[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":148},["ShallowReactive",2],{"copy:\u002Fguides\u002Fcrate-markings":3},{"path":4,"h1":5,"metaDescription":6,"kicker":7,"lede":8,"panel":9,"spec":22,"drawing":42,"photo":43,"sections":44,"faqs":124,"related":137,"sources":144},"\u002Fguides\u002Fcrate-markings","What goes on the side of a shipping crate","Gross weight in lb and kg, centre of gravity, this-way-up, keep dry, sling points and the consignee panel: what to stencil on a shipping crate.","Marking","A shipping crate carries the consignee and destination, the gross weight in pounds and kilograms, the outside dimensions, the centre-of-gravity mark, handling pictograms and, for export lumber, the IPPC stamp. Each mark tells a handler something they cannot see by looking at a closed box.",[10,13,16,19],[11,12],"Always","Consignee, weight, dimensions",[14,15],"Handling","ISO 780 pictograms",[17,18],"Weight","Centre of gravity, sling points",[20,21],"Export","IPPC stamp, country of origin",{"rows":23},[24,27,30,33,36,39],[25,26],"Consignee panel","Name, address, contact, PO",[28,29],"Gross weight","lb and kg, stenciled",[31,32],"Dimensions","Outside L x W x H",[34,35],"Centre of gravity","Mark on two adjacent faces",[37,38],"Pictograms","This way up, fragile, keep dry",[40,41],"Stamp","IPPC mark on two opposite sides","pictograms",null,[45,50,55,89,94,114,119],{"h2":46,"paragraphs":47},"The marks every crate carries",[48,49],"Start with the consignee panel: who the crate is for, the full delivery address, a contact and the purchase order or job number. Add the shipper's name and the origin. If the crate goes through a forwarder, the forwarder's reference goes on it too. Handlers match marks to paperwork, and a crate with no name on it ends up in a corner of a warehouse.","Beside it, mark the gross weight in pounds and kilograms, and the outside dimensions. A rigger reads that panel before touching the lift. Many carriers also read the piece count, such as 1 of 2, which keeps a multi-crate shipment together.",{"h2":51,"paragraphs":52},"Centre of gravity and sling points",[53,54],"The centre-of-gravity mark is a symbol, usually a circle with crossed lines, placed on the crate face at the height and position where the load's balance point sits. Put it on two adjacent faces so that a handler approaching from either side can see it. It tells a forklift driver where to set the tines and tells a crane operator how the crate will hang.","Sling points are marked where a sling or chain is allowed to go, and the crate is built to take the lift there. If a heavy crate has no sling marks, assume it is not meant to be lifted from above. Lifting instructions on the outside should match the instructions in the shipping file.",{"h2":56,"paragraphs":57,"table":60},"Handling pictograms",[58,59],"ISO 780 sets a small group of pictorial marks for handling, so that a mark means the same thing in any port. The common ones for crates are this way up, fragile, keep dry, do not stack, use no hooks, and the sling and fork marks. They are stenciled in a contrasting colour, large enough to read from several feet away.","Use only the pictograms that apply. A crate covered in every mark loses the ones that matter. Place the keep-dry mark near the top, this-way-up arrows on all four sides, and the fork-entry marks on the skid sides where forks may go in.",{"head":61,"rows":65},[62,63,64],"Mark","Meaning","Where it goes",[66,70,74,78,81,85],[67,68,69],"This way up","Keep the arrows pointing up","All four side faces",[71,72,73],"Fragile","Handle with care","Sides and top",[75,76,77],"Keep dry","Protect from rain and wet decks","Upper sides and top",[34,79,80],"Balance point of the load","Two adjacent faces",[82,83,84],"Sling here","Allowed lifting points","At each lift location",[86,87,88],"Do not stack","No load on top","Top and sides",{"h2":90,"paragraphs":91},"Export marks",[92,93],"An export crate carries more. The country of origin is often required for customs and is marked clearly. A crate built from lumber also carries the IPPC stamp, which NELMA's program applies to a minimum of two opposite sides. The stamp is part of the crate's treatment record, not a shipping mark, so it goes on the wood and not on a label.","Keep the stamp area clear. Stencils and labels should never cover the stamp, and a crate that has been painted before the stamp is applied can be refused by an inspector who cannot read it. Read the stamp guide for what each part means.",{"h2":95,"paragraphs":96,"steps":98},"How to apply marks",[97],"Stencil with weatherproof paint or ink on a clean, dry panel, and keep labels for temporary information such as tracking numbers. A printed label peels in sea air, and a stenciled mark outlasts it.",[99,102,105,108,111],{"name":100,"text":101},"Confirm the data","Check weight, dimensions, consignee and destination against the bill of lading before anyone picks up a brush.",{"name":103,"text":104},"Choose the faces","Pick two adjacent faces for the main panel, centre-of-gravity mark and arrows, and the top for the keep-dry mark.",{"name":106,"text":107},"Stencil","Paint through the stencil on bare wood or plywood. Avoid knots, joints and fastener heads.",{"name":109,"text":110},"Add labels","Apply tip and impact indicators and shipping labels last, on a clean area away from the stamp.",{"name":112,"text":113},"Photograph","Take a photo of each marked face and attach them to the shipping file.",{"h2":115,"paragraphs":116},"Common mistakes",[117,118],"The usual faults are small ones. Weight in pounds only on a crate headed overseas. A centre-of-gravity mark in the geometric middle when the load's balance is high and to one end. Arrows that point up on one face and sideways on another because the crate was turned during stenciling.","A last check before the crate leaves is to read each face as a stranger would. If someone with no paperwork could not tell which end is up, where to lift and where it is going, the marking is not finished.",{"h2":120,"paragraphs":121},"Marking a crate that travels in pieces",[122,123],"Multi-crate orders deserve a numbering scheme the warehouse can read at a glance. Number each crate against the packing list, write the total on every face, and give the heaviest piece the lowest number so the receiving crew unloads it first. Loose cartons packed inside a crate need their own labels, because a crate opened in a customs shed is often emptied onto a table.","Keep a tidy record for claims. A photograph of every stenciled face, taken before loading, settles arguments about whether the marks were present and legible. Store those pictures beside the bill of lading, the packing list and the crate spec, so an adjuster or a forwarder can match what left the dock to what arrived.",[125,128,131,134],{"q":126,"a":127},"Should weight be in pounds or kilograms?","Both. Mark pounds and kilograms on any crate that may cross a border, since the handler at the far end may only use one.",{"q":129,"a":130},"Where does the centre-of-gravity mark go?","On two adjacent faces, at the position that matches the load's actual balance point. Give the builder the height and offset and they will place it.",{"q":132,"a":133},"Can I use a label instead of a stencil?","Labels are fine for tracking numbers and indicators. The weight, dimensions and handling marks should be stenciled so they survive weather and handling.",{"q":135,"a":136},"Does the IPPC stamp go on the same face as the markings?","It goes on two opposite sides, per NELMA. Keep marks and labels clear of it so it can be read.",[138,139,140,141,142,143],"\u002Fguides","\u002Fguides\u002Ftip-and-impact-indicators","\u002Fexport\u002Fispm-15-stamp","\u002Fguides\u002Fhow-to-measure-for-a-crate","\u002Fexport","\u002Fquote",[145],{"label":146,"url":147},"NELMA: wood packaging inspection program","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nelma.org\u002Finspection-programs\u002Fwood-packaging\u002F",1794178336972]