Transit damage can be a huge headache for those of us who rely on the transportation industry. Aside from damaged goods, transit damage can hurt business relationships, profits, and cause delays. If in-transit damage is so bad, then what are some ways to prevent it from happening?

Well, that’s the question we’re here to answer today!

Transit damage can be prevented in a myriad of ways. Today, however, we’ll be covering the top four ways transit damage can be prevented. Slight spoiler warning… we have everything you need to get your goods safe upon arrival!

In this economy, we’re all looking to save a buck. Using recycled pallets and crates can seem like a great way to reduce your shipping costs across the board – after all, “reduce, reuse, recycle”, right?

Although using recycled pallets and crates is perfect for some applications, there’s a lot of cargo out there that simply demands a higher degree of protection. If you’re moving robust, expensive, or even fragile materials, you need a built-to-order solution to prevent any kind of possible transit damage.

Using new pallets and crates can be one of the best ways to prevent transit damage.

Old and recycled pallets can be compromised in many different ways. Over time, wood fasteners can corrode, boards can crack, and wood can rot, which can all be factors that can lead to transit damage. With new pallets and crates, however, wood fasteners are fresh, the wood is strong, and, since they’re new, they’re much less likely to have any signs of rot.

New pallets and crates can be the first line of defense when you’re trying to prevent transit damage. Your products are worth the money, and your product’s packaging should be too!

On top of being new, custom pallets and crates can be made to make sure all of your cargo can be stored – big or small.

If you’ve ever ridden in a semi-truck or even a bus for that matter, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about. As soon as the truck starts moving, the vibrations of the engine can be felt from anywhere in the truck. Although a little shaking doesn’t seem like much, these freight vibrations can move cargo over a long period of time.

Queue dunnage!

Wood dunnage plays a huge role in preventing transit damage, especially when it comes to freight vibrations. These vibrations can cause movement in transit, which can be especially dangerous when you have goods that are stacked or loaded in bulk. All of these factors can lead to transit damage if it weren’t for dunnage. Supporting the sides of orders, filling in gaps, and generally taking up space, dunnage prevents goods from shifting due to vibrations and movements in transit. Transit damage can be significantly reduced when you use wood dunnage.

During transit, the back of a semi-truck can be a pretty crowded place. So crowded that sometimes “no top load” signs can be ignored. Now, if you’re shipping delicate items, this could be quite the problem. Luckily, banding groove is readily available and ready to protect your shipments.

Banding groove can help prevent transit damage by guarding the top of your shipments from pressure. This doesn’t prevent pressure per se, but it helps even the distribution of pressure across the shipment. This can take a situation where part of a shipment is crushed, to a situation where the pressure from the top load prevents extraneous movement in the shipment.

Transit damage can cause all sorts of problems, but because of banding groove, damage from a top-load doesn’t have to be one of them.

Sometimes shipments can be unique, to say the least. That being said, without the correct packaging your shipments may experience transit damage.

Integrated packaging can include any combination of wood, foam, corrugate, cardboard, and plastic. No integrated package is ever the same, always being custom-built for your products. Integrated packaging can ensure that no matter the configuration, and no matter size, your products will be held securely.

At Conner, a huge part of our business is making sure that your goods get from point A to B in a safe manner. With the correct products, we can make sure of that! Whether it be by pallets and crates, dunnage, banding groove, or integrated packaging, we hope we can help you assure your products are safe.