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Packaging a load so it arrives the way it left
Wieland Metal Services · Operations Manager · 2025–2026
- What it is
- Everything between a finished coil and the truck: shrink wrap, sealing, how the load is built on the pallet, the labelling that has to be on the outside of it, and the sign-off that says it was checked.
- Why it existed
- A load that arrives damaged, mislabelled, or on a pallet that didn't hold is a load you make twice — and it is the first thing the customer sees of you. It is also the last point where a mistake is still cheap to fix.
- What changed
- A standard for how a load leaves, with a name against it. The label comes off the generator instead of being typed, so it is the same every time; the required markings are on it before it moves; and somebody signs that it was packed and checked.
On the load
- Shrink wrap and plastic wrap
- Sealing
- Pallet construction — the load built so it holds for the whole trip
- Steel and polypropylene strapping
- Edge and corner protectors under the strapping
- VCI paper and interleave between surfaces that can mark
On the outside
- The package label, printed from the generator rather than typed by hand
- Ship-to, customer part and PO, alloy, width and gauge
- Weights, piece count and the coil numbers in the load
- The handling caution, printed on every label
Before it moves
- A sign-off that the load was packed and checked
- Correct labelling confirmed against the order, not against the last one