Many considerations must go into shipping products and preparing loads. A company’s top priority when transporting products is to make sure the journey is a safe one.

One way to do that is with crates. Crates are especially useful for fragile items that need extra support during transit or products that are a non-standard size or shape. Whether you’re shipping large, industrial machinery parts or dozens of glass puppy figurines, crates are an effective option to get your load to its destination safely.

Crates can be made of many different kinds of materials, but wood is a popular choice because of strength and cost. Most crates are made of softwood, which despite its fragile-sounding name, is a sturdy type of wood that comes from evergreen trees. For most applications, softwood is a good choice of material for shipping products because it weighs and costs less.

Crates can be manufactured with or without lids, which gives customers more options. An open crate acts as a more protective frame around the product being shipped, while closed crates enclose the product entirely. Both types are designed to be structurally sound, and the type you choose depends on the product being shipped.

Crates are held together with nails, screws or staples, but staples are most common because it attaches the seam created when boards are brought together.

Crates do not come in standard sizes, shapes or measurements and are most often custom made to a customer’s specifications. The most important measurements of a crate are its internal width, length and height, which determines the external measurements.

Crates can also be delivered to customers fully assembled or in kits that customers can build themselves, which means customers can order more at one time.

Crates are a highly customizable and flexible option for customers who need to ship certain products, especially overseas. To learn more about crates, check out episode two of The Millwood Minute with Regional Sales Manager Dave Haubert.

If custom crates are a part of your shipping needs, be sure to get in contact with your Millwood sales representative, and they will ensure that all your needs are met.