Crate spec ticket
ISPM 15 · HT| Walls and lid | Plywood panels on lumber cleats |
|---|---|
| Base | Light skid sized for forklift entry |
| Fit limits | Outside dimensions held under the carrier's cap |
| Interior | Blocking trimmed to the load's mounting points |
| Marks | Handling marks, consignee, airport, case number |
| Ask for | Inside dimensions, gross weight, airport, hazard status |
Why air crates are built differently
Air freight pays by the kilogram, and a bulky crate is billed as though it were heavy. Airlines and forwarders use dimensional weight: the cube of the shipment divided by a set factor, compared with the scale weight, and the larger figure is what you pay on. A crate with two extra inches of wall thickness on every side can move you into a higher billing band.
That changes how the crate is designed. Where a sea crate uses heavy lumber to survive a crane and a stack, an air crate is lighter and tighter. It still has to survive a forklift, a roller deck and a build-up crew who sling the load onto a pallet under a net, but it does not have to survive a stack six high on a wharf.
The goal is a crate that is as small and light as it can be while still holding the load square.
Cleated plywood construction
Cleated plywood is the usual air construction. Plywood panels are fixed to lumber cleats around their edges, which stiffens the panel and gives screws or nails something solid to bite into. The result is a thin wall with the strength of a frame. Our cleated plywood page shows the layout.
Plywood is exempt from ISPM 15, which helps on an air lane because most of the crate is panel. The skid and the cleats are lumber, and the destination country decides whether they need the mark. We cannot answer that for you: check APHIS and the receiving country's plant-protection authority.
For standards, the plywood-cleated panelboard type is covered by ASTM D6251. We build to the spec we write down with you, and we use that standard as a reference, not as a promise of certification.
Sizing to the aircraft and the pallet position
Every aircraft has a door and a cargo-hold profile. Main-deck cargo doors on freighters are larger than belly holds on passenger aircraft, and a crate that fits one will not fit the other. If you tell us the airport and carrier, or your forwarder's maximum dimensions, we hold the outside to that limit.
Ask your forwarder for the height limit before you give us the load. Height is the dimension that usually decides which aircraft you can use. A crate that is a few inches too tall may have to go on a freighter, with a very different freight rate.
We write the outside limits on the spec ticket so a repeat order is built to the same envelope.
- Inside dimensions of the load, length x width x height in inches
- Gross weight in pounds, with fixtures
- Departure airport and arrival airport
- Maximum height and width your forwarder allows
- Whether the load contains batteries or other regulated goods
Handling marks and IATA considerations
Air handlers move crates by hand, by roller, by belt loader and by forklift. We mark the crate with ISO 780 pictograms so ground crews can see which way is up, where the centre of gravity sits, and where not to hook or clamp. The consignee, destination airport and case number go on two sides.
Anything regulated for air, such as lithium batteries, compressed gas or chemicals, falls under IATA rules and under 49 CFR for hazardous materials in the US. Tell us if the load has any, because the crate and its marking may have to follow separate rules, and the shipper is responsible for the declaration.
When air is the wrong lane for the crate
Very heavy machines, long frames and loads with awkward overhangs often cost more by air than the crate saves. Before you commit, run the numbers against sea freight with your forwarder. Our crate shipping cost guide lays out what drives the bill.
If a rush shipment goes by air and the follow-on order goes by sea, tell us in the quote request. We would sooner write one spec that works for both than build two crates that do not match.
Build-up, rollers and what the crew sees
At the airport, your crate is placed on a unit load device or a pallet, netted down, and rolled into a hold on a roller deck. The base must slide cleanly. Protruding nail points, splintered runners or overhanging skid boards catch the rollers and tear nets.
We plane the skid ends, countersink fasteners and keep corners square. A crate with a flat, smooth base and a clearly marked top rides through build-up without being picked up and turned around, which is when most damage occurs.
Photograph the crate before it leaves your dock. A dated picture of the closed crate is the best evidence in a damage claim.
Questions buyers ask
How is an air freight crate billed?
Carriers bill on the larger of the actual weight and the dimensional weight, which comes from the outside cube. A smaller crate can lower the chargeable weight.
Why is plywood used for air crates?
Plywood on cleats gives a stiff, thin wall at a lighter weight than heavy lumber. Plywood is also exempt from ISPM 15, though the lumber parts are not.
Can you build to a carrier's height limit?
Yes, if you give us the limit. Tell us the maximum height and width your forwarder allows and we fix the outside envelope to it.
What if my load has batteries?
Regulated goods are covered by IATA rules and 49 CFR in the US. Tell us before the quote so the crate and marking can be planned around the declaration.