Humidity Impacts Corrugated Cardboard Shipping Boxes -Lumpers Help Prevent Damage
Freight unloading and lumper services play a vital role in the logistics and warehousing industry, where corrugated cardboard shipping boxes are the backbone of packaging and product protection. These services help prevent one major issue that silently destroys box strength, reduces load stability, and increases product loss: humidity. Moisture doesn’t just make boxes damp; it significantly weakens corrugated fibers, lowers compression strength, and leads to costly failures during transport and storage. The results are expensive: asset damage, insurance claims, productivity losses, increased overhead, and reduced ROI. Professional freight unloading services performed by Express Freight Handler’s skilled teams can significantly reduce these negative impacts on your operational costs.
Our experienced lumper teams understand how humidity affects corrugated boxes and how proper handling practices prevent damage, improve load integrity, reduce claims, and protect your overall supply chain performance.
Why Humidity Is a Major Threat to Corrugated Shipping Boxes
Humidity affects corrugated cardboard at the fiber level, and the results can be severe. Here’s what happens when moisture levels rise in a warehouse, cross-dock, or trailer.
1. Humidity Reduces Box Compression Strength
Cardboard absorbs moisture quickly. As relative humidity climbs, the fluted structure weakens, causing boxes to collapse under normal stacking pressure.
- At 70%+ RH, boxes can lose over 30% of their strength.
- At 90% RH, compression strength may drop by 50–60%.
This leads to crushed cartons, leaning pallet loads, and unstable freight inside trailers.
2. Warping, Bulging, and Deformation
Moisture causes corrugated fibers to swell, resulting in:
- Warped panels
- Bulging boxes
- Softened edges
- Poor pallet stability
Deformed boxes reduce cube efficiency and increase the risk of toppling during shipment.
3. Adhesive Failure and Delamination
High humidity weakens the water-based glues used in corrugated boards, causing:
- Seams to split
- Layers (liners and fluting) to separate
- Products to be inundated/compromised by moisture
- Sudden structural failure during handling
This is especially common in cold chain logistics, where condensation forms rapidly.
4. Mold Growth and Odor Contamination
In warm, humid warehouse environments, damp corrugated boxes can grow mold, putting food products, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods at risk.
5. Reduced Tear and Puncture Resistance
Water-softened fibers tear easily, resulting in:
- Corner blowouts
- Forklift punctures
- Product exposure during handling
This increases labor time, rework, and damage claims.
How Lumpers Help Control Humidity-Related Damage in Your Logistics Operations
Express Freight Handlers’ lumper teams play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of corrugated shipping boxes. Our presence at your loading dock makes our team your first line of defense against humidity-related damage. Once the trailer or container doors open, we perform the following:
1. Identify Moisture-Compromised Freight
Express Freight Handler’s experienced lumpers, a team of two and their supervisor, quickly identify early signs of humidity exposure:
- Soft panels
- Warped corners
- Damp pallet bottoms
- Condensation inside trailers
Benefit/Value: Early detection prevents damaged freight from being stored or shipped, reducing your claim risk.
2. Inspect Freight for Signs of Moisture Absorption
- Inspect container for evidence of load shift.
- Boxes checked for soft sides, sagging, or warping.
- If found, our team can split heavier boxes into smaller loads as needed.
- Unload promptly into a dry, controlled environment to prevent further deterioration.
- Separate saturated boxes from non-impacted freight for insurance purposes
Benefit/Value: Express Freight Handler’s experienced lumpers can quickly remediate any transit-related issues with minimal impact on your unloading schedule.
3. Managing Airflow During Loading and Unloading
As part of our lumper services, our team helps prevent moisture buildup by:
- Venting trailers before unloading
- Using fans on humid days
- Avoiding box stacking patterns that restrict airflow
Benefit/Value: During hot, humid weather, our team increases monitoring to ensure proper airflow and protect your freight from moisture exposure.
4. Protecting Freight From Moisture During Loading
Humidity control doesn’t stop at the warehouse – proper load design is just as crucial and helps prevent load shift during transit. As part of our freight loading services, our lumpers ensure:
- Boxes do not sit directly on damp trailer floors
- Moisture-sensitive cartons are stacked in safer zones
- Slip sheets or moisture barriers are used when needed
Benefit/Value: This reduces humidity exposure during transit.
5. We Support FIFO and Fast Turnover to Reduce Moisture Absorption
Humidity damage worsens the longer corrugated boxes sit. By applying the First In, First Out rule, as part of our freight unloading services, Express Freight Handler’s team helps:
- Rotate stock properly
- Prioritize older pallets
- Move high-risk items quickly
Benefit/Value: This minimizes long-term moisture absorption.
6. Reporting Trailer Leaks, Condensation, or Warehouse Humidity Issues
Express Freight Handler’s lumpers are often the first to notice:
- Leaking trailer roofs
- Sweating walls
- Damp dock plates
- High humidity in specific warehouse zones
Benefit/Value: Early reporting enables management to take corrective action before damage spreads.
7. Gentle Handling of Humidity-Weakened Boxes
Once humidity affects corrugated boxes, careful handling is essential. Express Freight Handler’s lumper services team prevents further damage by:
- Avoiding dragging or pushing cartons
- Using the correct forklift/pallet jack entry points
- Adjusting stacking heights based on box condition
Benefit/Value: This reduces blowouts and product loss.
Why Humidity Control + Skilled Lumpers = Stronger Supply Chain Performance
By implementing humidity-aware processes and utilizing Express Freight Handler’s skilled lumpers, your logistics operations will:
- Reduce freight damage
- Prevent crushed loads
- Lower insurance and customer claims
- Improve warehouse efficiency
- Protect high-value products
- Maintain shipping quality standards year-round
Don’t let moisture and humidity compromise the efficiency of your supply chain. Ignoring the effects of humidity increases the risk of product damage, operational delays, and even workplace injuries. In an industry where speed, accuracy, and product integrity are essential, proactively controlling humidity – and leveraging Express Freight Handler’s skilled lumper services – can have a measurable impact on your supply chain performance.
Connect with our team today to learn how our professional devanning and unloading experts implement proactive measures to protect your freight, maintain operational efficiency, and safeguard your bottom line. Contact us today!
