The core principle: stop the movement
To ship canned and bottled drinks without breakage, immobilize every unit so it cannot strike another unit or the box wall. Parcels are dropped, tossed, conveyed, sorted and stacked many times between your warehouse and the customer. Product that can move inside the box builds momentum and concentrates force on its weakest point: the rim of a can, the base of a bottle, the neck of a PET jug.
Three ideas guide every good beverage pack-out:
- Separation: each unit sits in its own cell, never touching its neighbors.
- Suspension: units are held away from the outer walls, so impacts on the box are absorbed before they reach the product.
- Fit: the shipper is sized to the insert, so the whole assembly moves as one unit and dimensional weight stays low.
Shipping cans
Aluminum cans are light and strong when pressurized, but they are vulnerable at the rim and seams, and a dent can become a pinhole leak. Carbonated cans can also burst under impact or freezing. The most reliable approach is a molded-pulp tray or corrugated partition sized to the exact can diameter, holding each can upright inside a snug shipper.
Standard, sleek, slim and tall cans each need a dedicated insert, because an insert that fits one will let another rattle. For multi-layer packs, a divider sheet between layers spreads the load. Shrink-wrapped or paperboard multi-pack carriers from the co-packer help with unitization, but on their own they usually do not provide enough protection for parcel networks. Always inspect cans before packing and reject any with visible dents near the rim or seams.
Shipping glass bottles
Glass is the most demanding beverage format. Bottles break when they contact each other or the box wall, or when force concentrates on the base or shoulder. Use molded-pulp shippers or die-cut corrugated cells that support both the neck and the base, with bottles spaced away from all outer walls.
A poly liner bag around the insert contains liquid if a bottle does fail, which protects other items, keeps the outer box intact and reduces the chance that a carrier pulls a leaking parcel from the network. Sturdy shipper grades matter more for glass than for any other format. For premium or unusually shaped bottles, such as non-alcoholic spirits, test the specific bottle rather than assuming a standard wine shipper will fit.
PET, cartons, pouches and powders
PET bottles are less fragile than glass but can crack at the neck, lose caps or collapse under compression. Check that caps are torqued and sealed, consider a liner for larger bottles, and size cartons to prevent crushing. Aseptic cartons and pouches need protection from punctures and corner crushing.
Powder tubs, stick-pack boxes and coffee bags rarely break, but they suffer in mixed orders when heavy items crush them. Pack heavy items at the bottom, use partitions in mixed boxes, and keep lightweight items in their own section. For any format, check the closure: a leaking cap or broken seal ruins an order as surely as a broken bottle.
Carrier rules for liquids
Major parcel carriers generally accept non-hazardous liquids such as non-alcoholic beverages when they are packaged to prevent leaks and breakage. Each carrier publishes its own packaging guidelines and may decline liability for damage when packaging is inadequate, so tested pack-outs also protect your ability to file claims.
Heavy or oddly shaped packages can trigger additional-handling surcharges, and leaking parcels can be held, returned or disposed of by the carrier. Typical non-alcoholic beverages are not hazardous materials, but anything packaged with pressurized gas cartridges, aerosols or other regulated components needs specific review before shipping. Alcohol beverages are subject to separate carrier policies and licensing rules entirely.
Test before you trust
Drop testing is the most practical way to validate a beverage pack-out before customers see it. A structured test drops a fully packed shipper multiple times onto its faces, edges and corners from heights representative of parcel handling, then inspects for leaks, breakage and damage to the outer box. The International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) publishes widely used procedures, such as its parcel-delivery test series, that can serve as a model.
Informal in-house testing catches most problems quickly and cheaply. Formal certified testing at an accredited lab is useful when a retailer or marketplace requires it or when you are launching a new premium format. Re-test whenever you change a bottle, can size, insert supplier or shipper grade.
Plan for heat, cold and peak season
Temperature adds risk to beverage shipping. Water-based drinks expand when frozen, so cans and bottles can bulge, burst or crack on freezing lanes. Summer heat can affect flavor and quality in some products, especially coffee, juices and functional drinks with sensitive ingredients.
Practical seasonal tactics include short weather holds when severe cold is forecast on a lane, upgrading service levels so parcels spend fewer days in transit, avoiding shipments that will sit in trucks over weekends, and using insulated liners for high-risk destinations. Distributing inventory across more markets also shortens transit and reduces exposure. During peak season, carriers are busier and handling is rougher, so a pack-out that barely passes in spring may fail in December.
A pack-out checklist before launch
Before a new beverage format goes live, run through a short checklist. It takes little time and prevents the most common failures.
- Confirm exact container dimensions, including cap or tab height, and the weight of a full unit.
- Choose an insert designed for that container and test the fit by shaking the packed shipper by hand.
- Size the outer shipper to the insert so nothing shifts, and check the dimensional weight against actual weight.
- Decide whether a liner is needed based on container material and what else ships in the box.
- Drop-test the packed shipper on faces, edges and corners, and record results with photos.
- Document the pack-out with a picture-based work instruction so every packer builds it the same way.
- Define seasonal variations, such as insulated liners, for lanes and months with temperature risk.
After launch, review damage reports by SKU and carrier every few weeks at first, then monthly. Small adjustments based on real data, such as a stiffer insert or a different shipper grade on one SKU, compound into a meaningful reduction in replacements and refunds over time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the safest way to ship glass bottles?
The safest way to ship glass bottles is in molded-pulp or die-cut corrugated cells that support the neck and base and keep bottles away from each other and the box walls, inside a sturdy right-sized shipper with a liner bag for leak containment.
Can I ship canned drinks with UPS, FedEx or USPS?
Major carriers generally accept non-alcoholic canned drinks when they are packaged to prevent leaks and breakage. Check each carrier's current packaging guidelines and service rules for liquids.
Do I need ISTA certification to ship beverages?
Not usually. Most brands drop-test pack-outs using ISTA-style procedures in-house. Formal certified testing is needed only when a retailer, marketplace or program specifically requires it.