How We Pack & Ship Your Order | Traverse Bay Farms

Author: Andy LaPointe - Co-Founder of Traverse Bay Farms

Quick Summary: Every Traverse Bay Farms order is packed by hand in our own Northern Michigan distribution center — never outsourced. Each glass bottle is individually wrapped in 1/2-inch industrial bubble wrap, shipped in a 200 lb crush-test box, and accuracy-checked before sealing. We have used this method since 2001.
What You'll Learn: Where Our Method Came From | Exactly How We Pack | Drop Test Videos | Damage Policy | FAQs | Why Choose Us

Every Traverse Bay Farms order is packed by hand in our own shipping and distribution center in Northern Michigan. We do not outsource fulfillment. The people who pack your glass bottles are our own trained team, following the same method UPS and USPS workers showed us when we started shipping in 2001 — and we have packed every order this way for more than two decades.

If you have ever ordered glass bottles online, you know the worry. Will it break? Will the box show up dented, leaking, or wrong? That worry is exactly why we built the process below.

Where the Method Came From

When we started shipping in 2001, we had a problem most new food businesses face. Glass breaks. We were sending fragile bottles across the country and needed them to arrive whole. So we asked the people who move packages for a living. UPS and USPS workers showed us, hands on, how to wrap and box glass so it survives the road. That guidance became our standard. We still follow it today, 25 years later.

A quick note: this was practical, hands-on advice from working drivers and postal workers — not a corporate partnership or certification program. We learned from the people who handle packages every day, and we never stopped using what they taught us.

Exactly How Your Order Is Packed

There is no mystery to it. The same steps happen on every order, by hand, in our own facility.

Step 1 — Wrap Every Bottle

Each glass bottle is wrapped individually in 1/2-inch industrial bubble wrap — thicker than the standard wrap most shippers use.

Step 2 — Use a 200 lb Crush-Test Box

Wrapped bottles go into a 200 lb crush-test box — rated to hold its shape under heavy stacking and rough handling.

Step 3 — Fill Every Gap with Kraft Paper

We pack kraft paper into every empty space so nothing can shift in transit. Movement is what breaks glass. We take the movement out.

Step 4 — Mark the Box Fragile

Fragile stickers go on the outside so every handler along the way knows what is inside.

Step 5 — Accuracy Check, Then Seal

Before the box is closed and taped, the order is reviewed for accuracy — so you get exactly what you ordered.

Watch How We Pack an Order

Reading about it is one thing. Here is the full walkthrough, start to finish, from our distribution center.

We Put It to the Test

We did not want to just tell you the packing holds up. We wanted to show you. So we took a fully packed box, threw it more than 15 feet into the air several times, let it hit the ground, then opened it up. Watch what happened to the bottles inside.

An Honest Word About Breakage

No shipper can promise that a glass bottle will never break — not us, not anyone. What we can promise is that we pack every order to survive the road, and that if something does arrive damaged, we make it right. See our policy below.

What If Something Arrives Damaged?

It is rare, but it happens. If a bottle arrives broken or your order is not right, reach out to our team. We are based right here in Northern Michigan, our support is USA-based, and we will make it right. Contact us here with your order number and a photo if you can, and we will take care of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my glass bottles break during shipping?

We pack every order to prevent it. Each bottle is individually wrapped in 1/2-inch industrial bubble wrap, packed in a 200 lb. crush-test box, and surrounded by kraft paper so nothing shifts. We even threw a packed box more than 15 feet in the air to test it. In the rare case something does break, we make it right.

How do you pack glass bottles so they arrive safely?

Every bottle is wrapped by hand in 1/2-inch industrial bubble wrap, placed in a 200 lb. crush-test box, and cushioned with kraft paper in every empty space. Fragile stickers go on the outside. It is the method UPS and USPS workers taught us back in 2001. We continually train our staff on best packaging practices.

Do you pack orders yourself or use a third party?

We pack every order ourselves, by hand, in our own shipping and distribution center in Northern Michigan. Nothing is outsourced. The people packing your order are our own trained team.

How do you make sure I get the right items?

Every order is reviewed for accuracy before the box is sealed and taped. Our team trains on packing and order accuracy every year, so the same standard is applied to every order that leaves the building.

What should I do if my order arrives damaged?

Contact our team with your order number and a photo if you have one. Our support is USA-based here in Northern Michigan, and we will make it right.

Why Choose Traverse Bay Farms

✓ We ship nationwide, straight from our team to your door.
✓ Every order is packed by hand in our own Northern Michigan facility — never outsourced.
✓ Our glass-bottle packing method has been refined over 25 years.
✓ USA-based support, ready to make it right if anything goes wrong.

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