Is There Any Difference Between Moving and Shipping Boxes?
If you’re buying shipping labels online and shipping packages yourself, it’s important to choose the right box. This will help ensure that your package arrives intact. Some people think that moving boxes and shipping boxes are interchangeable, and that it’s okay to mail items in a moving box. However, there is actually a difference between the two.
Technically, both moving and shipping boxes are made of corrugated cardboard and designed for transporting items from one location to another. However, boxes are transported differently during a move than during shipping. During a move, boxes are usually transported directly from point A to point B in a shipping truck. During shipping, boxes are routed through several sorting centers and are often handled automatically at each one.
Due to this, the main difference between moving and shipping boxes is in their strength and durability. While most moving boxes are durable enough to protect your belongings during a move, they are not designed for repeated handling or stacking. Besides, you are usually able to control where each box goes during a move and ensure that your items don’t get crushed. If you use a moving box to send items in the mail or via a courier service, it may get damaged while being handled at one of the sorting centers or crushed under the weight of other packages if it ends up at the bottom of a shipping truck.
Shipping boxes are designed to withstand rough handling and long-distance transportation. Many have reinforced corners and edges to prevent tearing and crushing. Those designed for heavy or fragile items often have double walls for extra protection against compression and drops. Due to their enhanced durability, shipping boxes are usually more expensive than moving boxes.
Moving boxes come in various shapes and sizes. The standard sizes are small, medium and large, but there are specialty boxes designed for specific types of items, such as dishes. Some moving boxes have handles to make them easier to, well, handle. Shipping boxes also come in several sizes, which are usually tied to carriers’ pricing models since most carriers charge by gross or dimensional weight. Some shipping boxes can be resized by cutting along the seams and folding them to fit items more snugly, which reduces dimensional weight.
In practice, you can use a moving box to ship light, non-fragile items, but it should be new and not one you previously used for moving. Keep in mind that if your package is damaged during transit, the carrier may deny your insurance claim for “insufficient packaging” if the moving box that you used is deemed not durable enough for its contents. Shipping boxes, on the other hand, are designed with shipping standards in mind, so you should be reimbursed as long as you used the right size box and enough cushioning material.
Conversely, shipping boxes are usually suitable for moving, but buying new shipping boxes for moving is impractical because they are usually more expensive than moving boxes. However, you can reuse old shipping boxes for moving as long as they are in good condition. Shipping boxes are also ideal if you’re moving long distance and shipping some items to your new residence instead of transporting them in a moving truck.