Product Guide

The Top Mistakes Businesses Make When Ordering Crash Lock Boxes

Avoid these costly errors when ordering crash lock boxes for your business.

4 min readUpdated April 2025

Specification mistakes

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Wrong board thickness: over-specifying wastes money, under-specifying causes damage. Match thickness to product weight.
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Incorrect internal dimensions: measuring the outside of your product instead of adding clearance for cushioning.
Ignoring the flap allowance: the usable internal depth is less than the total box height due to flap overlap.
Forgetting print bleed: artwork without bleed results in white edges on printed boxes.

Quick answer

The biggest mistakes are skipping samples, choosing the wrong board thickness, measuring dimensions incorrectly, and comparing per-unit price without considering total cost. Always order samples before bulk production, measure internal dimensions with clearance for cushioning, choose board grade based on product weight, and calculate total cost including labour, tape, and damage rates rather than just per-box price.

Ordering mistakes

Never commit to a bulk order without testing physical samples with your actual products inside.

Order what you need for 2-3 months, not 12. Call-off orders let you lock in bulk pricing with staged deliveries.

The cheapest per-unit price often means inferior board, poor die-cutting, or weak glue bonds.

Vague briefs lead to reprints. Provide exact Pantone colours, bleed, and dieline specifications.

Quality mistakes

Quality errors to avoid0 / 4 checked

Not testing boxes from across the production run (start, middle, end)
Accepting the first delivery without checking for defects
Not having a written specification to check deliveries against
Ignoring small issues that compound at scale (slight misalignment, weak corners)

Get it right: bulk ordering guide or choosing a reliable manufacturer.

Cost calculation mistakes

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Comparing per-unit price only: ignoring labour, tape, training, and damage costs gives a false picture
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Not factoring in storage: over-ordering means paying for warehouse space you do not need
Forgetting shipping weight: heavier board increases outbound shipping costs on every order you send
From ProcuraPack

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Frequently asked questions

Skipping samples. Always test physical samples with your products before committing to bulk production.

Measure the largest dimension of your product plus cushioning allowance (typically 10-20mm each side) for internal dimensions.

No, very low prices often indicate inferior board, poor die-cutting, or weak adhesive. Compare quality alongside price.

Start with 2-3 months supply. Use call-off orders to lock in bulk pricing without over-stocking.

Missing bleed, incorrect colour specifications, and not designing to the dieline template provided by the manufacturer.

Related articles

Bulk Ordering GuideChoosing a Manufacturer10 Signs of QualityStructural Integrity

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Product Guide: Crash Lock Boxes

Expert insights on crash lock packaging, from materials and design to branding and sustainability.

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