How to Confirm That a Package Hasn’t Been Damaged in Transit

Shipping delicate items can cause both the sender and recipient a fair amount of stress. After all, even if a package is seemingly unharmed upon reaching its destination, it can be difficult to tell if it was mishandled while in transit. However, by taking a few simple measures, you can now confirm whether fragile packages were indeed handled with care while en route to their destinations. Anyone who’s intrigued by the prospect of knowing what their important packages have endured during their journey should heed the following pointers.

Temperature Indicators

When shipping items that are sensitive to extreme temperatures, temperature indicators and loggers can prove tremendously helpful. As the name suggests, these cutting-edge devices measure the temperature inside the packaging and document the various temperatures the cargo has endured. This ensures that when the package is delivered, the recipient has an accurate accounting of the temperatures it faced throughout its journey.

These tools are particularly helpful when shipping perishable items – especially certain foods. Of course, this isn’t to say that food is the only cargo that can benefit from their presence. Certain types of computer equipment and machine components are sensitive to extreme heat and should be shipped with the aforementioned tools. In many cases, temperature indicators are used in conjunction with insulation pouches and cooling packs. Not only will this help keep frozen perishables nice and cool, it also prevents outside air from finding its way inside the packaging.

Motion Indicators

It should come as no surprise that excessive motion generally isn’t good for delicate packages. For example, if certain items experience copious shaking or jostling during their journey, they’re liable to arrive damaged or broken. This is where state-of-the-art motion indicators enter the equation. These handy devices keep track of any potentially harmful motions that packages endure while in transit, thus providing recipients and senders with the full story. Dependable motion indicators and tilt indicators can prove useful for companies that regularly ship heavy-duty industrial tools and machine components.

Package Insurance

If the delicate items you’re shipping are extremely valuable, you’d be wise to purchase package insurance in advance of sending them out. This ensures that if the package is lost, broken or damage while in transit, you’ll be justly compensated. In addition to providing you with peace of mind, this gives shipping companies extra incentive to handle your items with care. After all, if anything goes wrong, they’re the ones who will have to pay up.

Even if you enlist the services of a trusted shipping company, sending delicate items can be a risky venture. If not handled with care, such items can incur damage while in transit that doesn’t make itself apparent until well after they’ve been delivered. However, unbeknownst to many people who regularly ship fragile cargo, there are ways to accurately confirm that their packages are treated with the proper level of care. So if peace of mind is what you’re after, don’t hesitate to put the previously discussed tips to good use.