Cheap shipping is just that Cheap shipping.

Let's talk shipping, and how to make your experience better!  I feel your frustration.  Cheap shipping is just that Cheap shipping.

 

First, let’s just be real, Child-resistant packaging is made in China, no getting around it, and believe me if the USA could produce and sell the small jars and products that we need for this industry, You’re darn right I would buy it in the USA, in fact it is my goal to manufacture the FreezAbowl in the USA someday and hopefully out of hemp. 

 

 I want to be very clear about this.  Sea Shipping is unreliable and has no Guarantees, way too many factors come into play.  The only possible way to ensure an arrival date is Air shipping, but you have to budget for it. We gamble whenever we sea ship and the law of nature is against it.

 

5 top reasons for delays

 

Weather:

Shipping in the winter can cause many delays, especially during Hurricane season. East Coast or Central US states have a lot of issues with weather from available ports. MSN Packaging Inc. we try to use the LA Port and Ship across the states to save time.  But winter is relevant, when it is not hurricane season here it is somewhere else. Now summer shipping has a better sky, but many more products are coming in, and major outlets are fighting for the right of way.  

 

World Politics:

Yes, the war in the Middle East is causing some extended delays because of the attacks on the cargo ships in the Red Sea.  All shipments are being diverted through the southern African coast. https://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-houthi-attacks-impact-us-consumers-210996

 

 Holidays:

China has a lot of holidays and it is important to know them. This will cause delays in shipping routes because when China has a holiday, the whole country stops. Not like Americans, we work holidays in the USA, we work every day.  The Chinese New Year is my favorite. “ NOT”,  factories rotate their time off, and paper companies, glass companies, and metal companies all take a different week or some 3 weeks off.  This causes all kinds of shipping delays.  If you don’t get your product shipped out by January 20^th, you will be lucky to have it loaded and, on the ship, earlier than Feb 19^th. Oh, and let's not forget the crazy order and shipping delays after the New Year, the busy season.  Totally messing with 420 orders.  

  

Jan- 1^st -5^th New Year Holiday

Jan 15^th – Feb 19^th – Chinese New Year- Spring Festivals

April 1st – 6^th Ching Ming Festival

May 1^st  - 5^th Labour Day Holiday

June 9^th-12^th Dragon Boat Festival

Sept 15^th -17^th Mid Autumn Festival

Oct 1^st – 7^th National Day Holiday

 

Customs: 

Customs should only take a few days, but depending on the landing day it can take more time. Weekends are not open. This is a Government agency, and if your product lands on a Thursday or Friday, don’t expect it to be unloaded and cleared through customs and on a truck until the next Friday, and that is on a good week.  (Customs only works on the weekend at the Airports!)

 

Small orders:

With small orders, and I mean less than a full container, your products are held until the container is full, So even if you are loaded, the container will not be loaded onto a ship until it’s full, and depending on the port it’s leaving from, like Shanghai, the boat only leaves once a week. So if you miss the leaving date, the product will go on the next ship.  

 

Shipping is a beast and out of our control, and so frustrating, but what is the answer, if you need your inventory ( Don’t ship Sea, just that simple)  Air is the only way to make sure, the delays are limited. You must allow at least 40-60 days for shipping sea.  Even when the invoice says 30-35 days, most of the time that happens but once the product leaves the factory and goes to the Forwarder, they kind of have us by the balls. LOL. Out of our control, Not like you can call the Ship and say, Hey can you speed it up, and what government agency do you know that moves fast? LOL.

 

Solutions:

MSN Packaging Inc. recommends Air shipping small orders and/or checking your shipping, there are levels of sea shipping, so don’t choose the cheapest options if you can avoid it.

Small orders what is that? It depends on the product you are purchasing; Child Resistant Packaging has many types of materials and some can be so heavy that shipping sea is the only option.  We recommend partial Air and Sea shipping for these heavy items like glass bottles, flower jars, display boxes, or custom printing shipping boxes for sure.  Very Heavy.  Orders less than 20k should go Air Shipping or at least partial.

 

Planning is the most important. I have worked with a few start-ups where packaging seemed to be an afterthought.  Planning and saving go together.  When planning your Grow, Plan your packaging too.  When placing orders, once the order is received and you are happy, place another order right away, or double up your quantities giving you more time with reordering and allowing enough time for any shipping delays.  

 

Making your brand stand out is so important, the consumer's first look. With so many brands now and you need to get their attention and keep it for the next purchase. We stoners are not into change but like our meds to grab our attention, and custom-printed is the best way to do that. With the proper planning you can save a lot on shipping, as I am sure you have noticed.