Wherever packaging performance, product protection, and brand reputation matter, understanding distribution hazards is essential.
What Real-Life Transit Trials Do Tell You – and What They Don't
Real-life trials can be valuable for observing how packaging behaves in the supply chain. They reflect actual routes, handling environments, and logistics conditions. However, when damage occurs, they often leave teams with unanswered questions.
Real-life trials typically:
To better understand what’s happening - and why - additional insight is often needed.
For a side-by-side comparison of what real-life trials and laboratory simulation can (and can’t) tell you: View the Lab vs Real-Life Trials infographic >>
From Observation to Understanding: How Distribution Testing Explains Packaging Failure
Seeing damage is only the first step. Understanding its causes - and validating ways to prevent repeat failure - is essential for effective packaging improvement. Laboratory-based distribution testing builds on real-world observations by replicating key transit hazards - such as shock, vibration, compression, and climatic stress - in a controlled, repeatable environment.
This approach helps teams:
See how packaging is tested for real-world distribution hazards and why it matters: Download the Guide Now >>
What's the Next Step?
Smithers supports packaging teams across consumer goods, e-commerce, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and industrial sectors with independent, accredited distribution testing and performance insight. If you’re looking to explore how testing could support your specific packaging or distribution challenges, our experts can help you determine the most appropriate next steps. Contact a Smithers expert or Explore our distribution testing services.
