Small businesses are full of tiny decisions that can make or break the business. If you’re shipping products, looking into shipping crates can seem like an overwhelming decision. After all, you need to make sure that the product arrives at its destination safely. There are many different kinds of shipping crates, below we will explore some of them, more in-depth, to help to make a decision easier.
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Solid Wood
Solid Wooden Shipping Crates are the smart choice for almost all shipping needs. They are made from solid wood, as the name suggests, instead of particleboard. This makes them a sturdier solution that will guarantee products will arrive undamaged. While solid wood sounds heavy, there are companies that are able to make crates from solid wood without an extreme weight increase. The design of solid wood crates makes them perfect for shipping over oceans, as it protects the product from the salinity that it will experience on a boat.
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Open Crates
Open crates are ideal for items like produce. The sides have spaces between the board to allow the product to breathe. This is especially important if the items bring shipped are prone to spoiling. These crates are often used in the banana industry. The air that they allow into the crate reduces spoilage but can also introduce pests.
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Closed Crates
Closed crates do not have spaces between the boards. They are used for most items that need to stay enclosed or have a risk of spilling out of open crates. Theses crates are fully contained. The biggest benefit of closed crates is that they can be reused. If they are damaged in transit, they are easy to repair and, for this reason, they are the most environmentally friendly option.
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High-Density Foam
High-density foam crates are closed wooden crates that have specialty foam added into them. The foam acts as a buffer between the wood and the product. This kind of crate is useful if the product is fragile or has an odd shape that may be prone to breaking during transport. The foam can be shaped to fit multiple items into one crate without the products touching each other.
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Frame Crates
Frame crates are closed crates that do not have any sheathing on them. They are best for items that will not break because there is not a buffer between the product and the crate. Heavy machinery is commonly shipped using this type of crate. They are easy to repair if damaged and can be used multiple times before needing to be replaced. They also tend to be the least expensive option because there is not much to them.
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Custom
Sometimes, there just doesn’t seem to be a solution for shipping needs. Perhaps it is an odd size or needs to have specific dimensions. In that case, a custom crate would be the most logical solution. At the end of the day, what makes sense for a company is a shipping crate that makes sure the product arrives to the customer undamaged, if a custom crate fits this bill, then it is worth the extra cost that may be associated with it. However, the biggest downside of a custom crate is that it will probably not be reusable.
Choosing a shipping crate is a big decision for a company, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. These are the basic kinds of shipping crates available for shipping use.
