Operations
How to reduce shipping air without damaging products
Shipping air is the empty cube you still pay for—through dimensional weight, extra corrugated, more dunnage, and slower pack cycles. Cutting air is not “always pick the tiniest box.” It is choosing the right box with a placement that still protects the product.
1. Measure utilization on real orders
Average fill on a sample week beats gut feel. Track volume used, cartons per order, and overrides. The Packing Inspector makes those metrics visible.
2. Tighten the box suite
Too many near-duplicate cartons create decision fatigue; too few force oversized picks. Start from top order shapes and keep a clear ladder of mailers and cartons.
3. Encode packing rules
Fragile SKUs, SIOC items, and orientation locks should not live only in tribal knowledge.
4. Prefer 3D placement over volume estimates
Volume math underestimates collisions. Real cartonization checks orientations and bounds.
5. Separate packaging from carrier choice
You can reduce cube before renegotiating rates. Carrier-independent packing keeps the packaging project unblocked.
Checklist
- Audit top 50 SKUs for accurate L/W/H/weight
- Export a week of orders and simulate box suites
- Define non-negotiable packing rules
- Train packers on the inspector view
- Review leftovers and overrides weekly