Play it Safe When Shipping Expensive Electronics
When shipping high-value electronics such as cloud infrastructure hardware or medical devices, you can never be too careful. Even a minor mishap can cause severe damage to highly sensitive products, and nobody wants to take the blame for damaged equipment. That’s why certain precautions have become necessary to ensure seamless delivery of high-end technology.
Consider, for instance, a typical shipment of server rack units. Given the weight of each server, ranging from 800 to 1800 pounds or more per unit, handling can present significant challenges. Damage can occur through improper use of equipment such as forklifts, gate lifts and ramps.
Damage can also occur because of hazards encountered during transit such as potholes, unexpected steep inclines or sudden swerves or stops. Sturdy packing and crating can be a safeguard against these dangers, but it can only go so far.
Another way to protect your cargo is to influence the shipping environment. You may not have control of your freight once it leaves the loading dock, but proper labeling can help ensure it’s treated with care during transit. ShockWatch indicator labels raise awareness of the need for safe handling and they provide a system of accountability where shippers know they’re being monitored.
Access to accountability avoids the inevitable “blame game” since the cause of damage can be independently verified. When things go wrong, it helps to have indisputable proof of where the problem occurred.
Mark Hoffman, CEO of Larson Packaging Company, says this is a must. “When product damage occurs, the freight companies will usually point the finger and say, ‘not our fault. It was bad packaging.’” He recommends his customers use ShockWatch indicators and recorders to avoid this situation. “There are other products out there, but we use ShockWatch because they are the industry standard, and our customers accept them without question.”
Indicator devices also help identify if problems exist within manufacturing. When high-end electronics show up and don’t work properly, it can be difficult to determine whether or not a malfunction is due to the effects of transit. If you can rule out mishandling in the shipping process, it will be easier to identify problems occurring within your own assembly line.
Whether you are shipping your own valuable cargo or are involved in transporting goods for another owner, using tilt and impact indicators or recorders is a great way to protect against potential losses. It helps keep everyone in the supply chain aware and accountable for the risks of shipping sensitive equipment. Since the shipping environment can be a harsh place, it never hurts to play it safe and take every precaution you can against mishandling and potential damage.