Request a crate quote

What to put in a crate request

Every quote we write starts from three numbers. The first is the load's inside dimensions, length by width by height, in inches. The second is its gross weight in pounds: the item plus anything bolted or strapped to it that will ride inside. The third is the destination country; write US if the crate never leaves the country.

Three more answers turn a rough figure into a firm one. Name the treatment mark, which is either an HT stamp for solid wood going abroad or none. Give the quantity, whether a single crate or a run. And give the needed-by date, meaning the day the empty crates must stand at your dock, not the day the load sails or trucks out.

How to measure the load

Send the bare numbers of the item itself. We add clearance for blocking and bracing when we draw the crate, so if you have already padded the figures, tell us, or the box comes out bigger than it needs to be and costs more to ship.

1. 01
   Tape the item, not an old box

   Measure the load at its widest points, including handles, valves, flanges, hose reels and anything else that sticks out. A previous crate's outside size says little about what sat inside it.

2. 02
   Longest side first

   Write length, then width, then height. Length is the longest horizontal side; height runs from the floor the load stands on to its highest fixed point.

3. 03
   Describe the base

   Say what the load sits on: flat feet, a welded frame, a pallet it is bolted to, or a rounded bottom that needs cradles. The base decides how runners and blocking meet it.

4. 04
   Weigh it

   Use a scale ticket or the maker's shipping weight. If all you have is an estimate, say so, and say whether you think it runs high or low.

5. 05
   Mark what must not be touched

   List gauges, glass, sensors, painted faces and any surface that cannot take a strap, a clamp or a block pressing on it.

Centre of gravity and lifting points

A load whose weight sits off to one side changes the build. If a machine's heavy end is its motor or gearbox, the skid and runners under that end carry more, the blocking has to stop the load creeping toward it, and the crate gets a centre-of-gravity mark so riggers know where to set forks or slings. Tell us roughly where the weight sits, even as a pencil sketch.

Lifting points matter just as much. Some loads have lifting eyes that should stay reachable through the lid or a removable panel; others may only be picked from underneath. Say how the load is handled today, by forklift, overhead crane or slings, and how it will be handled at the far end. That sets runner spacing, fork openings and whether a strongback goes across the top.

Tall, narrow loads are the ones that tip. For those we ask about height against footprint and may suggest a wider base, outriggers on the skid, or a tip indicator on the crate face.

The treatment mark: HT stamp or none

Solid wood crates crossing a border often go out heat treated and stamped under ISPM 15, but the rule belongs to the country receiving the load. Check with APHIS and the destination's plant-protection authority, then tell us which mark the crate should carry. If the answer is none, because the load stays in the US or the destination does not ask for it, say so, so we leave treatment off.

Not sure yet? Send the request anyway with the destination named and the mark left open, and we can price a treated build beside an untreated one so the decision does not hold up the number. NELMA notes that plywood, OSB and other engineered panels are exempt from treatment, which can tip the choice of construction.

What happens after you send it

We read the request and write a crate spec down: inside dimensions, construction, skid and runner sizes for the gross weight, treatment and marking, interior items such as VCI film or desiccant, quantity and delivery. If something is missing or looks off, such as a weight that seems light for the size, we email the questions first.

Once the spec holds together, the quote comes back by email against it, so you can see exactly what is being priced, line by line. We do not promise a turnaround in days here. A single crate with full numbers is quicker to answer than a mixed order with open questions, and prompt replies to our questions are the surest way to a price.

Repeat orders, drawings and photos

Once a crate is quoted and built, its spec stays on file. Next time the same load ships, reply to the earlier email or name the item in a new request and we build it the same way: same members, same blocking, same stencils. If the load has changed, even by a bolted-on bracket or a new guard, tell us before ordering, because the old spec will not know.

Drawings and photos beat words for odd shapes. Email them to info@shippingcratesforsale.com with the item name in the subject line. A general arrangement drawing with weights, or a few photos showing the base, the lifting eyes and anything that protrudes, often answers the questions we would otherwise send back.

Asking for used crates

Used and reconditioned crates suit domestic moves, storage and loads that happen to fit something already on hand. Use this same form: give the load's dimensions and gross weight, and write in the notes that a used crate is acceptable. A secondhand box has to fit the item and carry its weight; matching the size alone is not enough.

Export in a used crate is a separate question. A crate that once carried an IPPC stamp may have had boards replaced, and NELMA says a remanufacturer must re-stamp each component with its own HT stamp. We do not promise a treatment mark on a used crate before we know its history, so put the destination in the request and we will answer for that crate.

Bulk and standard-size requests

If you ship the same crate many times, or want a stock size for parts that vary, say so in the quantity and notes. Give the inside dimensions of the size you want, the heaviest load it must carry, how many you need now and how often you expect to reorder. We can quote a run, a release schedule against a standing spec, or several sizes side by side.

For standard sizes, also say whether they should arrive assembled or as knockdown panels that your team puts together. Knockdown saves floor space and inbound freight but needs fasteners and someone with a driver; assembled crates are ready the moment they come off the truck.