Multi Trip Packaging

Get it wrong, and you could experience delays (and the associated costs), items broken during transit (and the associated costs) and ultimately disgruntled customers.

This is why choosing the right tote containers for use in your production facility, and within your distribution networks, is a decision that should not be taken lightly.

Please continue reading for further info on how to choose the right multi trip packaging for your business

Please use the links below for further information on the types of handling totes, dividers and other multi trip packaging that could directly aid the operation of your business.

Need help or advice on the best solution for your specific application? Then please do not hesitate to contact one of our expert advisers for no obligation, impartial advice on the best option for you.

There is a surprisingly wide range of different multi trip packaging options / types available. Whilst this means that it is possible to select a solution closely aligned with your specific requirements, it can make choosing a difficult job.

Saying that, there are a number of common materials used for manufacturing the various forms of returnable supply chain packaging, all of which have different pros and cons.

Please see below for a brief summary of the most common material types used, and whether they could be suitable for your business.

Correx® is one of the most widely used materials when creating multi trip packaging, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it is lightweight yet robust, and can be engineered to provide virtually the same level of protection as moulded plastics.

The big advantage it has over moulded containers however is the size flexibility – being fabricated from sheet material means Correx® products can be tailored to virtually any size.

This allows you to use totes that are the perfect size for your products or parts, making efficient use of space and improving transport costs and handling productivity.

Moulded plastic containers, bins and boxes are arguably the toughest multi trip packaging you can source.

As with Correx®, they offer excellent performance, can usually be stacked by default, and are long lasting. They are also resistant to water, moisture, oil, grease, dust and most chemicals. Generally they are also easy to handle, with hand holes, stacking rims, lids and other options built in.

The only downside is that, by picking from a range of stock sizes, you sometimes end up using totes which are too large and have wasted space in side (although divider sets can often alleviate this). They are also amongst the more costly options, but this is offset by their longevity.

Although not a true multi trip packaging solution, corrugated cardboard is often used over multiple journeys.

Besides this, and depending on your setup, and environmental and cost benefits of using multi trip packaging can be negated if you have to transport large volumes of empty containers around parts of your supply chain. In this case, single trip may be a better option.

Metal cases and containers are often used for international air freight due to their light weight, whilst metal totes are also frequently used in food manufacture due to the easy clean and hygienic nature of their surfaces.

Saying that, they can be easily damaged by mishandling, meaning they are often not the best choice for transporting items between sites.

Wooden crates and pallet boxes offer greater protection than corrugated cardboard, but generally less than moulded or other plastics. However, they are relatively low cost and, crucially, can be manufactured to custom sizes with little effort.

However, as a long term solution they are less cost effective, and offer less protection, than both Correx® and moulded plastic products.

Besides selecting the right container and or material for your returnable packaging, there are a number of options and enhancements that can improve performance and ultimately your effectiveness.

These enhancements can be used on both standard off the shelf products as well as custom designed Correx® products.

Please see below for a brief list of the common options that apply to virtually all of the multi trip packaging listed above.

Generally, both moulded plastic containers and custom Correx® products can be sourced or manufactured in a number of different colours.

Whilst the obvious benefit of this is to match your brand identity, you can also use different colours to differentiate between product types, batch numbers, stages in production and various other applications where a quick visual check could improve productivity or organisation.

As with colours, print can be used to add branding and logos to give your business a presence throughout the supply chain (effectively free advertising when in suppliers or customers premises).

Besides this, print can be used to add part numbers, special handling instructions and other information that may aid your employees.

For a less permanent solution, vinyl and labelling can also be used. This can prove more useful if your inventory or product types change frequently, or you need detailed information such as dates or batch numbers.

Lids can be used on your multi trip packaging to effectively add another layer of protection for your items during transit and handling.

They obviously stop the ingress of dust and other particles, as well as offering a degree of protection against moisture and liquids too.

Another benefit is that lids can prevent the “over-loading” of totes, preventing damage to the items themselves, the totes, and improving health and safety for those handling them.

Dividers, foam inserts and other dunnage (effectively inserts) is perhaps one of the most important ways to enhance your multi trip packaging.

They can help minimise damage by preventing movement of parts in transit. They can aid manual stock checking through quick visual checks. They can aid production operatives by allowing them to more quickly retrieve items from the totes. And they also improve shipping and handling efficiency by allowing you to get more parts safely into an outer tote.

Specialist materials such as foam and Bubble-board divisions also can help to prevent surface scuffing and scratches, further minimising damaged parts or products and the associated costs of this.

GWP have been manufacturing multi trip packaging in various forms for more than 25 years.

Starting out as predominantly a corrugated cardboard packaging manufacturer, our product range quickly expanded to cover returnable plastic containers, totes, bins, boxes and even high performance foam inserts and casing.

This offers your business a number of distinct advantages.

Firstly, you can source the widest range of packaging and handling products from a single source. This minimises your admin, allows you to take advantage of economies of scale, and also improves the compatibility of the various products you source.

Secondly, it also means that GWP can offer you genuinely impartial advice on what would be the best solution for your business. We won’t try to sell you multi trip packaging that doesn’t fit your requirements as it is all we sell, but will provide you with a number of options and recommendations based on what you are trying to achieve.

As well as all this, an experienced team of designers are on hand to create custom returnable packaging that is tailored to your specific products, environment, industry or applications, whilst a team of customer service advisers will guide you through every step of the process.

So if you are looking for multi trip packaging that could have a significant impact on your business, then please speak with us here at GWP.