Don’t: Use T-Shirts, crumpled up newspaper, or recycled air pillows as packing material when shipping musical instruments. The choice of packing material is critical in ensuring your musical instruments are safe while they are being transported. Packing materials are chosen to keep the instrument from shifting inside the box during transit. They’re also used to provide support to the instrument itself so undue structural stresses are not placed upon it while it’s in the box.
Do: Work with a Professional Shipping Service for Best Results
This is especially true if you’re shipping a cello, violin, or other string instrument. It’s also a good idea if you’re shipping very heavy instruments, like a piano or harpsichord. Working with a professional shipping company is very smart if you need to ship drums. All of these items are particularly vulnerable to being damaged if packaged incorrectly for shipping. Guitars are a very special case, as the travel case you use to tote the guitar around is not usually sufficient for shipping purposes. You may want a custom crate or at a minimum a new cardboard shipping box of the correct size. A professional shipping service will have everything you need on hand.
Don’t: Make Mistakes on the Paperwork
Correct addresses, contact phone numbers, and other information on shipping documentation is absolutely essential. Delivery services will bring packages where they’re told to bring them, so if you give them the wrong address and your musical instrument goes astray, there’s not much you can do about it. In much the same line, you want to be 100% sure you’re filling out all insurance paperwork correctly in case you need to make a claim later. The best pack and ship company in Boston can help you handle everything, so you can ship your instruments with peace of mind.