How to Ship Alcohol Like a Pro

Shipping fragile freight such as alcohol can be unnerving at times, and you might be wondering if your goods will get there in one piece.

In this blog, we'll tell you all you need to know about shipping your booze on a pallet. Whether it be for Christmas or just a general shipment, read on to find out how to ship your spirits safely. 

The short answer to this is, yes, you can ship your alcohol on a pallet in most instances!

However, it isn't as simple as popping your spirits on a pallet and shipping them off, as there are some limitations and restrictions that you must know before shipping your alcohol. 

Spirits are what we call "high-risk goods", meaning the chance of breakage or loss is higher than that of regular goods. Don't worry, though; this is not to say your goods will be damaged, it's just a precaution we like to take, as most alcohol is shipped in fragile glass bottles.

Goods such as wine or beer aren’t the only high-risk items, either. Perfumes, electronics and even tobacco products all fall under the high-risk category. 

Not only are high-risk goods at a greater risk of damage or loss, some, such as alcohol or perfumes, can even be flammable, which means extreme diligence needs to be taken during the shipping process.

In most cases, your alcohol will be insured, but this all depends on which company you use to ship your goods.

If you're using PalletOnline to ship your booze, we will insure your goods for up to £5 per kilogram (£5,000 per tonne).

However, due to the nature of high-risk goods (fragile and expensive), we always recommend purchasing third-party insurance if the value of your goods exceeds our £5 per kg cover.

Properly securing your goods to your pallet is important with every shipment, however, when you're shipping high-risk, fragile goods, it's absolutely paramount. 

We've listed our top four tips on how to pack your spirits safely:

• Wrap it up - there's no such thing as too much wrap when packing a pallet, so don't get skimpy! Shrink or stretch wrap plays an essential part in holding your goods together. It also acts as a slight cushion to protect your goods from minor knocks and bumps. 
• Invest in some high-quality straps - ratchet straps are your best friend when it comes to securing your pallet. A good set of ratchet straps will provide enough tension to hold your goods in place. If you can't get hold of any, some steel rope should work just as well.
• Don’t leave them (over)hangin’ – it’s vital to ensure your crates or boxes do not overhang the edge of your pallet. An overhanging pallet is a recipe for disaster, as not only does it make your pallet more unstable, it increases the risk of other goods’ colliding with yours
• Detachment issues – make sure your labels don't detach from your pallet; if your labels fall off in transit, your goods will likely become lost and won’t be able to be tracked.

While you can technically ship and sell items like wine or gin on Amazon, it's not as simple as you might think.

If you want to sell your booze on Amazon in the UK, you'll have to obtain a personal licence, which involves completing a BIIAB Level 2 award: a qualification given to those who wish to authorise the sale of alcohol.

After that, you'll need to get a premises licence. Usually, people who sell their booze domestically aren't able to get a personal alcohol licence, so you may be out of luck if you don't have a commercial premises to hand. 

Not only that, but you'll also have to get "ungated" by Amazon to be able to ship and sell your spirits. The process of "ungating" is when Amazon allows you to sell restricted goods. Understandably, liquor is firmly planted on Amazon's "restricted goods" list. 

Harder than you think, huh?

If you're using a pallet network to ship your booze, chances are, they'll be unable to ship your spirits overseas.

As overseas shipments have to travel much further than typical domestic deliveries (and for longer!), the risk of shipping already high-risk goods rises drastically, and it'll no longer be viable to deliver as a result. 

It’s always best to check with your chosen courier to see if they’ll be able to ship your goods overseas.

If you need to ship your goods domestically, look no further than PalletOnline!

With industry-leading customer service and success rates, you can count on us to deliver your goods on time, every time.

Getting a quote with us is as easy as it gets! Simply head over to our quote page and enter all the necessary details. You can even track your shipment using our 8-step tracking system!