages considering that shipping is a risk that every importer takes on.
There are many reasons why goods could be damaged during shipping. Some of these reasons are:
1. Weather condition
The weather condition of the sea or air may be unstable and this may affect goods being shipped.Changes in temperature or humidity can affect the condition in which goods are packed in the container and while some goods get damaged because of heat, some could also get damaged because of cold.
2. Bad Packing
Bad packing could occur at different stages of the shipping process and it often affects shipping conditions. Goods that are poorly packed have a high risk of getting damaged. Not being packed rightly is one of the biggest factors causing damaged goods.
3. Mishandling of packages
When goods are being mishandled, it is often the importers that suffer it. Especially when shipping is mixed together i.e when different goods are shipped together. This is often known as consolidated shipping. While dropping off other importers’ goods, the risk of stepping on packages, and reshuffling them the wrong way is high.
Now, some suppliers sometimes understand these challenges that importers face and they often try to help importers mitigate these risks by:
- Adding extra units of products ordered
- Accepting returns of damaged goods
- Offering discount of next order
- Replacing damaged goods altogether
With all these help from suppliers, one must also consider the process and time involved in returning goods and getting them back. Importers would still be the ones responsible for the shipping of the returned goods.
Scary right?
Well that’s why we’ve put together these tips to help importers prevent this kind of situation and ensure that they get their goods in proper conditions when they arrive.
1. Ensure your freight agent packs your goods in a sturdy way
This packing adds an extra layer of protection to your goods in addition to the original boxes your goods come in. Double packing with the green sack bags helps to add an extra layer of protection to your shipments while in transit, this is the standard for air cargo shipments to most African countries. Ask your freight forwarder for this.
2. Label fragile goods correctly
Some goods are more fragile than the other. E.g glass materials, liquid chemicals, drugs etc. Using the right “fragile tape” to wrap these kinds of goods would prevent it from being mishandled and often help protect the goods until they arrive at their destination.
3. Package goods in airtight bags and containers
When air manages to enter products, it could get the boxes to move around and this often allows goods to hit one another and often get damaged in the process. The best way to avoid this kind of damage is to make sure your goods are packaged in airtight bags.
4. Do not scramble goods together
Many importers often do this in a way to manage shipping cost but the truth is, it is putting the safety of the goods at risk because when you scramble goods together, you tend to overpack and overpacking compresses goods together and sometimes destroys them.
5. Avoid moisture around goods
Water or any liquid for that matter destroys anything faster than you imagine. Electronics, food, drugs, clothings etc. Avoid packing liquid with goods.
6. Pack complementary goods together
This is especially for consolidated shipping. It is advised that importers should not pack unrelated goods together to avoid one destroying the other. For instance, packing foods and chemicals together to ship at the same time is very dangerous.
7. Ensure your goods are well inspected
This is a mistake many importers often make. Not having a quantity and quality assurance before shipping their goods. Sometimes, suppliers are the ones who cause damage to goods when they either use inferior quality or ship bad goods. Inspecting your goods before leaving China is a great way to avoid this kind of heartbreak.
8. Use the services of a trusted freight forwarder
This goes without saying. Experienced freight forwarders have a special skill and expertise in packing your goods accurately and making sure that there is no potential damage to your goods. They also inspect your goods before taking it into the warehouse for accountability purposes. Find a freight forwarder that is empathetic and is ready to partner with you all the way!
Know that there is a tendency that your goods will get shoved around, due to many factors whether in the air or sea. Whichever way, make sure that you communicate with your freight forwarder and let them know that you are concerned about the safety of your goods. This way, they might handle your goods carefully knowing that they won’t want to lose you as a customer.
At Naiyuan Mart, we pride ourselves in being a trusted and empathetic freight forwarder. The safety of your goods is at the core of our strategy and we ensure that our customers get the best shipping experience as much as possible despite many limitations. We take special care in repacking your goods to make sure that it stands the test of any weather or shoving.
We also handle return goods and make sure that you get your goods in the required quantity and quality.