Packing Materials
Intro
Packing Materials is the catalog of what goes around the product: the boxes and mailers you ship in (containers) and the consumables you add (heat packs, gel packs, insulation, padding, other). Each has a unit cost, so every label records what the packaging cost — and containers carry dimensions and weights that make carrier quotes accurate.
The same page opens from Apps → Rate Shopper → Boxes / Packing Materials.
Purpose
- Accurate rate quotes — real box dimensions and empty weight instead of guesses
- Real fulfillment cost per shipment in Reports
- Consistent cold-chain packing — packers pick from a fixed list of packs
Material types
| Type | Use |
|---|---|
| Container | Box, mailer, tube, envelope — has dimensions, can be selected as the shipment package |
| Heat pack | Cold-weather protection for live goods |
| Gel pack | Warm-weather protection |
| Insulation | Liners and foam |
| Padding | Bubble wrap, kraft paper, void fill |
| Other | Anything else you want costed |
Add a container
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name | What packers see, e.g. Medium Box 12×10×8 |
| Length / Width / Height (in) | Outer dimensions used for quotes |
| Max weight (lb) | Heaviest load the box should carry — used by packaging optimization |
| Empty weight (lb) | Added to the item weight when rating |
| Carrier package | Your packaging (own box), Envelope, Pak / poly bag, Tube, Carrier box, Small / Medium / Large box — tells the carrier which package type to rate |
| Cost per unit | Snapshotted on every label that uses it |
| Enabled | Disabled containers stay in history but leave the pickers |
Add a non-container material
Name, Weight (lb) (added to the shipment weight), Cost per unit, Enabled.
Starter catalog
Your admin can seed a starter set: Padded Envelope, Small / Medium / Large Box, Shipping Tube, Heat Pack 40hr and 72hr, Gel Pack Small and Large, Insulated Liner, Bubble Wrap, Kraft Paper. Edit costs and dimensions to match what you actually buy.
Where materials are used
- Shipments → Configure shipment → Packing — pick the Container, enter quantities for each material, and set Packed by. Weights roll into the rate; costs are stored on the label when you Create + Print Label. See Labels & rates.
- Rate Shopper → Optimize packaging — the comparison tries each enabled container that fits under Max weight (highest Priority first, at most 6 per comparison; containers with identical dimensions, empty weight and carrier packaging are quoted once). A quote priced with a container shows its name in Compare rates, and Use applies that container's package and dimensions to the shipment. See Rate Shopper.
- Shop on creation (Rate Shopper → Shop the rate when a shipment is created) prices the same containers ahead of time using the label / catalog dimensions and the carrier's Default package — keep both accurate so the saved comparison is the one the packer actually needs.
- Reports → Packing materials and Packer performance — spend by container, by material type, and by packer.
Who can use it
Picking containers and materials on the label screen needs the View rate shopper permission and works on every plan. Editing the catalog needs Manage rate shopper and the Rate Shopper app on your plan.
Related
- Apps → Rate Shopper
- Reports → Packing materials
- Apps → Weather — decide heat vs gel from the destination forecast
Printing
Default label format (PDF, ZPL, EPL) and how thermal labels reach the printer at each packing station — Zebra Browser Print, DropPrint, or a watch folder.
Hooks
React after the fact — when inventory changes, a shipment is created, or a shipment changes status, check a condition and tag, re-run rules, or raise an alert.