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Blanket Wrap Shipping: A Sturdy Defense for Fragile Freight

Resources > Blanket Wrap Shipping: A Sturdy Defense for Fragile Freight
Fragile freight requires adequate protection when it's shipped. Blanket wrap shipping is a freight service that will give your fragile freight the protection it needs.
Published: February 21, 2022
Last Modified: May 8, 2023
Author: Jacob Lee

Blanket wrap shipping is a great freight service for moving fragile goods. The inside of a trailer can be very dangerous for sensitive items. Therefore, shippers will need to take precautions to protect their freight. 

According to New Haven Moving Equipment, blanket wrap shipping is a great way to protect large and fragile items. These sheets of thick fabric will protect freight from shockwaves and the impact of other cargo bouncing against it. Moving blankets are a more sustainable and efficient way to protect goods than other methods.

Blanket wrap shipping is beneficial in other ways due to its reusability and cost-efficiency. In this article, we will give you a full rundown on everything that you need to know about this freight service.

What Is Blanket Wrap Shipping?

Also known as pad wrap freight services, blanket wrap freight services protect fragile types of freight by keeping them within thick moving blankets. This type of delivery service is used for larger types of freight that travel without the protection of packaging. 

Blanket wrapped freight is often shipped on trailers that use air ride suspension. Most trailers utilize coil or leaf springs to absorb shock. Air ride suspension, on the other hand, utilizes pressurized bellows that are made from a variety of rubbers. These bellows are filled with air by an electric pump or compressor.

Trailers that have this type of suspension can absorb large amounts of shock. Air ride trucking and the protection of moving blankets will ensure that freight arrives at the final destination unharmed.

What Items Are Transported Using Blanket Wrap Shipping?

Close up image of a computer chip

Most kinds of freight are sturdy enough to be shipped without the added protection of moving blankets. However, other freight types need more security because they’re fragile, expensive or both.

This includes:

  • Industrial electronics
  • Trade show exhibits
  • Furniture
  • Household goods and artwork
  • Medical equipment

Blanket wrap delivery services are frequently used to transport these valuable goods from one location to the next.

Industrial Electronics

Industrial electronics need added protection when they’re shipped because of all the components that comprise them. The slightest bit of damage could cause them to malfunction or prevent them from working at all.

Some industrial electronics that can benefit from blanket wrap shipping include: 

  • Meters
  • Sensors
  • Semiconductors
  • Transistors
  • Timers

Industrial electronics are used in a variety of settings, such as construction sites or manufacturing. Moving blankets will provide these types of electronics with the protection they need to survive the shipping process. 

Our article on shipping construction materials will give you more insight on how to get industrial electronics and other equipment to a construction site.

Trade Show Exhibits

Trade shows are where businesses make sales, gain leads, and get feedback from potential customers. It's important for businesses to not only offer good products, but to also present themselves professionally. 

An exhibit that looks damaged could send the wrong message to customers making their way around the trade show. To avoid this, businesses will use blanket wrap carriers to ensure their exhibits at a trade show in good condition.

Furniture

Damage to furniture can be as detrimental to its function as it can be to its aesthetic appearance. While comfort is important, many homeowners choose their furniture based on how it looks and other factors not related to its functionality. Using blanket wrap shipping will keep the furniture safe from structural and superficial damage that it could incur while in transit.

Some types of furniture that can benefit from this shipping service include:

  • Sofas
  • Love seats
  • Recliners
  • Stools

Blanket wrap furniture shipping is often accompanied by white glove freight delivery. This type of service includes installation or assembly of goods. With white glove delivery, furniture will be brought and placed in the home or building it was sent.  Our white glove delivery guide will give you more information about this great service.

Household Goods and Artwork

Fragile household goods must be transported to an appliance store safely. Damaged home items can cause unnecessary expenses for business owners. Blanket shipping is the service that will ensure these commodities are protected while they’re being transported.  

Many types of household goods need the extra protection given to them by moving blankets:

  • Mirrors
  • Pottery
  • Glass Cups, Plates and Bowls
  • Chandeliers 

Artwork is another expensive and irreplaceable commodity that needs to be protected when it’s shipped. If a collector’s artwork becomes damaged, they’ll have wasted a large amount of money on a ruined item. 

Likewise, a gallery that’s shipped a work of art that was damaged while it was in transit won’t be able to display it in a new exhibit. Artwork requires delicate preparation, and many collectors and galleries opt to use moving blankets to protect artwork they want to ship. 

We have an article about shipping fine art that will give you more insight into the best artwork shipping practices. 

Medical Equipment

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals need large quantities of medical equipment more than ever. Machines used in hospitals are made of different types of components that allow them to operate.  

Medical equipment is used to treat illness and save lives, which is why it must arrive at a hospital unharmed. Because of this, many shippers in the medical field use blanket wrap shipping services when to transport equipment.

Check out our article on shipping medical equipment to help a hospital in need.

What Are the Benefits of Blanket Wrap Freight Services?

Blanket wrap shipping is a great way to safely send fragile freight. However, this shipping service has many other benefits besides providing protection to commodities that are in transit. 

Some of them include:

  • Reusable
  • Lightweight
  • Saves space
  • Multiple wraps
  • Cheapness

These benefits will help shippers and the carriers performing blanket wrap transportation services. 

Reusable

One benefit of blanket wrap shipping is the sustainability of the service. Moving blankets are reusable and take a long time to ware down. . That means carriers don’t have to throw a blanket out after every successful shipment. There are also different varieties of moving blankets that can be used.

Blankets can vary based on the:

  • Fabric
  • Batting or filler inside the blanket
  • Stitch pattern
  • Binding and corners

The type of fragile freight being transported will determine which moving blanket works best for a shipment. Moving blankets can accumulate a considerable amount of dirt after multiple uses. However, they can be washed after each delivery. This will keep dirt from getting on the next commodity they’re used to protect.

Lightweight

One factor that can increase the cost of a freight shipment is weight. Large and fragile freight is already expensive to ship. Fortunately, moving blankets provide maximum protection while also being lightweight. 

The addition of a moving blanket to a freight shipment won’t make it much heavier. Without the extra weight, shippers won’t need to pay extra to move their goods.

Takes Up Small Amount of Space

Large and fragile freight can take up a considerable amount of space inside a trailer. Fortunately, shippers won’t have to worry about their freight taking up more room than necessary when they use blanket wrap delivery services. Despite the thickness of moving blankets, they don’t add much mass to a piece of freight.

Can Be Wrapped As Many Times As Needed

Some types of freight will require more protection than others. It all depends on how fragile the freight is. The great thing about moving blankets is that they can wrap around an item as much as needed. 

This feature ensures that you can protect your shipment efficiently regardless of how many wraps are required. That said, moving blankets will need to be secured to freight. 

Shippers can this by following these steps:

  1. Place blanket over their freight
  2. Ensure the blanket is even on all sides
  3. Wrap blanket as much as needed
  4. Wrap the blanket with plastic wrapping from bottom to top
  5. Leave overlap each time the plastic is wrapped around the freight

These steps will ensure that moving blankets stay attached to freight throughout the shipping process.

Cheaper Than Other Alternative

Another alternative that’s used to protect extremely fragile commodities is crating services. This shipping option provides a sturdy layer of defense that protect goods from severe types of damage. 

The walls of a crate are much stronger than the protection offered by moving blankets. That said, there are many disadvantages that come with this type of service. One downside to using crating is how much more expensive it is than blanket wrap shipping costs.

Price Comparisons Between Blanket Wrap Shipping and Crating

Blanket Wrap Shipping$50.00 to $190.00
Crating$50.00 to $100.00+

At first glance, it might look like crating would be the cheaper option. However, moving blankets can be reused for multiple shipments. The price of shipping blankets only differs due to their size and how many come in a set. Moving blankets practically pay for themselves thanks to their reusability in the long run.

Crates don’t have the same amount of reusability because they’re only used for one shipment. The larger your freight, the larger the crate will have to be to hold it. Larger crates are more expensive. 

Bulk shipments of can be especially expensive to create. Every fragile item that a shipper sends will need to be placed inside a crate, which will raise the total cost of their shipment. While moving blankets might not offer the same level of protection, they’re still efficient and more cost-effective than crating services.  

Shippers that are willing to pay extra money to ship fragile items can utilize both crating and blanket wrap shipping. Fortunately, both of these services are compatible with one another and when combined they will give your freight maximum protection.

Things to Consider When Looking for a Blanket Wrap Carrier

Although moving blankets do offer extra protection, that doesn’t mean fragile freight should be loaded and unloaded recklessly. Shippers should have the assurance that each item that makes up their bulk shipment will be handled carefully.

Some additional services that make handling blanket wrap freight safer include:

  • Ramp or Liftgate Service
  • Drop Trailer Service

Shippers should look for carriers that offer these services when they need to send fragile goods in a moving blanket.

Liftgate Service

Lift gates are excellent tools to unload trailers with when a loading dock isn’t available. Many carriers outfit their fleet of delivery trucks and trailers with this piece of equipment. 

There are a few benefits of liftgate services such as:

  • Safe deliveries
  • Increased efficiency for loading/unloading
  • Load/unload times are shortened

Liftgates also help the drivers that have to unload the blanket wrapped freight. This service is very reliable and shippers should consider using it to ensure their freight is loaded/unloaded safely.

Drop Trailer Service

The loading/unloading process for blanket wrapped freight must be completed very carefully.  This process is done very slowly to ensure safety of the large and fragile goods that are being handled. A slow loading and unloading process can take up a considerable amount of time. 

Fortunately, drop trailer services will give shippers the time they need. This type of logistics service allow shippers the time needed to complete the loading process for their blanket wrapped shipments. 

Some benefits that come with trailer drop services include the following:

  • Load-time flexibility
  • Eased congestion on the dock
  • Increased the chances of on-time delivery
  • Shippers are able to reduce their costs

Using this service will give shippers the opportunity to load their blanket wrap shipment to their standards. 

Glass items can be difficult to send due to their fragility. Check out our article on how to ship glassware to discover how you can send this type of freight safely.

What To Expect When You Use Blanket Wrap Shipping Services

A rolled up moving blanket standing upright

Shippers that have never used blanket wrap freight services should know what to expect. While this service is similar to other forms of freight transport, there are a few differences.

Some key differences include:

  • Appointment availability
  • Transit Time
  • Delivery Dates

Senders of freight that are prepared for these possibilities won’t have to worry about surprises when organizing blanket wrap services. 

Appointments and Availability

Blanket wrap carriers have to use their vehicles to transport shipments to and from destinations. Therefore, their schedules are based on what vehicles they have available when an appointment is booked. 

Once an appointment has been set, the carrier will contact the shipper two to four days before picking up your blanket wrapped shipment. Carriers are as flexible as possible when it comes to pickup times. That said, shippers should be prepared for late or early pickup of their shipment. 

Blanket wrap loads should be scheduled as soon as they’re ready, in case it takes a long time for a carrier to arrive. Likewise, shippers must never miss a pick-up time because it means scheduling another available appointment again.

Transit Time

Transit time for blanket wrap shipments is another factor that shippers should consider. When scheduling blanket wrap freight services, senders of freight should expect the carrier to pick up your freight in a maximum of three weeks. 

Once freight has been picked up, it could take another three weeks for the freight to be delivered. If the final destination of a shipment is in an isolated location, the time it will take for it to be delivered could be as much as an additional two more weeks. When using blanket wrap shipping services, shippers looking at six to eight weeks of transit time. 

Utilize Blanket Wrap Shipping When You Use R+L Global Logistics

If you’re looking for a carrier to transport your blanket wrapped freight, then R+L Global Logistics has you covered. We have a vast network of carriers that will give your fragile freight the care it deserves. Besides blanket wrap shipping, we also have carriers that can transports other types of freight. 

This includes:

Fill out your quote to use our blanket wrap shipping service. You can also contact our team at (866) 353-7178 if you have any questions or concerns.

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