Navigating air freight restrictions with customized pallet pack containers
Shipping products via air freight presents a special set of restrictions and requirements that can make setting up closed-loop shipping systems very difficult. RPP Containers and our knowledgeable and experienced custom team can help you navigate these difficulties and develop specialized packaging that eliminates waste, protects your products, and ultimately saves you money.
Why is shipping via air freight so difficult?
The first issue that many companies come up against when shipping air freight is the size restrictions.
The world of collapsible bulk containers was built around the semi-trailer. Whether you are shipping refrigerated goods, dry goods, shipping via steel sea container, or shipping via rail, you are basically dealing with the same dimensional requirements. You have approximately 100 inches of width and height to fill and a set length. This led to standardized bulk container dimensions that help reduce waste in those settings so that automotive and other manufacturing companies weren’t paying to ship around unutilized space.
Air freight throws these dimensions out the window. Air freight height restrictions can vary depending on the type of aircraft that will be transporting your freight. If you are trying to use up some extra space in a commercial aircraft, you’re limited to either 32” or 65” of height, depending on the aircraft. Ship in a dedicated cargo plane, you could be allowed up to 96” of height. If you are trying to fit standard collapsible bulk containers into those dimensions, your bins will be too tall and not fit, or they will fit, but leave a ton of wasted space that kills your shipping efficiencies.
After companies find a bin that will fit into an air freight carrier, the next issue that they tend to run into is the massive effect weight plays into air freight. Typically, when shipping via air freight, companies charge not only based on the amount of space you occupy in the plane but how much weight you are adding to the payload. Heavier freight means the plane will expend more fuel getting to its destination, and it is ultimately you who has to foot the bill. Standard collapsible bulk containers can weigh anywhere from 125 to well over 250 lbs., just for the empty boxes themselves. All of that weight is costing you when the bins are shipped with your product inside and on the return trip when the empty containers are being sent back to be reused.
Solving these issues with a customized pallet pack container
Where a standard collapsible bulk container falls flat with meeting the needs of the air freight shipper, RPP’s line of Pallet Pack containers truly shines. With almost unlimited customization possible with the height of a Pallet Pack container, RPP Containers can make sure to fully utilize all of the space available when shipping air freight.
One of our most successful configurations is a tandem 32” tall and 64” tall pallet pack. In the tightest confines, one unit fits snugly into place on a commercial airline. When you have a little more space but not wide-open cargo planes, either one large 64” tall bin can be used, or two separate 32” bins stacked depending on the material you are shipping. Lastly, if you are lucky enough to have a full 96” to work with, you can stack one of each and not waste ANY space in the plane.
Pallet Pack containers are also extremely lightweight without sacrificing strength and stackability. Compared with a comparably sized collapsible bulk container, pallet pack containers are up to 66% lighter. As stated above, this type of lightweight container means that you are spending less money on shipping your packaging, leaving you more money to spend shipping your actual product. This also means you can return three or more pallet pack bins for the same amount of money you would spend returning one collapsible bulk container.
RPP Containers knowledgeable sales associates and custom team can help you choose and design your very own air freight containers and help you ship more efficiently.