Sellers engaged in cross-border e-commerce may have encountered this situation: a product weighs only a few hundred grams, but the shipping cost is calculated based on a few kilograms. The problem may not be that the product is too expensive, but that the packaging takes up too much space.
When shipping lightweight goods such as clothing, plush toys, storage items, cushions, etc. through international express delivery or some cross-border logistics channels, the shipping cost often depends not only on the actual weight, but also on the volume weight.
To reduce costs, we cannot just focus on quoting per kilogram. When packaging in cloud warehouses, we need to consider both packaging size and channel billing rules.
1:Why is it easy for light foam goods to incur high shipping costs?
The common billing method is to compare the actual weight and volumetric weight of the goods, and use the larger billing weight according to the channel regulations. The volumetric weight is usually calculated based on the length, width, and height of the outer packaging, and then divided by the corresponding billing coefficient.
For example, if the package size is 40 x 30 x 20 centimeters, and a channel calculates it by a factor of 6000, the volumetric weight would be 4 kilograms. If the actual weight is only 1 kilogram, the billing may be calculated as 4 kilograms.
The 6000 mentioned here is just a calculation example. Different courier companies, transportation products, and customer agreements may use different coefficients, and may also involve size rounding or minimum chargeable weight. Specific channel rules should be followed before shipping.
2:How to optimize the volume and weight of cloud warehouse packaging?
Select packaging based on product characteristics.
Compressible goods such as clothing and fabric products can be evaluated using vacuum compression bags or compact flexible packaging; Non fragile small items can also reduce unnecessary outer box space while meeting protection requirements.
Reduce the gaps in the packaging.
After the goods are packed, if there are a large number of empty spaces around, it usually means that there is still room for optimizing the outer box size. Cloud warehouse can choose the appropriate box type based on the size of the product, avoiding the long-term use of oversized standard boxes for convenient packaging.
Products that can be split or folded, with pre designed packaging methods.
For example, foldable storage items and detachable accessories, if the product structure allows, adopting a more compact placement method may directly reduce one of the length, width, or height.
Before compressing, check if the product can be compressed.
Products with hard shells, easily deformed products, products with exquisite gift boxes, and goods that require special protection are not suitable for forced squeezing in order to save shipping costs. The losses caused by packaging damage and product deformation may be higher than the saved shipping costs.
3:In addition to compressed packaging, it is also necessary to use non foaming channels
Some goods have limited compression space, such as fixed size plastic products, molded toys, or products with hard packaging. Continuing to shrink the outer box may not be feasible, so it is necessary to compare whether there is a suitable bubble free channel for the goods.
When making a choice, you should not only ask how much it costs per kilogram, but also confirm the destination country, product type, size restrictions, minimum chargeable weight, and whether the channel bubble free rule applies to the entire shipment.
The billing conditions for different channels may vary, and it cannot be assumed that all bubble free services have no size restrictions.
4:Cloud warehouse packaging and channel selection are best done together
The seller has multiple light foam products out of stock. It is recommended to organize the sizes, compressed sizes, actual weights, and destination countries of frequently shipped SKUs.
When packaging in the cloud warehouse, record the dimensions before and after packaging, and compare the billing weight with the channel quotation to know where the savings come from.
For products whose original packaging volume weight is significantly higher than their actual weight, customized packaging can be prioritized for testing. If the product still tends to bubble after compression, the total shipping cost of the bubble free channel will be separately calculated. Don't just look at the price per kilogram, the actual expenditure per ticket should be compared in the end.
Taijia Cloud Warehouse can provide customized packaging based on product characteristics to help optimize packaging volume for compressed goods. When encountering goods that cannot be effectively compressed, multiple bubble free channels can also be evaluated based on the product and destination.
The specific applicability to users still needs to be confirmed based on order requirements, product attributes, size, and channel requirements.
FAQ
Q1: Do light foam goods need to be compressed and packaged?
not always. Products suitable for compression can be evaluated for compression schemes, and products that are fragile, easily deformed, or have special packaging requirements should be prioritized for safety.
Q2: Is dividing the volumetric weight by 6000 a unified standard?
No. The billing coefficient varies depending on the channel and service product, and should be subject to the actual channel rules.
Q3: How to reduce shipping costs for goods that cannot be compressed?
It is possible to compare non bubble channels that meet the conditions of the goods, while verifying size restrictions and total ticket costs.
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