Crate spec ticket
| Approved spec | The crate drawing and member list you signed off |
|---|---|
| Quantity per release | How many crates in each delivery |
| Release rhythm | Weekly, monthly, or on call against a forecast |
| Delivery points | One dock or several plants and warehouses |
| Format | Assembled, or knockdown to ship flat and assemble on site |
| Condition | New, or reconditioned where the lane allows |
What a bulk crate program is
A bulk program is for buyers who ship the same thing again and again. A contract packager sends cabinets to a retail distribution centre every month. A plant ships castings to an assembler on a fixed cycle. A warehouse kits sub-assemblies and sends them in crates that come back empty. For each of these, ordering a new custom crate every time would waste effort.
Instead we write one spec: the footprint, the skid and runners, the wall construction, the fasteners, the marks. You approve it. After that, an order is a quantity and a date.
This is not a bargain bin. It is a repeatable arrangement, and the first release is built to a spec that gets checked on a pilot crate.
How a standing spec works
The spec lives on file and is quoted against. Each release uses the same cutting list, so the crate is the same on the first delivery and on the fortieth. If you change the load, we revise the spec and number the revision. If a receiving plant raises a problem, the fix goes into the spec for all later releases.
You can set the release rhythm to suit your line. Some customers want a delivery every week to a single dock. Others want to call off crates against a forecast. We quote on your quantity and rhythm, and the quote states what is firm and what is a forecast.
Lead time is agreed per release, not promised on this page.
- 01Specify
Send the load's inside dimensions, gross weight and destination, as for any crate.
- 02Pilot
We build and you approve a sample crate against the load.
- 03File the spec
The approved drawing and member list go on file with a revision number.
- 04Release
You order a quantity for a date; we build to the spec and deliver.
Truckload and monthly releases
A truckload release suits assembled crates that are consumed fast, or knockdown crates that arrive flat and are built at your site. A monthly release suits slower programs and smaller floor space. Between the two sits the multi-drop release, where crates go to several plants on one route.
What decides the choice is your floor. Assembled crates take up cube. Knockdown crates stack flat and save space on the truck and in the warehouse, at the cost of assembly labour at your end. Tell us how much you can stage and we will recommend the format.
Knockdown crates for volume programs
A knockdown crate comes apart into panels, skid and lid and ships flat. Fasteners are chosen so a worker can assemble it without special tools and can take it apart again at the other end. Flat panels stack tightly, which cuts the freight cost of getting empties to you or back from the customer.
Knockdown is not right for every load. A heavy base needs to be rigid, and a poorly cleated panel can rack. We spec the joints for the weight, and we say so when a load is better in a fixed crate. The knockdown page draws the construction.
New, reconditioned and returnable
Where crates travel in a closed loop between your sites, returnable crates can be reused, and reconditioned crates can fill gaps. Condition varies for used crates, so reconditioned units suit domestic loops and low-value freight. For export, new heat-treated crates with the IPPC stamp remain the safe choice; any replaced boards need their own HT stamp under NELMA rules.
We recommend new crates for the first runs of a program, then looking at reconditioning once the loop is stable.
Who uses bulk programs
Third-party logistics providers use bulk crates for client freight that is consolidated and re-shipped. Machine builders use them for spare parts and sub-assemblies. Plants use them to send repeat components to a second site. Exporters use them for a steady stream of the same product to the same port.
If your volume is lumpy, or you are not sure of the cadence, say so. A smaller release with a firm date is better than a large one that sits in the way.
Keeping a bulk spec honest over time
A standing spec is only useful if it stays true. Lumber changes by season, suppliers change, and a part that was lighter last year may be heavier now. We recommend a short review after the first few releases: weigh a sample crate loaded, measure its outside dimensions against the freight bill, and ask the receiver how it opened.
Those three checks catch most drift. A skid that bends under a loaded crate means gross weight was understated. A freight bill that charges for more cube than you expected means the outside dimensions were not what the carrier was told. A damaged lid at the far end means the opening detail needs work.
Feedback goes into the next revision of the spec, and the older revision is kept so earlier releases can be traced.
What we ask before quoting a bulk program
Tell us the load's inside dimensions in inches, its gross weight in pounds and the destination country for each crate type. Then add the quantity per release, how often releases run and where they go. Mention any marks your customers require, such as a part number or a purchase order reference on the crate side.
We write the quote against the standing spec. It states what is quoted per release and what happens if the spec changes.
Questions buyers ask
What is the minimum bulk order?
We do not publish a minimum. Tell us the quantity per release and the cadence, and the quote states what makes sense for the spec.
Do you hold bulk crates in stock for me?
No. We build to your approved spec for each release and deliver to your dock. We never promise stock on hand.
Can I switch to knockdown crates later?
Yes, as a revision of the spec. We would re-check the joints against the gross weight before approving it.
Can bulk crates be reconditioned units?
Where the lane allows, yes. Condition varies, and export needs a valid mark, so reconditioned units suit domestic loops best.