That of dispatch parcels with household appliances is an eventuality that may occur on several occasions: one may decide to buy a hoover and send the old, used one to a distant aunt, who could still make good use of it; one may change the model of television to the latest generation, deciding to sell the old one that is still perfectly usable; one may decide to move to another city, without feeling the need to change the various household appliances and, therefore, needing to ship those one already has, and so on.
What you need to know, however, with regard to the shipping of household appliances, is that these are very delicate objects and products: for this reason, special care must be taken when shipping them.’packaging. In addition, it is equally crucial to choose a type of shipment that is suitable for this specific type of product. Finally, also the transport of the appliances shipped is quite important.
How appliances are transported
Answering this question is quite simple, since, in the absence of special requests, appliances are transported like any other product. In this way, however, the security of the package being sent, containing the appliance in question, may not be guaranteed.
There are, therefore, two ways of transporting household appliances during a shipping parcels:
- shipping with ordinary courier, certainly the most economical method, but which involves the stowage. Stowage is the method by which, as we said before, almost all the various parcels shipped are handled and it involves these parcels being - precisely - stowed, i.e. jammed together so that as many parcels as possible fit inside the means of transport. This method has advantages both for shippers, who can transport multiple parcels with a single load, and for the actual shipper, who can count on a truly advantageous rate;
- shipping with specialised courier, the least economical method, but one that ensures much more in terms of package security. Specialised couriers carry out transports using the palletsThese pallets ensure that the various parcels do not get jammed together (as is the case with ordinary couriers) and are placed next to each other. This factor gives specialised couriers a greater guarantee of package security and probably makes this method the most suitable for transporting and shipping household appliances.
How to ship small electrical appliances
In addition to their function, household appliances are distinguished by their size, which is why we will distinguish between parcel delivery of small household appliances and parcel delivery of large household appliances.
When it comes to shipping small appliances (even in the case of international shipments), one can rely on ordinary couriers, who will transport small appliances together with other goods. The only thing you need to worry about is, as always, the’packaging, which must be carried out correctly and perfectly, in order to protect the appliance from damage and shocks.
To pack a small appliance, you need the following materials:
- a strong cardboard outer box of a size appropriate to the appliance to be shipped;
- tape;
- a pair of scissors;
- of filler material, such as polystyrene;
- of wrapping paper;
- one or more plastic bags.
Before packing, if possible, it is necessary to dismantle the appliance in its smallest parts: these parts should then be wrapped in several layers of bubble wrap and sealed with adhesive tape. For the largest part of the appliance, the main part, the same procedure must be performed. The accessories, on the other hand, should be sealed in plastic bags, which should also be sealed with adhesive tape.
Once this process is complete, all the packed and sealed parts are placed inside the cardboard box, after which any empty spaces in the box must be filled in. At this point, the box can be closed, wrapped with wrapping paper and sealed with adhesive tape. Finally, on the surface of the box, the various shipping labels, useful for the purpose of the shipment itself and the express courier that has been selected (such as, for example, the TNT courier).
How to ship large household appliances
With regard to the shipment of large appliances (which, just like small appliances, can also benefit from the international shipments), the advice is to turn to specialised couriers, who transport the appliances through the pallets, mentioned above.
Also in the case of the’packaging of large household appliances must be given special attention. I materials useful for this type of packaging are:
- one or more strong cardboard boxes, large enough to hold the different parts of the appliance;
- of bubble wrap;
- of plastic bags;
- a pair of scissors;
- filler material (polystyrene is always ideal);
- tape;
- of wrapping paper;
- a pallet;
- plastic strapping.
Especially in the case of large appliances, it is necessary to proceed (as for smaller ones) disassembling the various parts of the appliance in question. Smaller parts can be placed inside plastic bags, which should be taped tightly to prevent them from being lost. As for the larger part of the appliance, this should be wrapped in several layers of bubble wrap, again secured with adhesive tape. At this point, one can proceed by placing all the parts of the appliance inside the cardboard box (or boxes), which should be further filled with filler material, i.e. polystyrene.
At this point, it is necessary to secure the appliance packed in this way to the pallet, using the pallet and plastic straps, which are useful to further hold the package in place. Finally, as in the previous case, the various labels useful for shipping.
At this point, all that remains is to wait for the selected courier to pick up the previously packaged package (in the manner we have outlined so far) and take it to its destination.
