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Mississauga, ON — serving Toronto & the GTA
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Box sizing is the cheapest packaging saving available to most shippers, and the one most often left alone because "the boxes we've always used" work well enough. They usually cost more than they need to — in board, in void fill, and in dimensional weight.
Most carriers bill on volumetric weight when a parcel is light for its size. An oversized box can therefore cost more to ship than a heavier product in a right-sized one, before you count the void fill you bought to stop the contents rattling.
Quick test: take your ten highest-volume SKUs, measure the packed unit, and compare against the box you currently ship it in. If you are adding more than a fist of void fill on any of them, that SKU is a candidate for a smaller stock size or a die-cut box.
| Situation | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Wide mix of product sizes, moderate volume | Stock RSC range in 3-5 sizes | Flexibility without holding many SKUs of packaging |
| One product shipped repeatedly in volume | Die-cut box sized to the product | No void fill, lower dimensional weight, better unboxing |
| Heavy or dense product | Double wall RSC | Stacking and burst strength, fewer transit failures |
| Multiple items per order | Larger RSC plus corrugated pads | Separation between items without a custom tool |
| Bulk or loose material | Gaylord bulk container | Pallet-based handling instead of many small cartons |
Send us your packed dimensions and monthly volumes and we'll specify sizes from our corrugated box range — RSC, die-cut, double wall, sheets and Gaylord containers — manufactured in the GTA. If you're still unsure which material you need, read corrugated vs cardboard boxes.
Pick the smallest box your product fits in with room for cushioning — around 1 to 2 inches of clearance on each side for fragile goods, less for soft or robust items. Anything larger adds void fill, dimensional weight and damage risk from movement inside the carton.
For fragile items, 50 mm (2 in) of cushioning on all six sides is the usual starting point. For non-fragile goods a snug fit with minimal void fill is both cheaper and safer, because the product cannot shift.
Per box, usually not. Per shipment, often yes — a die-cut box sized to the product removes void fill, can drop the parcel into a lower dimensional-weight band, and cuts damage claims. If you ship one product repeatedly in volume, it tends to pay for itself.
Send your packed dimensions and monthly volumes per SKU — we'll recommend sizes and wall types and quote the range.