Guides · 4 min read
Military packaging and marking for beginners
Updated October 30, 2026
A military order is not finished when the part is right. It also has to be packed and labeled the way the contract says, so it survives storage and shipping and can be identified in a warehouse anywhere. Get it wrong and a shipment can be rejected.
The two standards you will see most
- MIL-STD-2073-1: how items are preserved and packed, from simple commercial packaging to heavy protection for long storage.
- MIL-STD-129: how packages are marked and labeled, including barcodes and shipping labels.
- Some orders allow commercial packaging instead, often to the ASTM D3951 standard.
What it adds to your cost
- Materials: bags, cushioning, boxes and labels to spec.
- Labor, or a packaging company's fee if you outsource it.
- Time, if your supplier cannot pack to the standard and you have to.
How to handle it
- Read the packaging requirement on the RFQ before you price.
- Ask your supplier whether they can pack and mark to it, and what they charge.
- Otherwise, find a local packaging service that handles military packaging.
- Add the cost per unit into your bid.
ZukoBid shows each DLA RFQ's packaging requirement and lets you add packaging cost per unit when it works out your price.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Rules and thresholds change; the solicitation and the official rule are the authority.
More guides
How to win your first government contract (with no experience) →How to bid on DLA's DIBBS: a beginner's guide →Can you resell products to the government? The nonmanufacturer rule, explained →What is a set-aside, and do you qualify? →How (and when) the government pays you →What is an NSN? National Stock Numbers, explained →How to read a DLA RFQ, line by line →How to find a supplier for a government contract →How to price a government bid (and still make money) →How to register on SAM.gov, step by step (it's free) →What is a CAGE code? →SAM.gov notice types, explained →RFQ vs. RFP vs. IFB: what is the government asking for? →Sources sought and RFIs: why answering one can win you work →How to win micro-purchases (government buys under $15,000) →Unit of issue: the small detail behind big pricing mistakes →FOB origin vs. FOB destination: who pays to ship it? →First article testing, explained →How to find out who won a government contract, and for how much →ZukoBid is an independent service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Figures come from public records and may contain errors; always check the official listing before you bid.