You keep second-guessing for some reason. 

Particularly, when you care about something, doubts and deliberations are bound to occur.  

Imagine the scenario: You have shipped an expensive gadget for your loved one living in the USA and ever since those packages are shipped across, you begin to walk on thin ice. All those what-if fears creep inside slowly.  

It’s no different than dropping your children on their first day at school as you circumvent the similar emotional states of treading through an ambiguous scene.  

Even if you have the most trusted relationship with your courier partner, the possibility of mishaps stays for sure like theft, damage or delays.  

Here is why you have to get to know some of the common risks associated with sending a parcel so that you take every preventive action to safeguard your packages.  

List of common risks posing a threat to your parcel’s safety 

Given below are a few unpredictable factors which can help disrupt your parcel delivery process at any given time.  

1.     Material damage during transit 

Anything can happen when it takes a free fall from handholding. 

Transit damage is a real risk even when your packaging is keen to perfection and layered with multi-folded protection. Especially when the package contains fragile or delicate matter, for instance, it easily succumbed to faster damage.  

Some of the primary reasons for damage could be,  

• Poor handling of packages during the transit 
• While loading onto vehicles, smaller packages tend to get crushed when it is brushed against the bigger ones.  
• Shifting packages from one warehouse to another also adds to the stress level of the packages.  

2. Package loss or misplacement 

Loss is always expensive.  

Even in the space of tech-enabled logistics, the scenario of missing parcels still exists.  

Most of the time, your parcels go missing owing to a trail of reasons such as incorrect address, high-volume seasonal commitments and barcode errors.  

It can be realised that even the large shipping companies have slipped into such missing cases considering the millions of parcels being shipped each day.

3. Delivery delays 

Delays are usually derailing. 

Although delivery delays cause no physical damage to the parcel, it is still an issue worth considering its ability to give additional stress to the shippers.  

The worst-case scenario possibly arises when the shipment is time-sensitive containing medical items or an important legal document.  Some of the valid reasons behind the shipment delays are,  

• Parcels held up at customs- A primary reason could be parcels struggling to obtain customs clearance due to inaccurate paperwork or unpaid duties. 
• Weather issues- Nature cannot be predicted and hence extreme weather conditions can also be the cause for delay. 
• Seasonal demand caught-up- Higher demand rates for international shipments during the holidays or festive occasions can extend the waiting period for the parcels.  

4.  Parcel thefts 

Parcel thefts are another potential risk to some of the major bulk shipments sent via carriers.  

It cannot be limited only to porch piracy alone.  

Most of the parcels also get subjected to tampering and even ripped open to steal the items inside the baggage at any given time during the transit.  

Most of it occurs when the parcels are not attended to with personalized care and attention.  

Furthermore, unauthorized access to high-value items mostly comes from the insider’s job too.  

5. Impact on temperature-sensitive items 

The external factors are completely uncontrollable.  

The type of items also adds up to the risk factor of it.  

Most often, perishable items, medicines, pharmaceutical items, and any other delicate items require a temperature-controlled environment for the smooth sailing of the parcels.  

If it isn’t provided, it also leads to the physical destruction of the product like spoiled food items, reduced efficacy of the medicines, and melting of the heat-sensitive products.  

6. Regulatory compliance violations 

Playing by the rules is to ensure you are protected. 

It is a type of risk which occurs when the shipment fails to meet the laws, regulations or requirements imposed by the customs authorities belonging to either the origin or the destination country.  

These violations result in customs delays or rejections, confiscation or parcel destruction, heavy fine imposition, and suspension of future shipments.  

7. Return to origin (RTO) costs 

Returning without accomplishing your goal ends up facing repercussions. 

Return to origin (RTO) usually occurs when a parcel has been returned to the address of the sender as it failed to meet its recipient.  

However, one of the important aspects is that the return shipment always accrues a significant amount of costs which comes in two ways namely the forward and reverse logistics.  

It mostly occurs in the context of e-commerce shipments. Thereby you must pay to cover the initial shipping cost to the destination, followed by the return shipping costs and package handling fees.

Wrap Up 

Unexpected risks are the most expected facet of the shipping and logistics business. Yet, making yourself aware of each risk is the first step in navigating them. Also, there are many steps you can take to reduce the chances of any further mishaps with the parcel delivery. Some of them are, 

• Ensuring proper documentation for each parcel. 
• Always choose trustworthy delivery partners who can help you relieve yourself from cross-checking the process now and then. 
• Make sure that your parcels have undergone a rigorous packaging process making them fail-proof even under stressful transit circumstances.  

Shipping cannot be guaranteed for a smooth sail without the risk factor. Still, managing such risks effectively is a way forward.