Packaging Guidelines

When using any courier service it's really important that your goods are packaged sufficiently for transportation. Your package will be handled multiple times during transit and exposed to environmental pressures. If your goods are not packaged sufficiently it may invalidate any claim you make in the event of damage to your goods. Please follow the below guidelines to ensure your packaging is sufficient:

• Use a rigid box that is strong enough for the goods that you are shipping - If the box is not strong enough for the contents, it may compromise the box strength resulting in it bursting at the seams or collapsing during transit.
• We also recommend you use a new box so the strength is not compromises as every time a box is reused, it loses some of its strength. If you do re-use a box, ensure any labels or markings on the box are remove or covered.
• Use strong packaging take. Make sure the joins have enough tape to secure the box. Run tape in both directions across the box, ensuring all joins are covered. We recommend you adding at least 3 strips of tape in both directions that go all the way around the box.
• Make sure each item in your box is individually wrapped in bubble wrap or another suitable insulation.
• Ensure that each product is suspended inside the box with no part of the product touching the inside walls of the box. This is important because if there is any impact to the box, if the item is not suspended inside the box, the shock can go can through the product and potentially cause it to shatter.
• Fill the box with insulation material such as bubble wrap or Poly Styrene inserts so that there is no movement inside the box. If the products can move around inside the box, then they may hit against each other during transportation potentially causing damage to the items.
• If any package exceeds 30 kg, then you may need to provide the collecting courier with assistance in loading the goods into the collecting vehicle.
• If any package in your shipment exceeds 70 kg in weight, then they will need to be palletised. Fast Lane Couriers does not provide a lifting or removal service, so your goods will need to be accessible to load the goods onto the collecting vehicle.

Import Note:

If your goods are damaged in transit and there is no damage to the external packaging, the packaging will be deemed to be insufficient and you will be unable to claim in the event of damage.

Labelling Guidelines:

• You will need a printer to print your shipping documents. We recommend you use a label printer so the quality of the barcodes are not compromised.
• Ask the courier for a documents enclosed ouch to affix the labels to your package/s, if they don't have any (They sometimes run out) then affix the labels using strong packaging tape.
• Ensure that the packaging tape is put on all sides of the label so the edges are not exposed, and also ensure that the take does not cover any of the barcodes as this may prevent them from being scanned.
• Some couriers will produce more than one label for each package. If this is the case, hand the extra labels to the collecting courier.
• If you're shipping outside the EU, you require a customs invoice. There will be 5 copies printed, affix 3 to the parcel and hand the remaining copies to the collecting courier. (If the goods travel via our sortation centre, for your convenience the invoices will not print at your end, they will be affixed once received at our centre)

Where Next?

• Box strength guidelines
• Packaging Tips
• Compensation Exclusions Items