Crate spec ticket
| Inside dimensions | L x W x H in inches, on the skid |
|---|---|
| Gross weight | Pounds, with skid and blocking |
| Destination | Country, and air, ocean or truck |
| Closing | Sheathed, cleated plywood or slatted |
| Export | HT lumber with IPPC stamp when needed |
| Delivery | Built crate or knockdown kit to your dock |
The Delaware River gateway
Philadelphia's seaport work happens along the Delaware River, at terminals such as Packer Avenue and Tioga, which take containers, breakbulk and a long-standing flow of fruit and other perishables. Shippers on this side of the river often send crates a short drayage hop to a berth, then wait days for a vessel to load.
That waiting is the crate's problem. Humid river air and port-yard rain reach a crate while it sits on the pier, so sheathing, sealed seams and a ventilated interior matter more than they would on a plant floor in the Midwest.
Life sciences and process equipment
The region has a deep base of pharmaceutical, biotech and laboratory-equipment makers, and the machinery behind them: stainless reactors, filling and packaging lines, freeze dryers, autoclaves and clean-room fixtures. Many are skid-mounted and tall, with a high centre of gravity and delicate instrument ports.
We crate them on a skid base with sheathed walls, a strongback under the frame and lag bolts into the equipment feet. Tip indicators go on the outside, and VCI film or barrier bags keep moisture off welds and polished surfaces while the crate rides a vessel.
Shipyard and marine work
The South Philadelphia shipyard and the marine suppliers around it ship propulsion components, deck machinery, valves and steel assemblies, some of them long, some of them very dense. Crates here lean toward solid-lumber construction with deep runners and diagonal bracing.
Where a part is longer than a standard stock, we build a long crate with intermediate skids so a forklift can lift it without bowing the frame. The spec records the lift points, because a repeat order has to be fork-ready in exactly the same places.
Interstates, rail and the beltway of terminals
I-95 runs along the river, I-76 follows the Schuylkill, and the Turnpike and I-476 link the suburbs to the northeast. Trucks cross the Delaware to New Jersey as often as they go up the interstate, and rail from the yards feeds inland markets.
That mix means a crate may ride a linehaul trailer, a flatbed and a yard hostler in one move. We add strapping notches and four-way fork entry so each handler can lift without tipping the load.
Air freight from the airport
The international airport handles belly cargo and dedicated freighters, and shippers use it for lab instruments, repair parts and sample equipment that cannot wait for a vessel. Air freight prices on dimensional weight, so cube counts as much as tare.
For air moves we keep the frame lean and the footprint tight, and we check the crate height against cargo-aircraft contour limits. Desiccant sized to the enclosed volume goes in for flights that cross humid zones.
Export paperwork the crate carries
For ocean lanes, solid-wood parts in the crate usually need an IPPC stamp showing heat treatment, and plywood panels are exempt under the international standard. Philadelphia exporters should check the destination country's rules with APHIS, then tell us which treatment the receiving side expects.
We build to that answer and record it on the spec. If the crate is returning to the same plant after a trade show or repair, tell us before the quote so we can price the right returnable construction.
Getting a Philadelphia quote moving
Send the load's inside dimensions in inches, gross weight in pounds, destination country, quantity and the date you need the crate. Add whether the dock is at grade or elevated, and whether a forklift is on site.
Crates are built to order and delivered to your dock in the metro. If your receiving door is narrow or the street is tight in Center City or South Philly, ask for a knockdown kit that goes together beside the machine.
Questions buyers ask
Do you deliver crates to Philadelphia docks?
Yes. We build to order and deliver the crate, assembled or as a knockdown kit, to your dock in the metro.
What crate suits a stainless vessel going to a Delaware River berth?
A sheathed skid-base crate with a strongback and VCI film inside. We size the lumber from the vessel's gross weight.
Can you crate a part longer than standard lumber?
Yes, as a long crate with intermediate skids and diagonal bracing. Send the length, weight and lift points.