Shipping Boxes

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According to TheOfficeGuide.com

Are you looking for Shipping Boxes suppliers? If so, take a look below for some valuable information that may help you in your search.

Cardboard Boxes

Nearly all shipping boxes are cardboard boxes. This is because they are light strong and easy to to find. Cardboard boxes come in many sizes and shapes so it is generally easy to find a cardboard box that will meet your shipping needs.

The Corrugated Box

The corrugated box has two main parts: the linerboard and the medium. Both of these components are constructed from a heavy paper known as containerboard. The linerboard is the flat portion of the box which you can see that adheres to the medium. The medium is the wavy, fluted paper in between the liners. The combination of the parts mentioned above create the corrugated box.

When a single sheet of corrugated is placed on its end, the flutes form rigid columns which can support a great deal of weight. The space in between the flutes acts as a cushion and insulation to protect the box's contents.

Flute Sizes

Flutes come in many sizes and are determined by the distance from the bottom to the top of a single flute or the number of flutes per foot. Larger flute profiles deliver greater strength and cushioning.

Box Strength

When discussing box strength the first aspect to look at is wall density. Wall density is most commonly described as single, double, and triple wall. The more walls there are the stronger a box becomes. There are also numerous test by which a box is judged. The bursting test and the edge crush test are the standard used.

UPS recommends choosing a box strength that is suitable for its contents, based on the UPS Box Strength Guidelines. Never exceed the maximum gross weight limit for the box which is printed on the Box Maker's Certificate on the bottom flap of most boxes.

UPS BOX STRENGTH GUIDELINES
Maximum Weight of Contents (lbs.)	Size Limit of Box (inches) L + W + H	Bursting Test (lbs. per sq. in.)	Edge Crush Test (ECT) (lbs. per in. width)
SINGLE WALL CORRUGATED CONTAINERS
30	75	200	32
40	75	200	40
50	85	250	44
65	95	275	55
80	105	350	NA
DOUBLE WALL CORRUGATED CONTAINERS
60	85	200	48
80	95	275	51
100	105	350	61
120	110	400	71
140	115	500	82
150	120	600	NA

Have You Ever Been Shocked by the High Shipping Rates of Large Packages?

If so, dimensional weight is probably coming into play. Dimensional weight applies to packages with large size-to-weight ratios. A large box takes up a lot of space on a truck or an airplane, allowing fewer items to be shipped. This makes it expensive to transport, even if the box is light. Therefore, a large, light box (for example, a large box filled with popcorn) costs more to transport than a smaller box of the same weight. Shipping companies are aware of this and adjust their rates accordingly.

Dimensional weight is a formula used by the air-freight industry and determined using the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) volumetric standard. The formula takes package density into account, that is the amount of space the package occupies in relation to the weight. The shipping rate for a package is based on actual weight or dimensional weight, whichever is greater.

To calculate the dimensional weight of a package you must first calculate its cubic size, or volume. This is found by multiplying the length times the width times the height of the package in inches. For domestic shipments divide this number by 194 to get the dimensional weight in pounds. For international shipments divide by 166. To find the dimensional weight for an international shipment in kilograms, multiply the length times the width times the height in centimeters and divide by 6000.

Click here to use the FedEx Dimensional Weight Calculator

Dimensional Weight for Domestic Shipments:
Dimensional Weight (lbs) = (L x W x H) / 194 L = Length in inches W = Width in inches H = Height in inches

Dimensional Weight for International Shipments:

Dimensional Weight (lbs) = (L x W x H) / 166
L = Length in inches
W = Width in inches
H = Height in inches

Dimensional Weight (kg) = (L x W x H) / 6000
L = Length in centimeters
W = Width in centimeters
H = Height in centimeters

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