Crate Shipping: How to Pack, Ship, and Cost | CSA Transportation
A Guide to Crate Shipping
Do you need to ship a crate? Whether you want to ship fragile, valuable items or transport large equipment, crate shipping is an excellent option. You want to make sure your items arrive safely and intact. During this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know about packing crates for shipping, crate shipping rates, and more.
Should You Use Crate Shipping?
A crate refers to a four-sided shipping container used to transport heavy or large items. Crates are made from a wide range of different materials, including wood, metal, and plastic, but wooden crates are the most common.
There are pros and cons to crate shipping. One of the biggest benefits is that using crate shipping to transport your goods will keep your items safe, protected, and secure, as crates can handle a huge amount of weight. It’s also a fairly cost-effective shipping option, and crates can be easily stacked on top of one another, which is perfect for the storage and transportation of multiple crate shipments.
That being said, there are some downsides to crate shipping, including the additional costs and weight. Many types of wood are expensive, so crate shipping can quickly get expensive. However, keep in mind that low-quality wood may contain pests or toxins that can damage your products, not to mention that crates can take up a lot of space.
So how do you know if crate shipping is the best option for you? It’s typically the best method of making sure the items you’re transporting are as safe and secure as possible. We recommend using crate shipping when transporting anything that is particularly heavy, sensitive, fragile, or uniquely shaped. That way, you can make sure to prevent any damage to your items.
Shipping a Crate: Everything You Need to Know
The first things you’ll need to know are where to get a crate, as well as how to pack and ship it.
Where to Get the Crate
Most crating or shipping companies will provide you with a crate to ship your items. These businesses might even personalize the shipping crate or container according to your items or needs. We recommend making sure to choose a company with an excellent customer experience and reputation. You should always read the reviews and see how the company responded to any negative reviews. It’s crucial to choose the right shipping company if you want to protect your belongings, as the wrong choice could result in damages.
How to Pack the Crate
When packing your crate, we recommend wrapping all items in plastic, bubble wrap, or paper in order to protect them and prevent scratches or breakage while they’re being transported. You should also line your crate with foam padding and fill up the entire crate with paper, packing peanuts, and similar materials to protect your items. We suggest using only the highest quality packing materials — trust us, it’s worth the extra expense.
How to Ship the Crate
When you’re ready to ship your crate, make sure to place your shipping labels at eye level in prominent areas on the crate, whether you have a small shipping crate or a large one. These shipping labels are extremely important since they give relevant information about the items you’re shipping. If you have any fragile or breakable items, you should place fragile shipping labels on a few different spots on the outside of the shipping crate to indicate that they should be handled with extreme care. All of the information on your crate will give the shipping company information about how to handle the shipping container, so be sure to make it obvious what needs special handling.
How Much Does Crate Shipping Cost?
Your crate shipping quote will depend on a number of different factors, especially since wooden crates are typically personalized depending on your items, shipping conditions, and needs. That being said, there are many ways you can estimate how much your shipping crate will cost you. We recommend using a professional shipping company. Transporting even the smallest items in a crate will cost about $50 to $100, but larger items can cost you several hundred dollars.
If you ship overseas, you’ll most likely need to pay duties, which are fees imposed on imported merchandise by customs. The amount of money you may need to pay in duties depends on the gross weight and value of the item. You are responsible for paying any duties, taxes, and fees associated with shipping your crate.
In order to estimate your shipping costs, you’ll most likely need to measure and weigh your item. Keep in mind that this includes any packaging as well. The freight classification and shipping service, as well as the origin, destination, surcharges, and discounts, will also impact the cost of your crate shipment.
If you would like more information about crate shipping, contact CSA Transportation to learn more about our top-notch crate shipping services.
Author
Matt enjoys exploring creative ways to connect people through marketing, with a particular passion for sales, marketing automation, and AI. At CSA Transportation, he works on branding, content strategy, automation, SEO and campaigns that help tell CSA's story. From website updates to email designs, Matt brings ideas to life while keeping the bigger picture in mind.
