Dunnage
Is dunnage packaging, packaging material, or inventory?
Dunnage is primarily a protective support material used in packaging and logistics, but in manufacturing it is often tracked operationally because it is required to move, store, or ship actual inventory safely.
What function does dunnage serve in freight securement?
Dunnage acts as a buffer, separator, brace, void filler, and shock absorber to stop cargo movement and reduce contact damage during transit.
Why does dunnage matter in manufacturing material flow?
A part can be physically present yet not process-ready if it lacks the correct support, separation, or contamination protection for putaway, WIP transfer, or shipment.
Dunnage is protective material used to support, separate, cushion, brace, and stabilize goods during shipping, storage, and handling. It prevents items from shifting, colliding, absorbing moisture, or becoming damaged. In manufacturing and inventory, dunnage is treated as non-merchandise support material placed around, between, beneath, or inside containers, cartons, pallets, or returnable transport packaging to protect products rather than form part of them.
On the shop floor, dunnage is not an afterthought; it is the interface between production and safe movement. At receiving, WIP staging, kitting, and outbound packing points, foam inserts, corrugated separators, wood blocks, inflatable bags, air pillows, and void fillers create a controlled nest for machined parts, stamped parts, castings, or subassemblies. This lets operators and forklifts move material without surface damage, part-to-part contact, or stack collapse. In warehousing, dunnage elevates product off floors or pallets, prevents moisture contact, separates mixed SKUs, and preserves traceability by keeping lots physically isolated during storage. Because dunnage often lives inside the same returnable container ecosystem as the material it protects, a missing insert can make a receivable part unsafe to put away, pick, or ship. Dunnage drives throughput, damage rates, receiving labor, forklift compatibility, and truck loading stability; shippers specify dunnage type and quantity before dispatch to avoid loading delays and securement failures.
Wrong dunnage for the load: A filler that is too soft, too thin, or improperly shaped lets heavy parts settle, rub, or punch through packaging, causing cosmetic damage, bent components, or dimensional rejects after transit.
Missing or inconsistent dunnage at receiving and packing: Operators improvise with scrap material when reusable containers arrive without correct inserts, separators, or blocks, creating unstable stacks, mislabeled lots, and slower receiving.
Moisture, contamination, or collapse risk: Dunnage unsuited to the environment absorbs water, breaks down under compression, or sheds debris, leading to rust, contamination, load shift, or pallet failure during storage or transport.