What’s the occasion? Most Americans like to send bouquets on special events such as Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day for the people that mean the most to them in life. You’re in the business of servicing that demand and need to know how to transport floral arrangements to the target market.
Such easily perishable goods need careful attention during the process. With a little planning and some help from a trusted third-party logistics company, transporting your floral arrangements should become a clearer endeavor to undertake.
There are legitimate reasons customers enjoy buying from wholesale florists and finding out how to meet consumers’ needs should be paramount to your business.
If you’re sending floral arrangements that will be individually shipped as special orders for customers, chances are they will need particular packaging to safely transport them.
It’s standard practice to use a corrugated cardboard box to store the flowers in to give the fragile plants adequate protection. You want to use strong boxes to protect the plants and also stack the arrangements in a way where the structural integrity of the packaging is not compromised.
A further step to take would be secure the arrangement inside the box by using bands or cable ties so that the arrangement can’t move around during transit.
If the floral arrangements in question of a vase, extra care should be taken. The vase should be wrapped in a light yet sturdy material such as packaging paper, newspaper or a towel. This will protect the vase itself and also further keep the item from sliding around in the box.
Depending on the kind of arrangement, different strategies could be employed. If you’re shipping a bouquet of a dozen roses for multiple customers, you might put multiple shipments in the same box to save space and a little bit of money.
If you use a cardboard box with a cutout top, you can store even more bouquets in it. These work most effectively for already completed arrangements.
There are a myriad of tips to convey that will make sure your floral arrangements will arrive in tip-top shape. Including using some common items around the house that you’d never expect.
Probably the most important thing to consider is maintaining a cool temperature for your cut flowers — about 33 degrees fahrenheit, but ideally a bit higher and 75 degrees. This will help the arrangement keep fresh the longest amount of time, both for transit purposes and customer satisfaction.
Another way to keep the flowers cool is by using gel or ice packs inside the shipping container. Depending on the distance your floral arrangements are traveling, though, this might not be very efficient. An ice pack for instance will stay frozen for 24 to 36 hours in an insulated container but only about 3 to 4 hours at room temperature.
While this probably won’t come into play, it’s important to note that flowers should not be shipped with fresh produce. Fruits and vegetables emit ethylene, a gas that accelerates the ripening process.
Besides refrigeration, a liquid mixture of vinegar and sugar works wonders in a vase to keep flowers fresh when displayed in the home. The sugar nourishes the flower but promotes the growth of bacteria. The acidity of the vinegar neutralizes the negative effects of the sugar.
Also, if you’re going to be transporting the flower arrangements in water, you’ll want to submerge the stems before cutting them at a 45-degree angle. This will prevent air from entering the stem and allow the cut flowers to absorb the right amount of water.
Trimming any lower leaves is also a good idea. As long as they’re not important to the arrangement, it’s a good practice so that the bottom leaves aren’t soaking in water and causing the bottom of the arrangement to rot and introduce bacteria or mold.
If you’re shipping flowers without a vase, it also might be a great idea to use a rubber band to hold each bouquet of, say, red roses together. It will make them easier to handle and also will cut down on the possibility of losing a flower or any damage in transit.
Regardless if a van, truck or tractor trailer is being used, keeping the flowers shaded or otherwise out of direct sunlight will keep them looking their best.
When you’re prepared to transport your floral arrangements, R+L Global Logistics is the company for you. We know that flowers have to get from point A to point B undamaged and ASAP, and we will make that happen for you.
We have real-time freight visibility and we hit the mark very well — and with quickness — with a 99.5 percent on-time freight rate. You can track your floral arrangements and have great confidence in our ability to get them there while they’re still at their best.
If for any reason, you have questions or an issue with your shipment, our helpful customer service team will be ready to serve you in any way needed. R+L Global Logistics views moving your freight as a true partnership
We offer a lot of additional services pertinent to floral arrangements, such as:
Another additional service we’d like to highlight in reference to floral arrangements is our white glove delivery, which means we will deliver it directly to the end consumer, unbox the flowers (if needed) and set them wherever the recipient wants the shipment displayed.
So when you’re ready to transport floral arrangements, entrust R+L Global Logistics with your valuable goods and let us show you the difference in going with an industry leader in freight shipping. Call us at 866-353-7178 to get your free freight rate quote today.
R+L Global Logistics
315 NE 14th St., Ocala, FL 34470