Truckers are friendly individuals and are disappointed when any goods become damaged during shipping. Even where the fault is not their own, they might feel responsible, even though the damage may have been caused by faulty packaging and negligible concern for protection. 3rd party logistics businesses provide outsourced logistics services and their reputation can be harmed when manufacturers fail to package their goods effectively.

Accidents Can Happen

During all aspects of life, accidents will occur, but where everyone shares in the responsibility of reducing the chances of damage to the goods throughout the supply chain, the risks will be minimized.

3rd party logistics experts will consistently expect trucks to move full, because this reduces the opportunity for crates, pallets and boxed goods to move around and potentially fall within the trailer, perhaps causing damage. Less than full loads are not as economical for 3rd party logistics businesses to organize. Where there is space within the trailer, some shippers add airbags to fill spaces so the goods are unable to move while they are being shipped by experienced truckers.

Do Forklift Trucks Cause Most of The Damage?

Where forklift drivers are easily able to move goods between a warehouse and the trailer, there is less opportunity, at both ends of the shipping, for the goods to fall over and break. It is therefore, not only the packaging that must be considered by the manufacturer, but the way the goods can be moved from one location to another. Should the goods drop, the packaging must help reduce any damage to the goods. Manufacturers need to decide whether they are going to spend more on their packaging and perhaps the overall cost of the goods, or easily accept a regular percentage of damaged goods as part of their expenses, which also forms part of the final cost.