Freight damage is often treated as a carrier issue, but in most facilities the root cause is pallet load instability. If the goal is to reduce freight damage and prevent shipping damage, the solution starts at the packaging line with engineered load containment solutions.
Unstable pallet loads shift during acceleration, braking, and vibration in transit. The result is crushed cartons, leaning stacks, broken product, and rejected shipments. Reducing product damage in transit requires measurable improvements to pallet load stability — not simply adding more stretch film.
Freight damage impacts more than replacement product. It increases labor, customer complaints, expedited reshipments, and administrative time for claims processing. Over time, recurring shipping damage can erode customer confidence and reduce supply chain reliability.
Before making changes, quantify the problem:
Without performance data, load containment adjustments are guesswork.
Most shipping damage can be traced to a few controllable variables:
Inconsistent stretch wrapping practices
Manual wrapping or poorly calibrated machines create uneven tension and inconsistent containment force.
Insufficient containment force
Industrial stretch film must be applied at the correct tension to stabilize the load. Too little force allows movement; too much can crush cartons.
Incorrect film selection
Film gauge, stretch capability, and cling characteristics must match load weight, height, and profile. Blown and cast stretch films perform differently under stress.
Poor pallet configuration
Column stacking errors, product overhang, and unstable carton geometry increase the risk of load shift.
Preventing shipping damage requires correcting these engineering variables rather than increasing material usage.
Load containment testing provides objective data on pallet load stability. Instead of assuming a wrap pattern is effective, testing measures how well a wrapped load resists movement under stress.
Testing can determine:
For engineers and buyers, load containment testing supports decisions with measurable data rather than assumptions.
Stretch wrap optimization improves both cost control and performance. Effective stretch wrapping best practices include:
More film does not automatically improve pallet load stability. Proper film application and engineered containment force reduce freight damage while controlling material costs.
Manual processes introduce variability. Semi-automatic and automatic stretch wrappers improve repeatability, containment force consistency, and operator safety.
When load containment solutions are engineered, tested, and standardized, operations see measurable reductions in freight damage and product damage in transit.
Reducing freight damage is not about reacting to claims. It is about designing pallet load stability into the packaging process from the start.
Reducing freight damage starts with engineered load containment, not guesswork. Measuring containment force, optimizing stretch film performance, and standardizing stretch wrapping practices improve pallet load stability and help prevent shipping damage. Clear data and consistent processes make long-term results achievable.