Getting things from A to B is at the heart of many industries throughout the world. From small businesses posting their tax returns to huge food production companies keeping the shelves of supermarkets stocked up, there are always thousands of vans and lorries keeping everything moving.
Any logistics company is under a lot of pressure to perform. Their warehouses and offices are both fast-paced environments that need to be as efficient as possible to keep up with the demand. One of the key methods to improve efficiency is using labels for storage, as well as their other essential purposes.
This week we’re going to explain what those purposes are, and which label printers are best for logistics.
The Importance of Shipping Labels for Logistics
In logistics, the labels your team will rely on the most are for shipping. These are paper with an adhesive backing so they can be attached firmly to boxes, but also stick to wood, metal, and plastic surfaces if necessary. Letters can also have shipping labels attached, which look a lot more professional than doing it by hand and purchasing stamps.
Shipping labels need to contain specific information if you want your letters or packages to reach their destination in the ideal timeframe. This includes the destination address, a return address (always a good idea for important goods and documents), as well as the type of postage you’re using. The courier you choose will also add a barcode or QR code to each label, so that it can be scanned quickly in the sorting office and by the postal workers so they can update tracking.
This information is all fairly standard and is easy to add to each shipping label on the website of your courier. If you are printing shipping labels en masse you can purchase them in bulk from certain providers or create them in-house. Many warehouses and factories have the facilities to print their shipping labels directly onto letters and packages, which is much faster than doing it by hand and frees up your staff to focus on other tasks.
How to Print Quality Shipping Labels
Although your shipping labels are only being used for a single journey each (unless they need to be returned), the labels themselves need to be reliable. There’s no guarantee that each package will stay warm and dry, and they’ll likely be scratched and dented depending on the length of the journey and how carefully they’re transported.
Damage to your shipping labels will affect the likelihood of them reaching their destination. The tougher the label, the less likely this is to happen.
Thermal label printers are best for shipping labels because they use a heated print head instead of ink, which can run or smudge when damp. In many applications ink is ideal, and using an inkjet printer is recommended, but in this case thermal printers are the go-to as their usual downside, the fact that the labels fade over time, is not an issue for the short time you need the labels for.
Pair this with some strong adhesive materials and your shipping labels will be as reliable as they should be.
You can use stock shipping labels from your courier or follow a universal template. However, if you want your company to stand out, it’s possible to customise your shipping labels to add some branding to everything you ship. With an advanced label printer this is easy to program and could give you the marketing edge you’re looking for.
The Best Labels for Sorting
Shipping isn’t the only thing you need quality labels for. When trying to maximise your output, speed is key. But speed can be risky, there is a higher chance of an error or poor-quality results. To help to improve efficiency, labels are used so that your team can find exactly what they need at any given time.
If each shelf is labelled, it becomes much easier to sort items quickly, and even the most inexperienced member of your team can find them straight away. The latter is very important, as many logistics companies and warehouses hire temporary staff during the busiest months, and they need to get up to speed as quickly as possible.
These labels aren’t just text either. Handheld label printers can be used to print QR codes or barcodes, that can then be scanned to reveal information, such as what item goes where and when the space will be filled. This creates a much more efficient sorting system that will increase your output with very little cost investment.
These machines aren’t just for warehouses either. They can be used in offices to help with organisation, and your drivers can even have one to clock in or find out more about their next shipment. If a logistics company isn’t willing to embrace the latest printing tech, they will fall behind regardless of how well-established their company is, so it’s vital that you keep your finger on the pulse when it comes to new printers.
Experts in Label Printer Servicing and Maintenance
We’ve only scratched the surface of what labels can do to benefit a logistics company. There are also order-picking labels, removable book labels, and hazard labels that are important for many shipped goods.
No matter what labels you need, it’s crucial that you choose the right machine for the job. You could be printing thousands of labels per day, but they might not be the high quality your business deserves.
Once you’ve invested in the best label printers, you need to take care of them. We provide servicing agreement and maintenance for all types of printer from any brand. By trusting us we’ll guarantee that your machines work at their best for as long as you need them, and regular servicing will ensure that any potential faults or wear are identified as soon as they surface, so you can take the correct course of action to repair and replace the necessary parts.
If you have any questions about our label machinery servicing, or anything else we do, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.