Are You Paying “The Unpacking Tax” Without Knowing It?
A truck arrives at your warehouse with a multi-ton shipment of sacrificial anodes.
This should be a moment of relief. Instead, for your warehouse team, it’s the start of a week of costly, unproductive labor.
For one of our European partners, this was their reality. Before working with us, each regular 7.500 – 11.000-unit anode delivery kicked off a week of 80 man‑hours in costly labor.
The Hidden “Unpacking Tax”
When your supplier sees their job as “shipment complete,” they’re silently charging you a hidden fee:
- 80+ man‑hours per delivery for unloading, sorting, inventory, and re‑packing
- Two workers tied up for a full week, delaying other critical tasks
- Errors & frustration
That’s a silent profit‑killer your P&L never flags.
How Not To Pay The Hidden “Unpacking Tax”
At Nautical Armor, we believe that is the halfway point.
During our first conversation with this distributor, we asked a simple question:
“Beyond the product itself, how can we be of better help to make your operation run smoother from day one?”
Their answer revealed the 80-hour tax.
Our solution wiped it out completely from the first delivery:
- Distributor‑Supplied Packing Lists
- They send us a spreadsheet: “Shop A needs 200× SKU X, 100× SKU Y; Shop B needs…”
- Precision Pallet Packing
- Each pallet is loaded exactly for its final destination—no breaks, no re‑sorting.
- Boxes and pallet edges are clearly labeled to match the packing list.
- Under‑30‑Minute Turnover
- Their team unloads all pre‑sorted pallets in less than 20 minutes, not 80 hours.
- The entire process is seamless and at no extra cost for our clients.
The next time a shipment arrives at your facility, ask yourself:
- How many hours will my team waste unpacking and sorting this?
- How much is this “Unpacking Tax” costing me this year?
- And what is my current supplier doing about it?
GVAPO Tripinović Founder
Nautical Armor