Key Steps To Take To Protect Goods In Transit
The main objective when transporting furniture is for the product to arrive unscathed at its destination. Using a professional delivery firm goes a long way towards addressing this issue, but as a furniture supplier the ultimate responsibility for uneventful transit lies with you. It’s therefore a good idea to regularly review the options open to you for the protection of furniture during transportation.
Proper Planning
It sounds incredibly boring, but it always pays to sit down and strategise before getting on with the nitty gritty of furniture transportation. Each piece has its own quirks, such as secret drawers or detachable handles, and these often require special protection. So pay particular attention to the materials you’ll need to pack the furniture, and make sure you have everything in place beforehand.
This seems like the ideal point at which to insert a few words of caution. In order to maximise your profit, you may be tempted to hire a man with a van to deliver your furniture. But please don’t, a lot can go wrong, and if you haven’t employed a reputable carrier there’s usually no comeback, so those attractively cheap and cheerful companies often represent a false economy.
Protective Packing
At the planning stage (you didn’t skip this, did you?) you will have thought about the kinds of packing materials you might require to protect your furniture. Blankets, bubble wrap, plastic sheeting, corrugated cardboard and tape are the classic protective materials used in removals, so make sure you have plenty of these to hand.
There’s another very good reason to employ a professional company to deliver your furniture: they can usually advise you on specialised protective packing tailored to different kinds of furniture. For example, protective covers are available for sofas and mattresses of various sizes to prevent tearing and staining. Sticky labels are also indispensable to help you keep track of what goes where and which way up it should be.
When you pack your furniture, consider whether it would be more stable in one piece or dismantled into its constituent parts. If it has delicate fittings such as crystal handles, these will obviously need to be removed and wrapped carefully in protective layers. It’s much better to overdo this stage than underdo it: being too parsimonious with the bubble wrap can leave your piece of furniture vulnerable to scrapes and scuffs.
Take an Inventory
In spite of your best efforts, accidents can happens. So before you start wrapping your furniture for delivery it pays to make an inventory of any existing damage. Document this carefully and back it up with photographs if you can. Where possible, make your buyer aware of your findings and obtain their agreement, just to forestall any possible controversy at a later date.
When you’re dealing with high value items, consider investing in dedicated insurance. Your removal experts will probably have a certain amount of cover, but this usually just applies to items of up to a certain maximum value. Before you accept their terms and conditions, raise the subject of additional insurance with your haulage company and make sure your cover is adequate.
Use Pallets
If your item of furniture is strapped to a pallet, nobody will try to move it other than with a forklift truck. This considerably reduces the risk of damage by manhandling. An additional benefit of using pallets is that they protect your item from damp and stained floors in warehouses and vans. But once again, if you’re using pallets, take advice on how to secure your furniture so as to avoid slippage and accidents.
When you’re preparing furniture for transport, there’s a lot you can do to prevent damage. The first rule is to plan your packing and haulage operation in minute detail, employing a professional removal firm who can advise you on packing materials and insurance cover. Lastly, always wrap your items well and secure them to a pallet where possible, after taking an inventory of any existing damage.
Don’t be tempted to skimp on these straightforward measures and you’ll maximise the chances of your delivery arriving at its destination in excellent condition.
If you are interested in protecting your products, get in touch with our packaging experts by calling 0113 277 5518 or contact us online.
