Dealing in motor vehicle spare parts can be problematic, especially if you do it online. You need to know how to pack a bumper for shipping so that it does not suffer even the slightest damage. This is not the only challenge you will face. The sale of car parts and body parts requires you to sign a suitable contract with a carrier – most likely for oversized goods.
Shipping a car bumper – what packing materials do you need?
If you sell car parts on a daily basis, you probably also need professional parcel packing materials. Without this, your goods may be damaged or completely destroyed in transit by the shipping company. The necessary packing materials for car body parts parcels are:
- Stretch film – is the primary packing material for protecting the surface of plastic or sheet metal body parts. This prevents chipping and scratching on the surface of the material as a result of the items being transported by the courier company.
- Pallet card board boxes – some car body parts such as bumpers fit into slightly larger pallet cardboard boxes. You can buy corrugated cardboard boxes and place your bumper in them for shipping – with the item secured beforehand, of course.
- Bubble wrap – this operating material is a must, especially when shipping your bumper by courier. You can wrap the entire surface of the selected item with the foil. It’s a great layer of protection against scratches, as well as additional cushioning support if the package falls from a height. Car bodywork is usually sensitive to damage, so it is better to have bubble wrap on hand.
- Polyethylene film – buy it in ready-made sheets or on a roll as an extra layer of protection. How do you send your bumper in polythene film so that it does not get damaged? It’s simple. Just wrap it around, then put it in a cardboard box and finally fill in the voids with polystyrene parcel filler.
- Kraft wrapping paper – in this case you have several options. You can stock up on crepe paper, cardboard sheets as dividers and corrugated cardboard for wrapping items to be shipped. Shipping a car bumper protected with wrapping paper reduces the risk of scratches appearing on its surface.
- Protective foam corners – this is essential equipment for the warehouse responsible for shipping car bumpers. Before the goods are handed over to the carrier, try to fix the foam corners firmly. Place it in sensitive areas where even a minor impact on the bumper could damage it.
The above-mentioned products are only a few of the most essential materials that make shipping a car bumper much less problematic. Of course, the skill of the person responsible for shipping also counts.
How do you pack a bumper for shipping? Step by step
Selling car body parts over the internet requires a guide on how to send a bumper by courier directly to the customer. A few steps you can’t skip at the bumper packing stage are:
- Attach foam edge corners to absorb impacts.
- Wrap the entire bumper with stretch film, polythene or kraft packing paper. Secure the whole with packing tape so that the material does not unroll on its own.
- Fit the corrugated cardboard box to the dimensions of the bumper and place the product inside.
- Fill in the empty spaces with filler.
- Seal the carton with packing tape and affix warning stickers.
- Place the packing slip in the top of the parcel.
Finally, you can hand over the finished package with the bumper to the courier. Keep in mind that bumpers are usually made of plastic, which can even break due to varying temperatures. Sometimes it happens that even a perfectly packed bumper will not reach the customer in its entirety.
If you run your own mail order business for car parts, you may find our guide on how to send tyres by courier useful. In it, we provide some practical tips on how to pack car tyres into cardboard boxes.
At what price can you send a car bumper?
Estimating the average price of sending a bumper car by courier is not that simple. To get an idea of the total shipping costs, you need to contact a carrier of your choice that regularly carries custom parcels. Some transport companies refuse to ship irregularly shaped parcels without a signed contract to provide this type of shipping service.
The average price for shipping a car bumper within the country should not exceed PLN 100-200 per carriage within the country. Orders for shipping a car bumper abroad may generate slightly higher costs. To assess the expenses, it is worth considering:
- the size and shape of the bumper,
- the weight of the parcel,
- the destination address of the delivery and the date of transport.
Based on such information, the carrier will be able to make an initial quote for the service. As you can see, shipping a car bumper by courier is slightly more expensive than standard day-to-day shipments.
How do I send a bumper by courier and what should I look for when choosing a carrier?
Before you decide to send your car bumper by courier, choose the right carrier. You can do this based on several factors:
- the experience of the shipping company on the market,
- feedback from previous customers,
- price list of services,
- delivery time,
- range of additional services, e.g. Saturday delivery, SMS notifications.
Choosing a reliable shipping company is essential if you want your car bumper shipment to always go smoothly. Also check out how to ship car seats. In terms of size, they are similar to bumpers, although they require a slightly different form of securing for shipping.
How do I pack a bumper for shipping? Summary
Both the business owner and the person responsible for packing parcels should know how to send a car bumper so that it does not suffer even the slightest damage. All that is needed is to follow a few tips for correct packing, and to equip the warehouse with the necessary packing materials.
The tips on how to pack a bumper for shipping are very similar to those for shipping a car wheel by courier. These are heavier items that are non-standard sizes for courier shipments.
When shipping your car bumper or any other parts, use professional cardboard boxes, fillers and materials to protect vulnerable items. You will be assured that the bumper handed over to the courier will reach the customer on time and without any damage.