About the Shipping Container

1. Items should be packed in a corrugated cardboard container. Flimsy containers just won’t stand up to the rigors of shipping. If your item is not packed in a corrugated box, and it breaks, it probably won’t be covered by shipping insurance.
2. Packages that are not in a corrugated box may be subject to an additional handling fee.
3. A good shipping container has its ratings printed on the bottom flap. Look for a minimum of 200 lbs per square inch Burst Test Strength and at least 32 lbs Edge Crush Test. Using a box of lesser strength will not ensure the safety of your shipment, and your damaged item may not be covered by shipping insurance.
4. Every time a corrugated box is shipped, it loses 60% of its strength. A used box might not have enough strength to provide adequate protection on another trip. You may pack your item in a used box, but be aware that if the item breaks, it may not be covered by shipping insurance.
5. Don’t worry about pre-existing printing on the used box. The shipping carriers (such as UPS, Fed-Ex, and USPS) only use the encoded bar code on the label. They don’t care if the box says “POTATOES” or “BOOTS”, but it cannot be marked as any kind of alcoholic beverage. Just make sure that any previous bar codes on the box are removed or obscured with magic marker. There is no need to prepare hand-written address labels anymore, all the carriers now use bar-codes.
6. Only wineries and distilleries are authorized to ship alcoholic beverages. Firearms and ammunition can only be shipped directly from the carrier or dealer, and can only be shipped to a dealer. The carrier must inspect the firearm/ammunition. This applies to firearm parts as well as entire firearms.
7. Use only a good grade of 2” or 3” wide shipping tape on the corrugated box. Other tape can easily tear along the opening of the box. Shipping tape incorporates a good adhesive that will not fall off during shipping. Under no circumstances use duct tape, masking tape, household cellophane tape, or kraft paper tape for sealing a shipping box. Non-shipping tape loses adhesion during temperature changes. Carrier trucks, cargo planes, and shipping warehouses do not regulate climates and are subject to wide temperature fluctuations.
8. When taping the box closed, use the “H” pattern. That is, tape along all seams and flaps.
9. Packages containing anything fragile, liquid, perishable or potentially hazardous should be marked as such. During shipping, boxes labeled ORM-D are segregated from other packages, and handled only with rubber gloves. If your item is not potentially hazardous, and the box is marked ORM-D, please remove the ORM-D designation.
10. Contrary to what our Grandmothers taught us, do not wrap your box in brown (or any other color) paper. Do not tie your box with string. These days, all carriers sort packages by machine. Paper and string can be caught by the machine and be torn completely off of the package, causing damage to the machine, your package, or both. Worse yet, the address will be separated from the package and the package could be lost in the system forever.
11. Yreka Mailbox has over 80 different sizes of boxes, and many of them are multi-depth. Multi-depth boxes are pre-scored so that the box can be cut to fit your particular item. You may purchase a new box and pack your item yourself, or you may bring your item into the store to be packaged by our trained professionals. We are RSI (Retail Shipping Institute) Certified Packers, and are up-to-date on all new packaging developments thru our membership in the AMPC (Associated Mail and Parcel Centers).