Careful preparation of your package helps to ensure safe delivery
Choose a box with enough room for cushioning material around the contents. Sturdy paperboard or corrugated fiberboard boxes are best for weights up to 10 pounds. If you are reusing a box, cover all previous labels and markings with heavy black marker or adhesive labels.
If you need to obtain containers for your package mail, used empty boxes can sometimes be obtained through us. Express Mail and Priority Mail boxes and tubes are available for free butthey must be used for their appropriate service and charges.
Cushion items you are mailing so that when the items are shaken, the item cannot be heard shifting about. You can use newspaper, styrofoam "peanuts", bubble wrap, or shredded paper for cushioning. Place an extra address label inside the package so if the outside label is destroyed or falls off, the package can be opened by the Post Office and can still be deliverable.
Use foamed plastic or padding to protect your items, placing the cushioning inside hollow items as well. Careful packaging is the best way to safeguard your valuable items against damage.
If you are mailing a very heavy or very dense item, start with a sturdy box. Pack the contents securely with string material for bracing to prevent shifting. Tape all edges with reinforced tape. Packages heavier than 70 pounds cannot be mailed. Packages over 25 pounds must be brought to the University Post Office for mailing. Our scale size prevents us from mailing oversized boxes or boxes weighing over 35 pounds.
