Crating and export crates in St. Louis

Barges toward New Orleans

From St. Louis, freight can travel down the Mississippi by barge to the Gulf, where it is transferred to ocean vessels. For bulk cargo and heavy pieces, this is a low-cost route.

It is also slow and exposed. A crate bound downriver sits on a barge deck, then at the Gulf, then on a ship. We build with sheathed shells, sealed edges and skid tie-down points so chain loads never reach the walls.

At the river end, a barge fleet can stage cargo for days before the tow is made up. Crates wait on a terminal apron through sun and rain, so we build with weather in mind and tell you honestly when a slatted crate would be a mistake.

Aerospace and defense manufacturing

The St. Louis area is known for military aircraft assembly and the aerospace supply chain around it. Parts include structural pieces, avionics, tooling and test equipment, usually with strict packaging requirements.

Where a contract specifies MIL-STD-2073 or a customer packaging spec, send us the clause and we build to it. Without a clause, we build a sheathed or cleated-plywood crate with strongback, blocking and VCI, and write each choice into the spec.

Airframe and engine suppliers typically ship fixtures that must reach a plant in exactly the orientation they left. Clear upright arrows, a centre-of-gravity mark and a numbered fastener plan inside the lid help the receiving crew rebuild the setup.

Brewing, food and beverage equipment

Large brewing operations and food-processing companies make the metro a source of stainless tanks, fermenters, kettles, filling lines and cleaning systems.

Stainless vessels travel upright on skid bases, with saddles under the shell and caps on every port. A sheathed crate keeps the surfaces clean, and we avoid contact between carbon steel and stainless inside the crate.

A brewing line may ship as a skid-mounted module, or in pieces that are rejoined on site. We pack small fittings, gaskets and sample valves in labelled boxes inside the crate, held by blocking so they do not roll against the stainless.

Rail crossroads

Several Class I railroads meet in the metro, and intermodal yards on both sides of the river load containers for coastal ports. Rail freight faces slack action and long dwell.

Strapping notches and strong skids help. For crates stuffed into containers we check cube and door width with your forwarder before the build.

Because the rail yards sit close to the river, it is common for a crate to ride a truck, a railcar and a barge in succession. Each mode adds a different set of forces, from sudden stops to the long lateral roll of a tow.

Foundry, steel and heavy fabrication

The river valley has foundries, steel fabricators and heavy machine shops that ship castings, weldments and machine frames.

Heavy parts go on solid-lumber skids with lag bolts through the mounting holes. Runners are sized to gross weight, and blocking is cut to bearing faces. Open-deck trucking adds a tarp-ready lid.

Foundry patterns and core boxes are fragile, light and expensive. We crate them on padded saddles inside sheathed boxes, with desiccant and a note of the correct orientation on the lid.

Floods, bridges and the river crossings

River crossings like the Mississippi bridges can limit trucks by height and weight, and flood season can close low roads near the river. Delivery plans should allow for this.

We note finished crate dimensions on the order so a trucker can route correctly. For restricted sites, a knockdown kit on a smaller truck often works.

Spring river rises can cover low approach roads, and winter ice can close ramps. Allow a delivery window, not a fixed hour, and tell us who will meet the truck.

Quote notes for St. Louis shippers

Provide inside dimensions, gross weight, destination, quantity, transport mode and the date you need the crate.

Crates are built to order and delivered to your dock in the metro. For overseas lanes, solid-wood parts need an IPPC heat-treatment stamp where the destination requires it; plywood is exempt.