Tullamarine sits next to Melbourne Airport, and the businesses based there reflect it: freight forwarders, customs brokers, air-cargo handlers, express parcel operators, and exporters of perishable and time-sensitive goods. Pick and pack in a precinct like this is not just about speed, it is about parcels that clear handling, survive air freight, and meet the paperwork. This page covers what Tullamarine operations need from their packaging and how Carewell Group supports them.
The Tullamarine operating context
The industrial estates along Melrose Drive, Sharps Road, Western Avenue and Garden Drive are built around the airport. The common pressures for pick and pack here are:
- Air-freight cost. Air cargo is priced on chargeable weight, the greater of actual and volumetric weight. Oversized or poorly filled parcels are expensive on every consignment.
- Rougher handling. Parcels pass through belt sorters, ULD build-up, and multiple transfers. Seals and board grades have to hold.
- Time pressure. Cut-offs for same-day uplift are tight, so the pack bench cannot be the bottleneck.
- Perishable and regulated goods. Food, pharma and sample shipments need the right protective and thermal packaging and correct labelling.
The underlying workflow is the standard pick and pack process, run against airport cut-offs.
What packaging needs to do here
Keep chargeable weight down
Right-size the outer to the contents. Run a short staged range of carton and satchel sizes and pick the smallest that fits, so you are not paying air freight on empty space. See where pick and pack fees come from.
Hold through air-cargo handling
Cartons sealed with a single strip of water activated tape, which bonds into the board, survive sortation and ULD build-up better than a light plastic wrap, and the seal is tamper-evident. Use double-wall board and edge protection for anything heavy or stacked.
Protect without adding bulk
Recyclable honeycomb padded mailers protect small items without the cube of a box. For perishables, insulated liners and the correct coolant.
Label cleanly
Apply labels and documentation flat on the largest face, clear of tape and edges, so scans and checks are not delayed.
In-house or outsourced?
Many Tullamarine businesses use a forwarder or 3PL for the freight leg but still pack in-house, because packing to their own spec keeps chargeable weight and presentation under control. If you are considering outsourcing the pick and pack itself, work through contract packing versus smart in-house packaging. Carewell Group can support storage and dispatch and supply the packaging; we are not a contract packing or filling service.
How Carewell Group helps
Carewell Group is an Australian packaging manufacturer and supplier serving businesses across Melbourne and nationally. For Tullamarine operations we provide:
- Right-sized cartons and double-wall board, edge protection, paper void fill and water activated tape with dispensers.
- Poly satchels, kraft paper mailers and recyclable honeycomb padded mailers.
- Insulated liners and thermal packaging for perishable and pharma consignments.
- Custom print on mailers and tape, and a parcel-profiling review to bring chargeable weight down.
Carewell can meet all your packaging needs for your business. Talk to our expert and we will work to your required MOQ. Call +61 (02) 8760 1491 or request samples and a sizing review. See also pick and pack for courier dispatch and pick and pack in Truganina.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of businesses run pick and pack in Tullamarine?
Freight forwarders, customs brokers, air-cargo handlers, express parcel operators, and exporters of perishable and time-sensitive goods, clustered around Melbourne Airport.
How does packaging affect air-freight cost?
Air cargo is priced on chargeable weight, the greater of actual and volumetric weight. Right-sizing the outer and filling it properly keeps the chargeable weight close to the real weight.
What seal holds up through air-cargo handling?
A single strip of water activated tape bonds into the carton board and survives sortation and ULD build-up better than a light plastic wrap, and it shows tampering.
Does Carewell provide contract packing in Tullamarine?
No. Carewell supplies packaging and can support storage and dispatch. We are not a contract packing or filling service.
Sources
- IATA, volumetric (dimensional) weight for air cargo: iata.org
- Australia Post, cubic weight and parcel sizing: auspost.com.au
Written by Alif Vasaya, digital and content strategy, Carewell Group. Carewell Group is an Australian packaging, food packaging, tape, industrial safety and 3PL supplier serving all of Australia. Last updated 10 September 2026.