There’s nothing worse than opening an eagerly-anticipated package, only to find out that the contents were damaged during shipping—unless you’re the business owner and that shipping damage cuts into your bottom line. Boxes are often damaged when stacked on pallets—forklift accidents and dropping can lead to damaged, dented and torn boxes around the perimeter of the pallets.

As a company, you’ve probably tested your packaging methods for common types of shipping damage, such as dropped packages, heavy vibrations, shocks and other impact, but if you’re not using edge protectors, your packages still run the risk of being damaged on the way to their destination.

What are the benefits of edge protectors in Ohio?

Edge protectors fit around the edges of your bundled boxes to prevent damage to their sides and corners, which are the most vulnerable areas of your package. They can be made out of cardboard, plastic, aluminum and even steel. In addition to protecting edges and corners, they also help keep the strapping in place, even as the strapping binds the edge protectors to the boxes. If you’re double-stacking boxes on your pallet, they help stabilize the structure. Edge protectors also protect your packages from impact, especially corner protectors—they absorb the shock and vibration in order to keep your boxes and their contents safe.

Strapping can be accomplished using stretch film or bands of poly or steel. Depending on the kind of strapping you use, you may need to use stronger edge protectors.

How to choose edge protectors

To pick the right edge protectors for your shipping load, you’ll need to consider a few factors: weight, how high the pallets are stacked and what kind of strapping you’re using. Since edge protectors come in a variety of different materials, you should choose one that works with the pallet’s relative weight. Lighter loads can get away with cardboard, while heavier ones might need steel edge protectors.

Will you be stacking? You’ll also need stronger edge protectors if you plan to stack your pallets. This helps add support to your load while ensuring that the packages aren’t damaged by wayward forklifts or impact. There are even specialty edge protectors that instruct warehouse workers not to double stack.

Finally, specialty edge protectors exist to ensure that your boxes aren’t damaged by the strapping itself. The stronger the strapping, the more likely it is that the tight bands will cut into the cardboard, denting and damaging the boxes as well as the contents. To prevent that, you can use fiberboard, steel, plastic and other heavy-duty edge protectors to keep your packages safe.

The impact of damaged packages

Damaged packages and goods affect your bottom line, and the impact is probably greater than you realize. Over 50 percent of American consumers won’t hesitate to tell family and friends about a negative shipping experience, and they’ll often try not to do business with that company again. In other words, you can’t afford not to use edge protectors.

To get the full benefits of edge protectors in Ohio, order from Lamberson Packaging Solutions today.