Before the holidays, there's always a spike in interest about the best way to ship packages. Below, the UPS Expert responds to some of your most frequently asked questions.
Q: Occasionally when I need to ship a package, I'll take an old box that has writing all over it, wrap it with Kraft paper and then put the shipping label on it. One day I dropped off one of these at The UPS Store®, and the guy said that UPS does not like wrapped boxes, and that all shippers are that way. I could not find anything about it on your website, so I thought I would ask you.A: The UPS Store guy you spoke to is correct. Here's the deal: Kraft paper may be torn off packages as they proceed through our hubs on conveyor belts. A package without its Kraft paper covering becomes a package without shipping information on it. That's bad for you, and it's bad for us.
The good news is that those boxes covered in writing are reusable for shipping, provided that they are up to the job and not "road weary" (many boxes are not designed for repeated shipping). Our systems don't read handwriting; they read our labels. So just ensure that fragments of old shipping labels are removed. As long as your shipping label is securely fixed, preferably with the sticky-backed plastic envelope we provide, you and your package should be all set.
Incidentally, if you can't locate a suitable box or packaging,
The UPS Store will be happy to package your shipment for you.
Q. Right now my company ships packages using leftover cardboard boxes. We send about a dozen UPS Next Day Air® and UPS 2nd Day Air® packages per day. We ship another two dozen packages by UPS Ground. I have a few questions:- Would UPS prefer that we ship using UPS cardboard boxes?
- If so, which boxes does UPS provide free?
- Is it possible to get a sample pack of boxes to try out to see which ones best fit our shipping needs?
A. In general, UPS has no preference about the containers you use for shipping, as long as they're
up to the task. You would, however, be more than welcome to use UPS-supplied boxes for your Next Day Air and 2nd Day Air shipments. You can order
UPS Express Boxes and
Express Envelopes online, and your local UPS facility or
The UPS Store should be able to supply you with samples. To find your nearest location, go to
ups.com and select the
Locations tab. UPS offers a
huge variety of shipping envelopes and containers – one is bound to work for you.
Please note that UPS does not permit express boxes or envelopes to be used for ground service. However, The UPS Store does offer boxes suitable for UPS Ground shipments.
Q: My company ships liquid soap in pouches and plastic bottles, and we have a few customers in very cold states. Sometimes a shipment will freeze solid and then, when it thaws, leak. Do you have any suggestions?A: Experts in our packaging lab have a few suggestions. First, try not to ship products on days when they might end up in our system over the weekend. That will help reduce the risk that the product will sit in the cold. Also, have you looked into temperature-sensitive packaging materials? The type and amount of packaging material will vary depending on your product and at what temperature it actually freezes. Coolers made from expanded polystyrene (EPS, a.k.a. Styrofoam) can protect items from the cold, and the coolers can also be packed with warming bricks.
For recommendations specific to your needs, contact your UPS representative. He or she can help you evaluate packaging scenarios and work with our specialists to keep your products and your business from freezing up. Or contact the
UPS Package Lab.
Do you have questions for UPS? Send them to the
UPS Expert.
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