Products · packaging
Crates, boxes & skids
When the freight is heavy, valuable, awkward or crossing an ocean, a pallet is only part of the answer. Crates and skids are the other part, and we build both.
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In short
Wooden crates, plywood shipping boxes and skids are built around a specific load rather than a standard footprint. We manufacture them in Columbus for machinery, castings, tooling, glass, electronics and anything else that will not survive a stretch-wrapped pallet. All of it can be ISPM-15 treated and stamped for international shipment.
Send dimensions, weight and a description of how it will be handled. Most crates are quoted within a working day.
Crate, box or skid — knowing which you need
Skid
A pallet without a bottom deck. Runners under a load-bearing top deck. Heavier duty than a pallet for the same material, easier to drag, and the right base for machinery that will be bolted down. Not designed for pallet-jack entry.
Crate
An open or slatted wooden frame around a load. Air and inspection access, lower material cost than a solid box, excellent strength-to-weight. The right answer for machinery, engines and anything that does not need protection from dust or weather.
Plywood box
Fully enclosed sheathing on a wooden frame. Protects against dust, moisture, light impact and casual theft. Heavier and more expensive than a crate, and the correct choice for electronics, instruments, finished goods and anything that will sit outdoors at a port.
How we engineer a crate
Crating is one of the few places in packaging where getting it wrong is genuinely expensive, so the process is deliberate.
- Load analysis. Weight, centre of gravity, lift points, fragility, and whether it can take side loading
- Base first. Skid or pallet base sized to the load and the handling equipment, not to the crate walls
- Frame. Vertical posts and horizontal rails sized for stacking load, not just for the item inside
- Sheathing or slats. Slat spacing balanced against inspection access and impact resistance
- Blocking and bracing. The item must not move inside the crate. Most transit damage is internal movement, not external impact
- Marking. Centre of gravity, sling points, this-way-up, weight, and the ISPM-15 stamp if the crate is leaving the country
Export crating and the compliance trap
Every solid wood component of an export crate falls under ISPM-15: the base, the frame, the slats, the internal blocking and any dunnage packed alongside. Plywood and OSB are exempt because manufacturing already destroys pests, but the frame they are nailed to is not.
The most common failure we see is a compliant crate with non-compliant internal bracing added at the last minute by the shipper. Customs does not distinguish. Order your blocking timber from us with the crate, treated, and the problem disappears.
Full background in ISPM-15 explained.
Reclaimed content in crating
Crate frames and skid runners are excellent applications for reclaimed hardwood. The lumber is dry, dimensionally settled and structurally sound, and appearance rarely matters on a crate that will be broken open at destination.
We routinely build crates with 40–70% reclaimed content at a meaningful discount to all-new construction. Where a customer needs all-new material for audit reasons, we build all-new and say so on the paperwork. See reclaimed lumber.
Blocking and bracing: where crates actually fail
The instinct is that crates fail from outside impact. In practice most transit damage is the item moving inside its own crate.
A crate that arrives with a hole punched in the side has had an unusual journey. A crate that arrives intact with the contents damaged has had an ordinary one, and the blocking was wrong.
The principles:
- Block against the crate structure, not against packing material. Foam compresses; a timber block does not.
- Restrain in all three axes. A load that cannot slide can still lift and drop, and a container at sea does exactly that.
- Fill voids. An empty gap is a runway. Anything that can accelerate before it hits something will.
- Support the item where it is strong. Machinery has designed lift and support points. Blocking against a sheet metal cover instead of a casting is how crates arrive intact with bent equipment inside.
- Treat the blocking. For export, internal bracing is solid wood packaging under ISPM-15 exactly like the crate — see dunnage: the compliance blind spot.
Designing a crate to be re-openable and returnable
If a crate is going to come back — a returnable programme, a service exchange, a trade show — design for it up front. Retrofitting is not really possible.
Screwed lids rather than nailed. A nailed lid is destroyed on opening. A screwed lid comes off and goes back on many times.
Reinforced corners. Repeated opening and closing works corners loose first.
A base sized for empty nesting. If empty crates stack or nest, return freight collapses. If they do not, you are shipping air back.
Marked orientation and a documented pack. A returnable crate is only useful if the next person packs it the same way. A laminated diagram inside the lid costs almost nothing.
The cost premium is modest and it is recovered on the second use.
Crate, box, skid or pallet — a straight decision
- Pallet — the load is stable, self-supporting and tolerant of handling. Cheapest by a wide margin.
- Pallet plus [collars and lid](/products/accessories) — the load needs containment but not protection. Reusable, and far cheaper than a crate.
- Skid — heavy, will be bolted down or dragged, needs no bottom deck. Common under machinery.
- Open or slatted crate — needs structure and restraint but not protection from dust or weather. Best strength-to-weight and cost.
- Plywood box — needs protection from dust, moisture, light impact or casual inspection. Heaviest and most expensive; correct for electronics, instruments and anything sitting outdoors at a port.
Most people over-specify by one step. If a collared pallet would do, a crate is money spent on reassurance.
Spec sheet
Crating capability
| Maximum size | Up to 20 ft length; larger by arrangement |
| Load range | 50 lb to 12,000 lb typical |
| Base types | Skid, pallet base, or rub-rail skid |
| Sheathing | ¼", ⅜" and ½" plywood; OSB; solid slats |
| Framing | 2×3, 2×4 and 4×4 SYP or hardwood |
| Fastening | Screwed or nailed; screwed lids for re-openable crates |
| Internal protection | Blocking, bracing, foam, moisture barrier bags, desiccant |
| Export | ISPM-15 heat treated and stamped on all solid wood |
| Lead time | 3–10 working days by complexity |
Reference
Packaging escalation, cheapest first
| Option | Protects from | Reusable? | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pallet + wrap | Nothing beyond restraint | Pallet only | Lowest |
| Pallet + corner boards + wrap | Wrap crush, minor shift | Pallet and boards | Low |
| Pallet + collars + lid | Shift, containment, stacking | Yes, fully | Low–medium |
| Skid | Nothing; provides a mounting base | Sometimes | Medium |
| Slatted crate | Impact, restraint, stacking load | With screwed lid | Medium–high |
| Plywood box | Dust, moisture, light impact, inspection | With screwed lid | Highest |
Reference
ISPM-15 status of crate components
| Component | Needs treatment? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Solid timber frame | Yes | Debarked and marked |
| Skid or pallet base | Yes | Marked two opposite sides |
| Solid wood slats | Yes | |
| Plywood or OSB sheathing | No | Engineered wood is exempt |
| Internal solid wood blocking | Yes | Most common failure point |
| Foam, corrugated, moisture bags | No | Not solid wood |
| Steel banding and fixings | No |
In practice the whole assembly is treated and marked, because separating treated frame from untreated blocking on a dock is how holds happen.
Avoid these
Mistakes we see
Blocking against the packaging instead of the item
Foam and corrugated compress. Under repeated shock the item works loose and then moves freely. Block against timber structure and against strong points on the item itself.
Adding untreated internal bracing to a treated crate
Every solid wood component of an export crate falls under ISPM-15, including the blocking fitted at pack time. This is the most common export crating failure we see.
Nailing the lid on a crate that will be reopened
A nailed lid is destroyed on opening and the crate becomes single-use by accident. Screwed lids cost slightly more and make the crate reusable many times over.
Sizing the base to the crate instead of to the load
The base carries the load and interfaces with the handling equipment. Sizing it to the walls rather than to the weight is how skids fail under machinery.
Crating something a collared pallet would carry
Crates are expensive and heavy. If the load needs containment rather than protection, a pallet with collars and a lid does the job reusably at a fraction of the cost.
Checklist
Work through this before you order
To quote a crate we need
- Item dimensions and total weight
- Centre of gravity, if it is off-centre
- Designated lift and support points
- Fragility and whether it tolerates side loading
- Handling: forklift, crane, sling
- Domestic or export destination
- Whether the crate needs to be re-openable or returnable
Before it ships
- All solid wood treated and marked, including internal blocking
- Voids filled; item restrained in all three axes
- Centre of gravity marked on two sides
- Sling points and this-way-up marked where relevant
- Gross weight marked
- Desiccant or moisture barrier if crossing an ocean
- Packed load photographed before the lid goes on
Questions
Before you ask us
Can you crate something at our facility?
For large or immovable items we can build on site within reasonable distance of Columbus. Send photographs and dimensions and we will tell you whether on-site or in-yard crating makes more sense.
Do plywood boxes need ISPM-15 treatment?
The plywood itself does not, because manufacturing already eliminates pests. The solid timber frame, base and any internal blocking does. In practice the whole assembly gets treated and stamped.
What is the difference between a skid and a pallet?
A pallet has a top deck and a bottom deck. A skid has only a top deck sitting on runners. Skids are easier to drag, better for machinery mounting, and cannot be handled with a standard pallet jack.
Can crates be returned and reused?
Yes, if you design for it. Screwed lids instead of nailed, reinforced corners and a base sized for empty nesting all make return practical. Tell us it is a returnable programme and the build changes accordingly.
How much does a wooden crate cost?
It scales with size, weight rating and complexity rather than sitting on a list. A small slatted crate for a light item is inexpensive; a heavy machinery crate with internal blocking and a rub-rail skid base is a different order. Send dimensions and weight and we quote within a working day.
Can you build crates on our site?
For large or immovable items, within reasonable distance of Columbus, yes. Below that size, transporting the item to the yard and back is almost always cheaper than mobilising a crew and equipment.
What is the difference between a crate and a box?
A crate is an open or slatted frame; a box is fully sheathed. Crates are lighter and cheaper with excellent strength-to-weight; boxes protect from dust, moisture and casual inspection. Both are built on the same kind of base.
Do plywood boxes need heat treatment?
The plywood itself does not, because manufacturing already destroys pests. The solid timber frame, the base and any internal blocking do. In practice the whole assembly is treated and marked.
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