Crating and export crates in Charlotte

An inland metro that ships to the coast

Charlotte sits at the meeting of I-85 and I-77, with a beltway on I-485 and rail lines that run to ports at Charleston, Wilmington and Norfolk. Shippers here truck or rail their freight a few hundred miles before it reaches a vessel.

That distance is the crate's test. Two drayage legs, an intermodal ramp and a yard stack may sit between the plant and the ship, so the crate needs a skid built for repeated forklift lifts and walls that take a top load.

Power generation and turbine hardware

The metro is known for power-generation equipment, with turbine and energy-technology plants and the many suppliers who machine blades, casings and control hardware. These are heavy, expensive components, often with precision-ground surfaces.

We crate them on solid-lumber skids with lag bolts into the machine feet, blocking at the bearing points, and a sheathed lid. A coat of rust preventive and VCI wrap keep the steel clean through the port stay, and a strongback prevents the crate floor from flexing.

Motorsports and race-team freight

The racing cluster north of the city produces a steady flow of chassis, engines, transporters' gear and shop equipment bound for tracks and customers overseas. Engines and gearboxes leave in their own crates; whole cars may ride in custom frames.

We build engine crates with a strongback and mounting studs, and chassis cradles with padded saddles and tie-down points. Fork pockets let a crew lift without touching the bodywork, and a tip indicator warns the receiving dock.

Truck and heavy-vehicle components

Heavy-truck manufacturing in the Carolinas feeds a supplier network that ships axles, cab parts and drivetrain assemblies. Crates for these parts are strong rather than fancy: skid, runners, cleats and a light lid.

Quantity matters. We can build in bulk to a repeated spec so each crate is the same size, and a standard size cuts freight cost because every crate stacks in the trailer the same way.

Rail and the road to the port

Intermodal rail ties the region to the Atlantic ports, and truck drayage covers the first and last miles. Crates in containers ride a railcar and a chassis before they reach a terminal, and each lift and bump leaves a mark.

Strapping notches, four-way fork entry and a closed top are the basics. When a load goes into a container, we confirm the cube with your forwarder before the crate is built.

Charlotte Douglas and air shipments

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a large airline hub, and its belly capacity serves exporters shipping smaller parts and equipment. Air shipments of hardware from the metro go in lean crates built for cube.

Plywood panels on a light cleat frame cut tare, a short skid improves lift handling, and dimensional weight stays honest because we build to the inside dimensions you give us, not to a stock size.

Bulk and standard sizes for supplier networks

Suppliers around Charlotte often ship the same family of parts week after week, and a standard crate size can save more than a custom design. When parts are similar, a handful of standard sizes cover the whole run.

We build in bulk to a repeated spec, number the lots and keep the written spec on file. That gives your receiving crew a crate they recognise, and it keeps freight predictable because every crate cubes the same way.

Weather on the Piedmont

Charlotte winters are mild, and summers are hot and humid with heavy thunderstorms. Crates waiting at an outdoor yard before an intermodal ramp take rain, sun and humidity swings.

Lids that shed water, sealed edges and VCI inside protect steel parts. Cleated plywood resists rain better than open slats, so we use it when the load is stored outdoors for any length of time.

Quote notes for Charlotte shippers

The spec ticket on this page lists what a quote starts from. Inside dimensions come first, because the crate is built to the load and then the wall thickness is added. Gross weight sets the skid lumber. Destination sets the stamp and the interior protection.

If any number is a guess, say so. We would rather hear that the weight is estimated than build a skid that cannot hold the machine, and we can leave room in the spec to confirm the final figure before the lumber is cut.

Send the load's inside dimensions in inches, gross weight in pounds, destination country, quantity and the date the crate must be on your dock. If the lane includes a port stay, tell us the vessel's cutoff.

Crates are built to order and delivered to your dock in the metro. Solid-wood parts in export crates need an IPPC heat-treatment stamp where the destination requires it, and plywood panels are exempt.