Shipping a high-value item can be a nerve-wracking experience. On the one hand, you may want to take extra precautions to ensure that your package arrives at its destination in one piece. On the other hand, however, you may not have a huge budget to splurge on shipping.
In any case, shipping a high-value item isn’t as challenging as it might seem. Whether you’re shipping items to your new location or sending them to another person, here are 10 important tips to keep in mind whenever you ship high-value items!
Perform a Deep Dive on Shipping Services
As is the case in most industries, shipping companies often excel and disappoint in certain areas. In order to protect your costly items, you should perform thorough research on each mainstream carrier to determine which one will offer the most dependable service for your high-value item.
Ask people in your circle for recommendations and be sure to check out each company’s online reviews. Once you have narrowed down your options, be sure to comb through each company’s terms and conditions to confirm that they are the right fit for your shipping needs.
While money certainly shouldn’t be the determining factor when shipping a high-value item, you should at least try to identify the most cost-effective option so that you are not paying extra money without receiving any additional benefit.
Opt for a Premium Shipping Service
If you’re wary of entrusting your high-value item to a mainstream shipping service, you might consider going with a premium shipping service instead.
Premium shipping services offer a handful of benefits. To start, there are often no insurance limits. While UPS, USPS, or FedEx might insure an item up to a certain amount, a premium service may be willing to insure an item with a multi-million dollar value.
What’s more, your average carrier may not have the expertise to provide reliable packing services for your high-value item. On the other hand, a premium shipping service has the knowledge, experience, and time needed to pack your high-ticket item with the utmost care.
Insure Your High-Value Items
Many shipping services will provide a certain amount of insurance coverage for free whenever you ship an item with them. However, it’s unlikely that this insurance will cover the full value of a high-value item.
Fortunately, you can purchase additional shipping insurance from most carriers—allowing you to increase the total amount of financial protection for your high-value items.
Require a Signature for Delivery
While it may not be necessary to require a signature when shipping an item to yourself at a different location, you should strongly consider requiring a signature when another recipient is going to be accepting your shipment.
This is not only a requirement for insurance in many cases but also a way of confirming that your shipment arrived at its intended location. A signature will give you ultimate peace of mind that the item wasn’t lost, destroyed, or stolen!
Double-Check Your Shipping Label
Particularly if you are in a rush, it may be tempting to scribble down your sender and recipient addresses. Consider, however, that the smallest error can delay your shipment or have it returned to sender.
Take your time to ensure that your label is clear and correct, and double-check your label before pasting it to your package. Your carrier will also ask you to confirm the delivery address before sending your shipment out. Don’t rush through this step!
Invest in High-Quality Packing Supplies
While you might be willing to use low-quality or cheap packing materials for the average low-value shipment, it’s not worth the risk when shipping something with a significantly higher dollar value.
Of course, every secure package begins with a sturdy box. Always buy a new box rather than recycling one that has already been used for multiple shipments. What’s more, the box’s wall thickness should be rated to support the total weight of your high-value item. You should also ensure that your box is the right size so that your item fits snuggly after other packing materials are added.
On the topic of packing materials, you should use a combination of packing paper, bubble wrap, and packing peanuts—depending on the item and the amount of air space in your box.
Finally, use extra-strength packing tape, and use it liberally so that your box remains fully sealed after being jostled around and subjected to all types of weather conditions!
Use Double Boxes for Any Heavy Items
When shipping an especially heavy item, the last thing you want is for a box to be sliced, punctured, or bent—potentially damaging your expensive item in the process.
One of the best strategies that can help prevent this type of issue is to double-box (or use double-wall boxes) for all of your heavier items. While this method tends to be more expensive than opting for single-wall boxes, it offers twice the protection.
Take Your Time When Packing
If you’re in a rush to get your high-value item en route as soon as possible, it’s easy to pack it loosely or poorly. Unfortunately, hastily packing and shipping your costly items can have disastrous repercussions.
Rather than risking damage, take the extra time to pack your high-value item properly—even if it means your shipment ends up arriving late!
Track Your Shipment Frequently
Today, most shipping carriers provide a tracking number whenever you ship an item. The best way to ensure that an item isn’t lost, damaged, or delivered to the wrong location is to keep a close eye on your shipment.
With a tracking number, you will be able to view your package’s dimensions, location, and delivery status at all times. The sooner you identify an issue, the faster you can take action!
