How to reduce your transport costs
Businesses are always looking for ways to cut costs in their day-to-day operations and the smallest of changes can deliver significant savings. So when did you last review your shipping costs?
Did you know that increasing your pallet yield by only 10% could deliver significant transport savings? With that kind of improvement you could save up to £50 per day for every 10 pallets shipped – that’s around £12,500 per year.
Ensure you maximise your pallet space and don’t pay for shipping fresh air by following the tips below.
Evaluate your box sizes
Is your box the right size for your products? Packaging that is too big requires extra cushioning (and therefore cost) and it also takes up more space on your pallets. If you are packing multiple inner boxes in a shipper carton, ensure they fit tightly to maximise the space you have. Reducing the size of your packages will help you transport more boxes in one go, and you will also save on void fill and storage costs.
If you can reduce your shipper carton by 3 centimetres in height, a pallet containing 10 layers could reduce by 30 centimetres – that’s potentially another layer of goods!
Review your corrugated board
Double wall boxes are traditionally used for transporting goods thanks to their excellent durability, but some of the single wall board now available can match this performance. A switch to single wall can take off up to a centimetre in box width, length and height. This doesn’t sound much but look at it from a wider perspective and consider the number of boxes you transport, and it all adds up!
Consider packaging automation
A number of packaging solutions can help you to ensure that you use just the right amount of packaging for your products, better optimising your pallet space. One option is packaging automation.
Automated machines measure the height of the items inside the box and adjust the box size to offer the best fit for your products. Although installation costs may seem high, switching to automated packaging systems such as Sealed Air B+ I-Pack® or e-Cube® will bring benefits in the long run. You will profit from faster packing and increased output while saving on labour and expensive returns.
If you would like advice on how to reduce your transport costs without compromising on product protection, contact Macfarlane Packaging today.
