Crating and export crates in Kansas City

A city of railroads

Kansas City grew as a rail junction and still works like one. BNSF runs a large intermodal park on the Kansas side, other major railroads cross the metro, and a rail line runs south to Mexico. Containers leave here for West Coast and Gulf ports and for Mexican cities.

That makes the crate's first job surviving a railcar. Starts and stops, slack action and long waits in yards put real shock into a load, so we build with strong skids, notched runners and bracing that holds under longitudinal force.

Terminal workers in an intermodal park load containers with large lift trucks and reach stackers, so the weak point is rarely the lift itself. It is the crate being set down on a railcar floor that is not level. We add a wide bearing surface under the skid so the load does not rock.

Farm and agricultural machinery

The plains economy makes Kansas City a natural source for agricultural equipment: planter units, combine parts, grain-handling gear, sprayer components and spare parts for dealers abroad. Much of it is long, sharp and awkwardly shaped.

Implements go on heavy skids with sheathing over cutting edges and open slats where the load needs air. Gross weight, not volume, decides the lumber. If the buyer accepts partial disassembly, a knockdown crate cuts freight cost. Visit our agricultural equipment page for the details.

Dealers abroad often receive these crates on a small yard forklift, and an oversize crate can be unloaded only by pieces. We therefore ask about the receiving dock and sometimes advise a knockdown build with parts labelled for rebuild near the machine.

Vehicle assembly and supplier freight

Automotive assembly in the Kansas City area draws a supplier base that ships stamped panels, seat frames, tooling and equipment between plants. Crates here are standard sizes in bulk, with every crate cubing the same way.

We build to a repeated spec, number the lots and keep the written spec on file. Bulk buyers value repeatability because receiving crews learn the crate and unpack it the same way each time.

Mexico lanes by rail and truck

The rail line south reaches Mexican cities, and I-35 follows a similar path by road. Shippers in the metro send machinery, parts and equipment into Mexico, where customs, receiving docks and local handling add their own demands.

Tell us the destination city and the receiving dock type. Wood packaging rules differ by country, so check the destination's plant-protection authority and APHIS; we build with heat-treated lumber so the stamp is not in question.

Cross-border shippers also ask about markings. Gross weight, the destination and handling symbols belong on two faces of the crate, and ISO 780 pictograms are understood in any language. We apply them as part of the build.

Animal health and food equipment

The metro is known for animal health and food-processing industries, so equipment for feed mills, processing lines and laboratories leaves the area. Stainless steel components are clean and easy to scratch.

A sheathed, clean crate with soft-contact blocking, a barrier bag around polished parts and desiccant for long ocean legs suits these loads. Tip indicators and upright marks go on the outside.

Feed-mill and processing equipment includes screw conveyors, hoppers and motors. Long augers need support along their full length, so we build a long crate with intermediate skids and a strongback.

Weather on the plains

Kansas City weather swings from ice storms to humid summers and severe thunderstorms. Crates on open-deck flatbeds or in yard storage take rain, hail and temperature swings.

A water-shedding lid, sealed edges and VCI inside protect steel. Slatted crates suit short, dry hauls; sheathed crates suit rail yards and port stays.

After a storm, wet lumber can warp, and a warped lid stops fitting. We keep dry stock for builds and fasten with cleats, so the crate holds its shape from your dock to the far side.

Quote notes for Kansas City shippers

Provide inside dimensions, gross weight, destination, quantity, transport mode and the delivery date.

Crates are built to order and delivered to your dock in the metro, on either side of the state line. For overseas lanes, solid-wood parts need an IPPC heat-treatment stamp where required; plywood is exempt.

A crate built here may be opened in a plant in Monterrey, in a port in Houston or at a dealer in Brazil. We write the opening instructions on the lid.