The labor to assemble and pack boxes might seem like an unavoidable expense.

But a few simple packaging decisions can cut seconds off of every box assembly, which can add up to thousands of dollars in saved labor costs.

That’s efficiency that goes straight to your bottom line.

Whether you’re a large, automated operation or do most packaging by hand, this playbook walks you through practical ways to cut labor costs by simplifying assembly, improving orientation, and reducing touches.

These are real tactics we’ve implemented for clients across industries—from produce to consumer electronics. So there’s a good chance one or more of these strategies will cut costs for you, too.

Quick-Assemble Boxes Mean Quick Labor Savings

The fastest savings usually come from the first decision: what type of box you use. Too many operations are stuck folding flaps and taping bottoms when they don’t have to.

Here are three box styles that can immediately accelerate your line:

Auto-Bottom (Crash-Lock) Boxes

These boxes fold flat, but when you press down once, the bottom locks into place.
No taping. No fiddling. Just drop and go.

Best for:
High-volume products where speed matters—especially on manual lines.

Tuck-Top Boxes

These boxes close without tape. Packers just fold and tuck the top shut, creating a clean presentation with zero mess.

Best for:
E-commerce, subscription boxes, samples, or any product where both speed and unboxing experience matter.

Glued Tray Boxes

Pre-glued and shipped flat, these trays pop open instantly and hold their shape—no taping or folding tray blanks.

Best for:
Produce, prepared foods, or retail displays where time-to-shelf is crucial.

Inserts and Protective Packaging You Can’t Mess Up

Assembling and placing inserts can add precious seconds to box assembly.

Here’s how you just make it not only faster, but foolproof—so you’re not paying for time spent wrangling jumbled inserts. 

Pre-Kitted Partitions

Delivered as one assembled unit so packers can drop them in without orientation or assembly.

No hunting for individual pieces. No training required. It just fits.

One-Piece Die-Cut Inserts

Replace multiple loose parts with one smart design that folds into position. These not only reduce assembly time and material waste, they can cut down training time, too.

Printed Orientation Cues

Visual guides printed right on the insert help packers place products quickly and correctly—especially useful for new hires or seasonal labor.

Packaging Engineered to Fit Your Line

The best packaging doesn’t just protect the product—it fits your line like a glove. By cutting out jams and stoppages, and streamlining your box orders for efficiency, you save valuable time with every run.

Case Erector & Closer Compatibility

Boxes with clean, consistent scores run smoother on machines and reduce jams. If you’re automating or semi-automating, design tolerances matter more than ever.

Standardized Footprints Across SKUs

Running multiple products through one line? Keeping box sizes consistent means fewer changeovers, less reconfiguring, and more uptime.

Trays for In-Line Gluing

Some high-volume operations—especially in produce—are taking unglued trays and folding/gluing them around the product directly on the line.

This speeds up throughput while reducing storage and shipping volume.

Small Savings, Multiplied by Thousands of Boxes

A few seconds per box might not sound like a lot. But let’s look at how that adds up.

Let’s say your new packaging saves you 5 seconds per box, and you’re doing 3,000 boxes per day.

That’s over 4 hours in saved labor per day.

If you pay $20 an hour, 260 days per year, that comes out to over $21,000 in annual savings straight to your bottom line.

Make the Small Changes That Save Big

You don’t need to automate your whole line to unlock big savings. Often, the easiest wins come from switching to smarter box styles or inserts that reduce friction for your team.

At Pacific Box Company, we help clients simplify their packaging systems every day—with practical, cost-effective changes that scale.

We’ll prototype options, test them on your line, and show you exactly where the ROI comes from.

Ready to simplify your pack-out and cut labor costs?

Get in touch today and we’ll show you what’s possible.