Here's How To Make Sure Your Items Reach Their Intended Recipients
Poster tubes and similar containers are great for sending large sheets, such as blueprints and diagrams. However, the tubes can be subject to rough handling because of their odd shape. Instead of a regular square or rectangular shape that doesn't roll around, these tubes can be crushed and scraped fairly easily as they move. To give your package a better chance of making it to its destination intact, take a few protective measures.
Tape the Ends of the Tube Closed, No Matter the Type of Closure
Tape down the ends of the tube even if the provided closures seem secure. Additional tape never hurts. If the tube gets crushed, even those tough plastic caps that you have to wedge into the ends of the tube can pop off and the contents of the tube can spill out. Instead, if the caps are inserted securely and then taped down, they will be less likely to come off completely should there be a disaster with the mail that day. Use shipping tape for best results; duct tape could work, but it would be much harder for the recipient to remove duct tape.
Place Tape Over the Addresses, Even if You Wrote Directly on the Tube
Place clear shipping tape over the return and recipient addresses, even if you wrote directly on the tube instead of on a mailing label. Not only will the tape help protect the writing from scrapes and gouges, but it also makes those parts of the tube easier to clean off if something spills on them. The writing won't blur or smudge, and the tube can still make it to its final destination.
Use Reinforced Tubes Meant for Shipping, Not Storage
If you buy your mailing tubes from a mail supplies store or the post office, you'll get a tube meant for mailing. But if you buy the tube from a general office supply store, you could end up with a thinner tube that's meant more for storage than mailing. Make sure the tube you use is reinforced and constructed specifically for mailing. Otherwise, it will be too easy for the tube to end up crushed or punctured.
Do let the recipient know when you've mailed the item so they can look for the tube with their mail or whenever package delivery services normally show up in their neighborhood. With the right packaging, there shouldn't be a problem. Learn more about the proper mailing containers for your next package today.