Shipping

What is Mil Spec Packaging And Why Does It Concern You?

Think back to the last time you sat in your car at a railroad crossing and watched all the shipping containers on a freight train roll by. While it may be an inconvenience for you, what is passing in front of you is one of the most important inventions of the 20th century: the shipping container. Before standardized shipping containers (like the ones on that freight train), shipping was a haphazard industry, with each country and each company deciding for themselves how to ship their products.
It took the US Military to step in and revolutionize the field. With the lessons they learned from World War II, the US military led the way to standardizing shipping so that each node in the supply chain (the factories, the ports, the warehouses) could work with the same dimensions and specifications. Suddenly containers could be moved around the world, from truck to ship to railroad, without being opened. After the military standardized their containers, businesses followed suit. What we now have is a global shipping industry that is both efficient and safe in large part due to military shipping standards.

This is just one of many examples of how Military Specification packaging affects you.

The US military is the biggest employer in the world and is responsible for much of the global shipment of goods. It also has some of the strictest packaging standards in the world. This makes sense because much of what the military ships is either dangerous or valuable, or both. Fragile weapons systems or hazardous materials cannot be shipped any old way. The sum total of the military’s standardization of packaging is called Military Specification (Mil Spec for short) packaging and learning a thing or two about it will enable you to participate in the vast industry that is selling goods to the U.S. military.

If you ever plan on selling anything to the government, it’s a good idea to understand Mil Spec regulations.

This is because if you ever want to service a contract for the government, you’ll need to use Mil Spec packaging rules to do so. Understanding how to quote for this packaging and how to meet the regulations is necessary in order to do business with the government. Considering that the military awards some 660,000 contracts annually, it’s worth your time and energy to learn about Mil Spec.

Work with a certified Mil Spec packager.

In order to deliver government contracts, you need someone who is able to interpret and comply with Mil Spec regulations. If you are in the business of selling primarily to the military, then you might have someone in-house. If it’s an occasional business opportunity you’re after, then you need to work with someone who can interpret and comply with these complex mil spec needs, and certify that each detail is met. At Defense and Aerospace Manufacturing, we have years of Mil Spec experience. We can take over the packaging of your goods, being sure that it meets Mil Spec standards. It’s important that every detail of the packaging requirements is stringently met, as the U.S. military is quite precise and strict in their specifications. Any problems are the responsibility of the sender, increasing cost and hassle.