A low box price does not show the full shipment cost. Compare options for the same product, distance, delivery time and acceptance criteria.
Measure damage and protection
For trial shipments, log product damage, broken packaging, wetness and returns on one form. Link each event to the product lot and delivery record.
Record space used
Measure usable volume per box, vehicle stacking pattern and safely loadable quantity. Trial another package with the same product quantity and restraint conditions.
Include all costs
For single-use, add box, inner packaging, coolant, disposal and damaged-delivery costs. Include billed dimensional-weight charges if applicable.
Include returnable costs. For returnables, add washing, tracking, loss, empty return and equipment preparation. Use actual turns rather than an assumed reuse count.
Compare cost per accepted delivery
Divide total cost by accepted deliveries. If the sample is small or routes vary, do not generalise to the whole fleet; repeat the calculation in later periods.
Apply research to your route. The Fraunhofer UMSICHT comparison also examines how reuse results depend on use count, return distance and washing method. Your own flow data should guide the choice.
