Crate spec ticket
| Standard sizes | Stocked sizes in bulk for common client loads |
|---|---|
| Custom builds | Built to inside dimensions and gross weight per job |
| Closed-loop crates | Returnable, bolted, tracked by crate number |
| Export | HT-stamped lumber, plywood exempt, IPPC stamp on two sides |
| Marking | Client reference, consignee, crate X of Y |
| Spec records | One written spec per client part, kept on file |
| Quote needs | Inside dimensions, gross weight, destination, quantity, date |
How a 3PL uses a crating desk
A 3PL does not own the freight and does not control its shape. A client hands over a machine, a pallet of parts or a set of display units, and the 3PL must get it to the destination in the condition it came. When a load is too heavy, too awkward or too valuable for a pallet and stretch wrap, it needs a crate.
The 3PL's constraint is time. Orders arrive at short notice and need to ship against a carrier booking or a vessel cutoff. A crating desk that asks for three numbers and returns a written spec quickly is more useful than one that needs a site visit for every job.
Our standard-size and bulk crate pages cover the stocked range, and the custom page covers one-offs.
Standard sizes versus built-to-order
Standard sizes suit the loads a warehouse sees again and again: a range of palletised parts, boxed units and small machines whose footprints repeat. Ordering them in quantity cuts lead time and unit cost, because the lumber and plywood are cut to a known list.
A built-to-order crate suits anything that does not fit. Send the inside dimensions as L x W x H in inches, the gross weight in pounds, and the destination country. We write a spec with the skid, runners, sheathing and closure, and send it back for approval.
For a load that falls between two standard sizes, we usually quote the next size up with blocking and bracing to take up the slack, which avoids shipping air.
Closed-loop and returnable crates
Some 3PLs run dedicated programs for a client, with the same part moving between the same two sites every week. A returnable crate fits that pattern. It is bolted, not nailed, with replaceable members, and it comes back empty to be refilled.
The program depends on crate count and flow. Number each crate, track which are out and which are home, and set a repair schedule. We build the first batch to a written spec and can match it later. Where empty return cube is expensive, a knockdown design folds flat.
The returnable crate page has the construction details.
Export, stamps and who is responsible
A forwarder's customer may not know whether wood packaging rules apply. The safe default for export crates is heat-treated solid wood with the ISPM 15 mark, or plywood panels, which are exempt, on an HT-stamped skid. Finished crates are stamped with the facility's IPPC stamp on at least two opposite sides, according to NELMA.
Whether a particular destination demands the mark is for APHIS and the receiving country's plant-protection authority to answer. Please do not take our word for a destination's rules. Send the question to them, and tell us the answer.
If the crate is a used one, the stamp is not automatic. Replaced boards need their own HT mark, and we confirm that at quote.
Lanes and modes a forwarder sees
Forwarders book freight by truck, by container on ocean and by air consolidation. The crate affects the rate in each mode. Truck rates and LTL freight class depend on density, ocean on cube, and air on dimensional weight.
A crate larger than the load wastes money in every mode. We size crates to the load and tell you the crate's outside dimensions and tare weight so that the forwarder can quote the leg accurately. Our guides on freight class and crate shipping cost cover how these are worked out.
Port Houston and the Port of Los Angeles both publish their container volumes, and many forwarders in those regions book from them. Our facts on those ports are on their own pages.
Running a standing account
A standing account starts with a client list. For each client, we record the load types, the crate spec and the markings. When a new job comes in for a known client, the quote starts from the stored spec.
We ask for a monthly forecast by size, even if rough. It helps us hold lumber and plywood for your common sizes. We do not promise fixed lead times in days; we tell you what is feasible when we see the order.
Keep the consignee and client reference on every order. Crate marks should carry both.
Questions buyers ask
Can you build crates for many different clients under one account?
Yes. We keep a separate written spec for each client part and quote from it. Marks carry your client reference and the consignee.
When should a 3PL choose a standard size?
When the load repeats and fits a stocked footprint with blocking. Anything that does not fit is built to order from inside dimensions and gross weight.
Can a crate be reused for a return leg?
A bolted returnable crate can. A nailed one usually cannot be opened without damage.
Who decides if ISPM 15 applies?
APHIS and the destination country's plant-protection authority. We build export crates with the stamp by default so a question about it does not hold up the load.