What we crate

Every load has its own packing problem

A crate is only as good as the way it holds what is inside. A lathe wants lag bolts through its feet. An outboard wants a stand that copies the transom. A sheet of glass wants to stand on edge, and a painting wants to float in a box inside a box. The outside of a crate looks alike from one load to the next; the inside does not.

That is why we sort our work by what is being shipped. Each load page below starts from the load: how it is fixed down, what is drained or removed, where it is fragile, which construction fits, how moisture and shock are handled, and which handling marks go on. Start with the page nearest your cargo, then send us the numbers.

Eighteen loads against the construction that fits

The table gives the usual match. It is a starting point, because a heavy casting and a light casting can ask for different builds, and a long load may move to a long crate. Final choice comes after we have the inside dimensions and the gross weight.

How the constructions differ

A skid-base crate is a strong base with framed walls on top, and it is the default for anything heavy that must be bolted down. A sheathed crate has plywood skin on framing and suits light to mid-weight goods that need a closed, clean box. A solid-lumber crate is boards on a frame, built for dense loads. An A-frame is a skid with a leaning rack for flat goods.

The detail sits on our crate-type pages. We link the matching one from each load, so a buyer can compare how the members are put together, and what each build does to the tare weight and cube of the shipment.

What stays the same on every crate

Some things do not change with the load. Every crate has a skid sized to the gross weight, forklift entry on the right sides, a lid that can be opened for inspection, and ISO 780 marks on the outside. Every crate is drawn on a written spec before it is built.

A moisture plan goes in every crate bound for sea or a long road trip: VCI where bare metal is present, a barrier bag where the load cannot take condensation, and desiccant sized to the volume. Tip and shock indicators are fitted when the buyer wants proof of how the crate was handled.

Cargo with its own rules

Some loads fall under hazardous-materials rules. Engines, motorcycles, generators and anything with fuel or a battery are regulated under 49 CFR for ground and sea, and under the IATA rules for air cargo, so fluids are drained and batteries disconnected according to the carrier's requirements. Transformers carry insulating oil, and the carrier's rules on oil govern the packing.

Other cargo has a standard way of travelling. Artwork wants a climate-buffered inner box. Glass and stone must stand on edge. Pianos need their legs and pedals removed, and electronics need static control. Each load page states the rule for that cargo in general terms; the carrier and the consignee have the last word.

Export, ISPM 15 and wood

Wood used in an export crate must meet the destination country's rules on wood packaging. ISPM 15 requires treatment, usually heat treatment, and the IPPC stamp. Plywood is exempt. Check USDA APHIS and the importing country's plant-protection authority, and send us the destination so we can state the right lumber on the spec.

For a repeat shipper, the crate spec stays on file. The second order is built the same way as the first, which makes packing lists and customs paperwork consistent from one shipment to the next.

How to get a crate quote for your load

A quote needs three numbers: the load's inside dimensions L x W x H in inches, its gross weight in pounds, and the destination country. Add the quantity and the date you need the crate. Photographs of the load, the mounting points and the nameplate speed things up.

Use the form on this page, or write to info@shippingcratesforsale.com and attach the photographs. If your cargo is not on the list, send it anyway: the list is a map of the common cases, not a limit. Our guide to crating machinery goes through the bolt-down, wrap and mark steps in order.