Scandinavian warehouse Many customers who decide to transport very expensive goods or those susceptible to mechanical damage or other external factors, face a large financial dilemma of how to best protect their cargo. Commercially available technological options or solutions that are only just being tested are certainly an alluring alternative for the person responsible for shipment.
One rather interesting though rarely applied solution is fireproof paper, used in securing highly flammable goods, such as theatrical sets, partition walls, artwork, etc. Its electrical conductivity prevents the formation of electrical charges and eliminates the threat of fire. In appearance, it is no different from a regular piece of paper, so at first glance it is hard to imagine that it has such unique technical properties.
When the cargo is so delicate that even the slightest movement might affect its structure, it is a must to use tilt indicators. They are designed to monitor for any shocks, vibrations, or other deviations during the transport or storage of goods. It is worth reflecting on their economic viability when transporting plasma screens, medical devices, artwork or even electronic panels. These sensors, referred to by transport experts as self-adhesive spies, will become red in color if the established transport rules are violated and thus will help us determine if the carrier properly complied with the provisions of the transport contract. This is very important when a compensation claim is made. From the equipment available on the market, we can choose a more sensitive solution if necessary which activates and gives an indication after exceeding a tilt angle greater than 30 degrees, or a less accurate one which activates after exceeding a tilt angle of 80 degrees (sensitive only to falling over). It should be acknowledged, however, that the solution presented here are quite expensive and can only be used once.
Sometimes, all we need to do is to solidly secure access to the consignment during transport, as I do when sending an important manuscript to the publishing house. One helpful solution here is very economical and I have tested it personally. It is a seal for pallets and boxes. Its price has virtually no financial impact on the cost of the transport, in terms of the entire logistics process. A new product on the market – innovative and very cheap. It costs about 1.5 Euros. So for less than 6 PLN net we can protect our goods with our own patented seal, the installation of which is simple and intuitive. Each seal has a unique number and bar code on the external and internal part which prevents the substitution of any part of the seal. In addition, it has a special inspection hole for checking if it has been fastened properly. The seal is completely weatherproof.
To sum up, the solutions presented above are certainly an interesting option for customers transporting expensive or fragile goods.
It is worth following new trends on the market to see new possibilities which can be offered as optimal solutions for the customer. My observations today have not just been a mere collection of facts, I actually ventured a small analysis of the economic profitability of the solutions presented above. I compared the cost of the solution to the cost of the transport and the value of the cargo. On the basis of several examples, it can be concluded that the use of the suggested options pays off when the value of the cargo transported is greater than 1800 Euros. Of course this does not apply to the seal for pallets and boxes, which can be a very good option for those considering solutions for cheap and safe logistics.
Unfortunately, today I was unable to refer to the photo heading this article. I put it there deliberately wanting to sketch the topic of my next post.
Author:Mateusz Burczyk – Export LTL & FTL Lider