Packaging Well packaged, perfectly delivered
The TNT Express packaging solutions TNT Express endeavours to deliver your parcels in perfect condition and on time. But you yourself can also contribute to a perfect delivery. Solid packaging for instance contributes to how smooth a transport will be. In this brochure we give you some helpful practical packaging guidelines, so that your documents and goods arrive safely and in perfect condition. You will also find a complete overview of the extensive TNT packaging range. That way, you have everything at hand to leave your shipments with us, in the best possible way. Good preparation is key Just to give you an idea: all goods shipped with TNT Express are shipped together with other clients parcels, in different kinds of vehicles, and are then going through an automated sorting process in our depots. That is exactly why your goods need to be well packaged and labelled correctly. Only then are we able to deliver your parcels in perfect condition. Just check the TNT packaging guidelines below, and make sure your goods are well protected before they enter the transport process so you can be sure of a perfect delivery service within the agreed deadline. By adhering to these guidelines, you also help to safeguard the safety of our employees, planes, vehicles and other equipment. 2
Packaging guidelines for hassle-free delivery By packaging your shipment correctly, you reduce the risk of damage during transport. Below we give you some handy tips and guidelines for a fast and hassle-free delivery. DOCUMENTS You want to ship a CD or another digital data source? Put it in a protective envelope first. To avoid your documents tearing or bending during transport, use a piece of cardboard for example for extra support, before putting them in a plastic TNT bag or a cardboard envelope, for less risk of bending or tearing during transit. Avoid excess content or weight in the TNT Express bags or cardboard packaging material. PARCELS TNT Express handles your shipments with the utmost care, as to deliver them timely and in perfect condition at their destination. But you, as a client, can surely contribute to the quality of the packaging used for your parcels. At TNT Express, your parcels go through an automated sorting process. Equally important is to comply with standard maximum weight and dimensions - so do check our website www.tnt.lu for more information. Make sure the packaging is of the right size. The space between the packaging and the content has to be as little as possible. Is the packaging too big? Then use something to fill up the gaps (Styrofoam, foam, rubber, cardboard). This is important, as boxes which are too big can collapse. Also make sure the packaging is adapted to the weight and nature of the goods. A box cannot be too small either, since then you run the risk of it tearing or bursting open. A box cannot have any openings, holes and/or tears. Used or damaged boxes can lose up to 30% to 60% of their strength. The outer boxes have to be made out of strong and tear-resistant material. Make sure the parcel does not have any sharp, protruding edges. When using the same packaging material more than once, reinforce it if needed and remove all old labels, stickers and consignment notes. Are you shipping more than 1 piece at once? Then do wrap them separately. Make sure in the box there is enough space between each article and fill up gaps at the sides, the top and bottom of the box. 3
Fragile goods are best extra protected with extra strong packaging material. Articles which could get damaged on the outside by stickers or which can easily break during normal transport have to be packed in a box. For parcels of 30 kg or more which are not placed on a pallet, a Heavy Parcel Label needs to be provided. Contact our Customer Services Desk to order these labels. Parcels weighing over 70 kg have to be placed on a pallet. Also parcels weighing between 30 kg and 70 kg are by preference placed on a pallet. Before closing up a box, we advise you to put a copy of the address label in the box itself, with the name, address and telephone number of both the sender and the addressee. In case the address label does get lost during transport, we will still be able to deliver your parcel at its correct destination. To be entirely sure, you can also write the sender s and addressee s details on the outside of the box itself. That way, we can recognise your parcel when the document on the box gets lost. Close the packaging with tape or straps, and always stick the tape in an H shape to properly seal overlaps and seams, both top and bottom. Make sure the cardboard box is not (or has not been) wet. Use triple layer cardboard boxes for heavy/compact goods such as screws, bolts and other metal objects. Wrap semi-liquid, greasy or strong smelling substances in grease proof paper and seal the packaging with tape. Place sufficient protective material on the bottom of the box (minimum 5 cm). For fragile shipments, also place protection on top and/or at the sides. Wrap each part of the shipment in protective material and avoid them moving around by filling up gaps. Also cover the top before closing the box. Packaging your parcels correctly and transportworthy ensures an easy sorting process, and a delivery on time and in perfect condition. Goods which have been inadequately packaged can pose a danger to TNT employees and to other goods, will not enter the TNT network. 4
BOTTLES When shipping liquids, the packaging needs to be sealed tightly. Certainly do not use TNT Express plastic bags or cardboard envelopes for liquids; a special assortment is available. Check whether the bottles are tightly closed and preferably put them in a watertight plastic bag before packaging. FREIGHT (+30 kg) Shipments weighing 30 kg or more are best placed on a pallet. Weighing from 70 kg, your parcel by default has to be placed on a pallet. Make sure the pallets are in good condition and easily stackable. For non-stackable pallets, we offer a customised solution enquire with your sales contact about our rates. When stacking boxes we advise you to ensure the boxes are placed nicely on top of each other and stay within the surface dimensions of the pallet (no bricklaying method, no pyramid shape). Use crates to protect your goods against damage and possible loss. Printed material and boxes (e.g. magazines, publications etc.) can, when not correctly packed, move around during transport, resulting in damaged or dirty goods. Tie the printed matter together per type or fasten the boxes on the pallet with crimp foil. Fill up the bottom, sides and top of the box when packing the printed material. Goods that are rolled up, such as rugs, textile or paper, have to be packaged in plastic, with a copy of the address labels of both the sender and addressee stuck to the outside layer. Then pack the goods in bubble wrap or strong plastic before sliding them in a cardboard tube. Drums with liquids can become very heavy, so make sure not to exceed the weight capacity of the pallet. Place ribbed cardboard on the pallet and place wood or strong cardboard between the drums. Tie the drums together with steal strips. Long articles require to be packaged in a certain way to avoid bending or folding during transport. Use aids for support and reinforcement to avoid damage to vehicles, planes and other parcels. You can check the strength by lifting the article whilst holding it in the middle and see how much it bends. Also adhere to the length restrictions of TNT Express. Your parcel is longer? Then contact our Customer Services Desk for a customised solution. Reels and rolls could, by the nature of their shape, easily move around during transport. They are also hard to lift without any mechanical help. These goods have to therefore be transported in a certain position (on their side or at the front) and have to be secured at all times because of their weight and to ensure safety. Hence, reels and rolls have to always be fastened on the pallet before transport. Use steal strips rather than plastic wrap. Which pallets should I use? To guarantee the safe transport of your pallet shipments, use pallets made out of quality material. Wooden pallets have to be able to be lifted with a fork lift or pallet truck (the struts and slats of the pallet cannot be damaged). Pallets made of woodchip, fibreboard or cardboard are better not used. Pallets with cone shaped struts are also not recommended. Boxes which hang over the edge of the pallet are extra prone to damage, so avoid this way of stacking. For extra protection of the pallet, you can cover it with a protective wrap. NON-COMPATIBLE SHIPMENTS Make sure the shipment (spare parts, machine parts...) is in good condition. Package non-compatible freight shipments in such a way that the content is not visible and well- protected. Ensure the top is even, so that other boxes can be stacked on top, and that no edges which could damage other shipments are sticking out. Non-compatible shipments weighing over 70 kg have to be placed on a pallet for shipping. 5
The consignment note: crucial source of information Whatever packaging material you are using, there always has to be sufficient space to attach the consignment note. Please do take note of the following guidelines: Sufficient space is needed on the outer packaging layer to attach the TNT Express shipping label, without interfering with the parcel s content. If this is not the case, the content needs to be packaged in a bigger box. Remove all old shipping or address labels and barcodes. Fill out the consignment note as detailed as possible. Make sure to keep a signed sender s copy with you. Do not ever hand over goods without a consignment note. It has to be clear which documents (consignment note, invoice...) belong to which parcel. Make sure the barcode has not been written on or scratched. Tape over the consignment note might impair scanning the barcode. The barcode number has to remain uncovered. To facilitate scanning, avoid using scrunched up consignment notes. 6
TNT packaging: an overview 1. Bags/envelopes TNT Express offers you an array of self-adhesive plastic bags and cardboard envelopes. These will not only keep your documents, envelopes and small articles tidy, but also visible during transport. You can, without any problem, use your own packaging material. As long as you adhere to the rules. You rather play it safe? Then choose from the vast, professional assortment of packaging material TNT Express has to offer: cardboard envelopes and plastic bags for all your documents, standard boxes to pack goods from 2 kg to 12 kg, cardboard bottle boxes and specially designed medical packs for dry ice and other clinical goods. That way you can always be sure your shipment complies with all packaging guidelines and that your goods are well protected. What is more, we offer a large number of these packaging materials free of charge or at very interesting prices. Check and choose. You can request the rates via our Customer Services Desk (357 395 220) or on our website www.tnt.lu. Doc 1: 313 x 243 mm Doc 2: 339 x 302 mm Doc 3: 317 x 260 x 37 mm Bag 1: 400 x 300 mm 395 x 290 mm Cardboard envelope (small) Cardboard envelope (large) Cardboard box Plastic bag (small) Bag 2: 475 x 380 mm 470 x 370 mm Plastic bag (large) 7
2. Bottle boxes Sending wine or champagne as an end-of-year gift or as a gift for a professional contact? To ship your bottles safely, TNT Express has designed a special packaging line: the Bottlepak. These TNT bottle boxes are: sturdy, because made in high quality material very shock resistant, so they can withstand some knocks available in several sizes (for 1 to 3 bottles) easy to assemble Bottlepak 1: 328 x 102 x 102 mm Cardboard box for 1 bottle Bottlepak 2: 328 x 204 x 102 mm Cardboard box for 2 bottles Bottlepak 3: 345 x 306 x 102 mm Cardboard box for 3 bottles 3. Pouches This plastic pouch keeps consignment notes perfectly readable in all (weather) conditions; essential for a correct delivery. Pouche Plastic pouch 8
4. Boxes TNT Express offers several standard boxes to package goods from 2 kg to 12 kg. Box 1 360 x 300 x 90 mm Goods up to 2 kg Box 2 330 x 290 x 120 mm Goods up to 5 kg Box 3 360 x 330 x 220 mm Goods up to 8 kg Box 4 420 x 255 x 340 mm Goods up to 12 kg 5. Medical packaging For the transport of medication, scientifi c instruments, organs or temperature sensitive samples, TNT Express developed special certifi ed packaging: MedPak. MedPak Sleeve A: 33 0 x 410 mm MedPak Sleeve B: 380 x 530 mm MedPak Frozen 5: 308 x 308 x 310 mm 190 x 190 x 174 mm Goods in this dry ice packaging remain frozen for 72 hours 9
MedPak Frozen 10: 390 x 385 x 395 mm 228 x 228 x 226 mm MedPak Frozen 17: 470 x 460 x 480 mm 320 x 320 x 320 mm MedPak Ambient: 191 x 145 x 102 mm 72 x 137 x 98 mm MedPak Ambient Plus: 291 x 191 x 102 mm 276 x 188 x 99 mm MedPak Thermo 13: 475 x 440 x 365 mm 250 x 214 x 130 mm MedPak Thermo 20: 555 x 505 x 420 mm 344 x 264 x 153 mm MedPak Thermo 28: 632 x 532 x 505 mm 385 x 285 x 250 mm Goods in this dry ice packaging remain frozen for 96 hours Goods in this dry ice packaging remain frozen for > 96 hours Goods remain at a constant ambient temperature Goods remain at a constant ambient temperature (larger box) Goods remain at the same cool temperature for 72 hours, options 2-8 C and 10-25 C Goods remain at the same cool temperature for 96 hours, options 2-8 C and 10-25 C Goods remain at the same cool temperature for > 96 hours, options 2-8 C and 10-25 C Temptale4 USB 16K Temptale4 USB Dry Ice Monitor Monitors the inside temperature during the transport, producing a detailed report afterwards; handy thanks to the USB interface. -30 C to +70 C For temperatures between -80 C to +30 C Tag Alert Indicates when a product has been exposed to temperatures which are not between 2 C and 8 C 10
Your own packaging? You would rather use your own packaging? Then bear the maximum weight and dimensions of the parcel in mind, as well as the volumetric weight. Please check the calculation method below. For certain destinations, weight restrictions apply. If you are in doubt, please contact the Customer Services Desk on 357 395 220. In case the volumetric weight is higher than the actual weight, the volumetric weight will be used for the pricing of the transport. That price is calculated based on the ratio weight/volume. Calculate the volume of your parcel in cubic meter, by multiplying length with depth and height. For example: length 0.9 m x width 0.4 m x height 0.3 m = 0.108 m 3 and the weight is 5 kg. Multiply this result with the correct conversion factor below. This will give you the following result: 0.9 x 0.4 x 0.3 = 0.108 x 200 = 21.6 kg. In this example, you will pay the volumetric weight, since this is higher than the actual weight. Conversion factor 9:00 Express, 10:00 Express, 12:00 Express, Express, Economy Express ROW = 200 kg/m³ 12:00 Economy Express, Economy Express, Express Domestic = 250 kg/m³ Please note: A parcel s volumetric weight is calculated based on the dimensions of the smallest rectangular share or cube fitting in the parcel (or the box which fits best around the goods). Each protruding part can is used to calculate the volumetric weight. Extra reassurance In case you require extra security for shipping valuable goods, we offer an All Risk insurance against and/or loss. Please go to our online brochure Insurances on www.tnt.lu. HOW TO ORDER? You can order packaging material via our Customer Services Desk on 357 395 220. Please go our website www.tnt.lu for the prices. ANY QUESTIONS? Contact our Customer Services Desk on 357 395 220. Our agents are more than happy to help you. TNT Express Luxembourg Zone d activités économiques de Krakelshaff L-3235 Luxembourg Tel.: 357 395 220 www.tnt.lu 11