Standard wood crate sizes

What standard sizes mean here

A standard size is a footprint and a height we have specified before, so the drawing is already done. It does not mean a crate sitting in a warehouse waiting. We build to order against the spec, and we never claim stock on hand for any size.

The value of a standard size is repetition. When the same footprint is used again and again, the cutting list is known, the fasteners are known, and the crate arrives looking the same every time. Receiving docks and customs brokers like that.

The examples below are labelled as examples. They illustrate how footprints are chosen; they are not a price list or an inventory.

Footprints that follow pallet sizes

Many standard footprints echo the pallets they sit on or ship with. A 48 x 40 in footprint is the best-known North American pallet size. Building a crate to that footprint lets it stack with other pallet-based freight and fits the racking and dock equipment already in your plant.

Other footprints are chosen to suit what is inside: a crate for long bars, a flat crate for panels, a narrow crate for a stack of cabinets. The principle is the same. Pick a base that the load fits with a margin and that your handling equipment can lift.

Inside versus outside dimensions

Inside dimensions are the clear space the load can occupy: length x width x height, measured inside the walls and under the lid. Outside dimensions are what the crate takes up on a truck or in a container. The difference is the wall, the cleats, the skid and the lid.

Buyers measure the load; carriers measure the crate. If you quote a freight company the inside size, you are under-reporting the cube. If you ask us for an outside footprint of 48 x 40 in, the inside is smaller by the thickness of both walls, so say which one you mean.

We write both on the spec ticket so nobody guesses.

How to choose a size

Measure the load at its largest point in each direction, including projecting handles, pipework and any base. Add the clearance needed for blocking, bracing and a protective film. That sum is the inside dimension you need. Round up to the nearest standard footprint that does it.

Then check the outside dimension against the lane. A sea container, a trailer and an air cargo position all have limits on width and height, and the crate must pass through doors, over ramps and under dock levellers. Gross weight sets the skid, so it rarely changes the footprint but always changes the timber.

1. 01
   Measure the load

   Length x width x height in inches at the widest points, with parts in their shipping position.

2. 02
   Add clearance

   Allow for blocking and bracing on every side and for VCI film if it is used.

3. 03
   Pick the footprint

   Choose the nearest standard footprint whose inside dimensions clear the total.

4. 04
   Check the lane

   Confirm the outside size against the container, trailer or aircraft position.

When a standard size beats custom

A standard size wins when the load is repeated, when several similar loads can share one drawing, or when the crate must match a known pallet footprint. It also wins on setup: a spec that exists is easier to quote and to reorder.

Custom wins when the load is unique, awkward or high value, or when a standard footprint would leave too much empty space and let the load move. A crate that is too big means more blocking, more lumber and more cube on the freight bill.

Fit to a container, a trailer or an aircraft

Standard footprints are chosen with the vehicle in mind. Inside a sea container, crates are loaded in rows across the width and stacked where strength allows. A footprint that wastes floor space costs money on every box. On a flatbed or van trailer, the same crate is judged by overhang, axle spread and door clearance, and a tall crate may lose its stacking option altogether.

Air freight adds another test. Cargo positions have contour limits, and the carrier bills on dimensional weight when the cube outweighs the gross weight. A crate drawn tight to the load, with thin sheathing and few extras, can make the difference between an affordable air shipment and an uneconomic one. Tell us at the start if the lane is air.

Whatever the vehicle, keep the forklift in mind. Skids set the fork entry width, so a footprint that suits the load but leaves no room for forks will slow every handoff.

Pairing standard sizes with a standing order

If you ship a standard size every week or month, the bulk program puts it on a standing spec with scheduled releases. A knockdown version can ship flat to save on freight. Ask for it on the quote and tell us the quantity per release.