2011 U.S. Postal Service Holidays:

• Veterans Day – November 11, 2011
• Thanksgiving Day – November 24, 2011
• Christmas Day (Observed) – December 26, 2011
• New Year’s Day (Observed) – January 2, 2012

2011 UPS Service Holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day – November 24, 2011
• Day after Thanksgiving – November 25, 2011
• Christmas Day (Observed) – December 26, 2011
• New Year’s Day (Observed) – January 2, 2012

2011 FedEx Service Holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day – November 24, 2011
• Christmas Day (Observed) – December 26, 2011
• New Year’s Day (Observed) – January 2, 2012

Please Note:  There is no regular pickup or delivery service for these holidays; however, most carriers offer emergency service 365 days a year.  The best way to ensure a timely delivery of your goods is to allow a few extra days prior to the above listed holidays.  We recommend calling your carrier if you have any questions. Remember to start stocking up on shipping supplies for the holiday rush!

Measurements:   Corrugated cartons are always measured L x W x H (D), with L (length) being the longest side of the box, W (width) being the adjacent side, and H (D) (height/depth) being the height of the box. Please note: dimension listed are inside dimensions.

Box Strength: Shipping boxes come with different wall strengths depending on the weight of your contents.  Here is a guideline on the different wall strengths and the weight of the product they will hold.

Contents:                            Choose:
Up to 65 lbs.*                     200#/ECT-32 Single-Wall Corrugated
66 lb. – 95 lb.*                   275#/ECT-44 Single-Wall Corrugated
96 lb. – 100 lb.*                 275#/ECT-48 Double-Wall Corrugated
*These are only guidelines and weight must be distributed evenly.

In addition, there are different types of boxes to choose from depending on your needs. Here is a list of the most popular shipping boxes and the uses for them.

Fixed Depth Shipping Boxes

• Meets most mailing and shipping carrier requirements.
• 200#/ECT-32 Single-Wall Corrugated
• Strong, durable corrugated fiberboard
• Contains a minimum of 30% recycled content.

Heavy Duty Shipping Boxes

• Heavy-duty boxes are ideal when additional stacking strength is needed.
• Available in heavy-duty 275#/ECT-44 Single-Wall Corrugated
• Heavy-duty construction provides greater protection and stacking strength
• Boxes are 40% stronger than standard shipping boxes.

Multi-Depth Shipping Boxes

• Customize the depth of your boxes to meet all your shipping needs.
• Prescored to allow easy height adjustment for a perfect fit.
• 200#/ECT-32 Single-Wall Corrugated

 Moving Boxes and Kits

• The complete moving solution for packing any room of your house/office.
• Heavy-duty boxes provide added protection to ensure that your shipments arrive safe.
• Deluxe Moving Boxes feature special “flap tabs” that hold flaps down and out of the way, making packing easier.
• Deluxe Moving Boxes feature preprinted handling instructions.
• Contains a minimum of 30% recycled content.

Finally, now that you found the right box for your shipping requirements, don’t forget about the other shipping supplies necessary to ship your items!

Cushioning:  For contents requiring extra cushioning, allow 2”-3” around all sides of the product for void fill such as Bubble Wrap® or loose fill. Allow 2”-3” extra above and below the contents.

Sealing Tape: Use a carton-sealing tape at least 2” wide. Tape must extend at least 2” over the edge of the box.

2010 U.S. Postal Service Holidays:

• Veterans Day – November 11, 2010
• Thanksgiving Day – November 25, 2010
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2010
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2011

2010 UPS Service Holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day – November 25, 2010
• Day after Thanksgiving – November 26, 2010
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2010
• New Year’s Eve – December 31, 2010
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2011

2010 FedEx Service Holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day – November 25, 2010
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2010
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2011

Please Note: There is no regular pickup or delivery service for these holidays; however, most carriers offer emergency service 365 days a year.  The best way to ensure a timely delivery of your goods is to allow a few extra days prior to the above listed holidays.  We recommend calling your carrier if you have any questions.

2009 U.S. Postal Service Holidays:

• Veterans Day – November 11, 2009
• Thanksgiving Day – November 26, 2009
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2009
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2010

2009 UPS Service Holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day – November 26, 2009
• Day after Thanksgiving – November 27, 2009
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2009
• New Year’s Eve – December 31, 2009
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2010

2009 FedEx Service Holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day – November 26, 2009
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2009
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2010

2009 DHL Service Holidays:

• Thanksgiving – November 26, 2009
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2009
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2010

Please Note:  There is no regular pickup or delivery service for these holidays; however, most carriers offer emergency service 365 days a year.  The best way to ensure a timely delivery of your goods is to allow a few extra days prior to the above listed holidays.  We recommend calling your carrier if you have any questions.

White Packing Peanuts:  White peanuts are made of 70% new polystyrene and best used when presentation matters.  They utilize an “S” design that allows for interlocking within the packaging container for stronger cushioning and stability.  May be re-used and ultimately recycled.

Pink Anti-Static Packing Peanuts:  Pink Anti-Static peanuts are made of 70% new polystyrene and best used to protect static sensitive electronics from static discharge.   They utilize an “S” design that allows for interlocking within the packaging container for stronger cushioning and stability.  May be re-used and ultimately recycled.

Green Recycled Packing Peanuts:  Green peanuts are made of 100% recycled content typically the remains of other polystyrene loose fill.  They utilize an “S” design that allow for interlocking within the packaging container for stronger cushioning and stability.  May be re-used and ultimately recycled.  Best choice for eco-conscious shippers that need a cleaner alternative to Biodegradable Packing Peanuts.

Biodegradable Packing Peanuts:  Biodegradable peanuts are made of corn starch and are 100% biodegradable, recyclable, reusable and compostable.  Best choice for companies with green initiatives or eco-conscious end users.

The two drawbacks with the Biodegradable peanuts are that they leave dust behind and they are edible and may attract rodents if used for long-term storage.

We hope this helps you to choose the Packing Peanuts that best fit your needs.  Next month look for our first video packing tip.

1. Are your shipping supplies made with recycled content?
2. Can the items I’m purchasing be recycled?

Those are great questions and we certainly appreciate our customer’s commitment to protecting the environment. With that said, a few months ago we created the “Eco Information Chart” that lists all of our product categories and answers the above mentioned questions.

The Eco Information Chart shows what our products are “Made from” (recycled content, post consumer waste, or conventional product).  The chart also provides information on disposal options titled “After you are done” (100% recyclable, biodegradable and compostable).  On the bottom of the chart we have included definitions in effort to help our customers understand unfamiliar terms and processes. 

Click on the screenshot below to visit our Eco Information Chart.

Our bright red Shipping Labels are available in rolls of 500 labels and are easy to use.  Simply peel and apply.  We stock the following labels with common messages…

• Fragile Handle with Care
• Glass Handle with Care
• This Side Up
• Packing List Enclosed
• Invoice Enclosed
• Made in the U.S.A.

We recommend placing our labels on multiple sides of your package or envelope to ensure that your shipment will arrive safely.  In addition to handing labels, place instructional labels to help customers find Invoices, Packing Lists, or Bill of Ladings.

• DVD’s/Video Games use DVD Bubble Mailers
• CD’s use CD Bubble Mailers
• VHS Tapes use VHS Bubble Mailers
• Books use Bubble Mailers
• Clothing use Poly Mailers
• Pictures use No-Bend Mailers
• Posters use Kraft Mailing Tubes
• Jewelry use XPAK Poly Bubble Mailers
• Coins/Trading Cards use #000 Bubble Mailers
• Sun Glasses use Corrugated Mailers
• Golf Clubs use 6 x 6 x 48″ Corrugated Boxes

Please Note:  We recommend reading our Choosing the Correct Size Bubble Mailers and How Shipping Boxes are Measured articles to help choose the correct size product(s).  Lastly, please remember to properly wrap fragile items and always insure your packages with your carrier.  These extra steps will help to protect both your bottom line…and your reputation.

2008 U.S. Postal Service Holidays:

• Veterans Day – November 11, 2008
• Thanksgiving Day – November 27, 2008
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2008
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2009

2008 UPS Service Holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day – November 27, 2008
• Day after Thanksgiving – November 28, 2008
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2008
• New Year’s Eve – December 31, 2008
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2009

2008 FedEx Service Holidays:

• Thanksgiving Day – November 27, 2008
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2008
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2009

2008 DHL Service Holidays:

• Thanksgiving – November 27, 2008
• Christmas Day – December 25, 2008
• New Year’s Day – January 1, 2009

Please Note:  There is no regular pickup or delivery service for these holidays; however, most carriers offer emergency service 365 days a year.  The best way to ensure a timely delivery of your goods is to allow a few extra days prior to the above listed holidays.  We recommend calling your carrier if you have any questions.