Are you considering expanding your business internationally? If this is the case, you need to plan ahead to ensure that your goods are well labeled so that they can get to their destination safely and on time. There have been cases where incorrectly labeled packages get lost on transit or even get delivered to the wrong destination which may lead a company to lose money. This article will highlight a few practices that you can follow regarding international shipping and shipping labels.
Create Address Labels
Some years back, companies used to handwrite address labels using permanent markers but there were disadvantages that came with that. You cannot rely on shipping company workers to read your handwriting well. In case your handwriting is misread, your package may end up being delivered to the wrong place or even worse, get lost.
Now, companies shipping packages overseas rely on printing shipping labels instead. You need to use label materials that can withstand harsh weather conditions. Ensure that you use ink that will not be easily smudged when it comes in contact with water or snow so that the labels remain readable. Use shipping labels that have adhesives to avoid securing the labels with tapes. Tapes can cover barcodes on the shipping labels and this will make scanning hard which can result packages to be misrouted.
Always print contact information, both yours and the recipient’s, using capital letters and the words should be legible. When designing mailing labels, you should keep them as simple as possible. Skip using abbreviations and keep to five lines or less. Make sure that you use full names and avoid using nicknames or initials. Using names that are not clear may hold the clearing process which will delay your packages from reaching the recipient on time.
Reusing Old Boxes
If you intend to recycle old boxes and reuse them to pack your goods, ensure that you cover any labels used for previous shipment. This minimizes confusion to which shipping label has the correct contact details therefore avoiding any unnecessary delays. Ask your label printing company to print your labels on impenetrable material to cover up old barcodes.
Ensure Your Labels are Professionally Done
If you are planning to expand your business and capture the international market, you may not have the experience of using shipping labels. Use a label company that has experience in printing shipping labels. Not all products use the same labels and some may need specialized label materials depending on the nature of the products.
Dangerous chemicals need to be labeled with specialized labels that include special symbols and signs to warn handlers of impending danger. You need to explain to your label printing company the nature of your goods to enable them to print the right shipping labels.
Prep for Customs
You need to include your contacts on the shipping labels just in case the customs may need to clarify something about your shipment. Ensure that you have all the customs declarations forms from the relevant website or from your local post office.
