Crate spec ticket
| Members | Skid, runners, corner posts, rails, slats |
|---|---|
| Fasteners | Nails or screws; lag bolts at the skid |
| Closes with | Slatted lid, fixed or lifted |
| Interior | Blocking and bracing to the skid |
| Quote needs | Inside dimensions, gross weight, destination |
| Spec on file | Slat spacing, board size, fastener schedule |
What a slatted crate is made of
Start at the ground. Two or three runners sit under a deck of skid boards, and the load rests on that base. Corner posts stand at each corner and carry the lid. Rails tie the posts together along the top and bottom edges, and slats run between them to form the walls.
The slats are what name the crate. They are spaced, usually with a gap close to the width of the board itself, so you can see the load through the wall. That open face is the whole point: it saves lumber, saves weight and lets a receiving dock inspect what arrived without tearing anything apart.
Loads that suit an open frame
Slatted construction works for goods that shrug off a bump and do not mind air. Rough castings, forgings, heavy steel fabrications, motor housings, pump bodies in a paint-and-ship state, and bundled tooling all fit. So do palletised parts a customer wants held together under a lid instead of strapped bare.
The slats keep forklift tines, dock plates and neighbouring freight off the load. They do not keep out rain, road spray, dust or a stray box corner. If a part has a machined face, an exposed bearing or a delicate electronic enclosure, the open wall is the wrong answer and a sheathed or cleated panel crate belongs in the quote instead.
- Fits: rough castings, forgings, steel weldments, drums on a base
- Fits: palletised parts that need a lid and a cage
- Wrong: polished or machined surfaces left unwrapped
- Wrong: anything that must stay dry without a separate barrier bag
Tare and cube compared with closed crates
Every inch of sheathing you leave out is weight you do not pay for. A slatted crate carries less tare than a sheathed crate of the same inside dimensions, and on a freight bill measured by weight that gap can matter. Air freight is billed on the greater of actual and dimensional weight, so the cube still counts even when tare is low.
How it ships export
Slats are solid lumber, and so are the skid boards, posts and rails. For international shipment all of it has to be heat-treated and carry the IPPC stamp. NELMA says finished crates are stamped on a minimum of two opposite sides, so a slatted crate gets its stamp on a post or rail where it stays visible between slats.
Where slatted crates fail
The weak points are predictable. A slat nailed at two points can split along the grain when a forklift catches it. A top rail with no corner post under it will crush if freight is stacked on the lid. A heavy load that is blocked only against the slats, and not to the skid, will shove them off the frame the first time the crate is braked hard.
We block the load to the skid and run bracing into the posts and rails, never into the slats. For heavy bases we add lag bolts through the load's own feet into the deck. Stacking should be stated on the spec: a slatted lid is rarely built to carry another crate unless you ask for it.
Slatted versus sheathed
The nearest alternative is the sheathed crate, which skins the same frame in plywood or OSB. Sheathing buys you a barrier against weather and dust and a flat face for stencils and handling marks. It costs tare, and on export it changes the stamp story, because the sheathing is exempt from ISPM 15 while the frame and skid are not.
Choose slatted when the load is tough, dry and heavy for its size, and when seeing it matters. Choose sheathed when the contents need a roof and four walls. The slatted page below and the sheathed page next to it set out both builds so you can compare them against your own load.
| Point | Slatted | Sheathed |
|---|---|---|
| Walls | Spaced boards | Solid panel |
| Weather barrier | None | Yes, with sealing |
| Tare | Lower | Higher |
| Inspection | Visible through gaps | Opened to inspect |
Receiving and inspecting a slatted crate
Because the walls are open, a receiving clerk can look at the cargo before anyone picks up a tool. Check the gaps for shifted blocking, scuffed paint, oil weeping from a gearbox or a loose strap. Photograph each face with the crate number visible, then record any split slat or missing nail head on the delivery receipt before signing.
Opening is simple. The lid is usually fixed with screws, so a driver bit lifts it without a pry bar, and the slats can be saved for reuse as dunnage. Keep the corner posts and skid if the crate may go back out, and mind the nails: a bent nail in a slat edge is how most dock hand injuries happen.
What we need to quote one
Send the load's inside dimensions L x W x H in inches, its gross weight in pounds, and the destination country, plus quantity and the date you need it. A load measuring 60 x 40 x 48 in with a heavy base is a typical starting point. Tell us how the load is lifted, because fork pockets in the skid change the base.
We write the spec down, slat spacing and fastener schedule included, and keep it on file so a repeat order ships the same way.
Questions buyers ask
Can a slatted crate be stacked?
Only if it is specified that way. The lid and posts must be built to carry the weight above, so tell us the stacking height when you ask for a quote.
Does a slatted crate need the IPPC stamp for export?
Yes where the destination requires treated wood. All slats, rails and skid parts are solid lumber, so they are heat-treated and stamped on two opposite sides.
Will it keep the load dry?
No. The walls are open, so use a VCI film, a barrier bag or desiccant inside, or move to a sheathed crate.
How far apart are the slats?
That depends on the load. A small part needs closer boards than a large casting, and the gap goes on the written spec.