| When getting ready to make a purchase of | | | | probably the easiest way to make a crate. The most |
| something that needs to be shipped on a standard | | | | important thing to remember when making your own |
| freight truck, make sure you have a plan for getting | | | | crate is to make sure the crate can be moved by |
| it ready to be shipped before you spend your hard | | | | fork-lift or pallet jack. Crates can also be purchased |
| earned money.This guide will explain how items need | | | | or made by a crating service. Shipping a crated item |
| to be prepared for shipping, along with the pros and | | | | is the safest method by far. |
| cons of each method of packaging. | | | | The least protective method for shipping would be |
| One of the most common forms of packaging is | | | | putting something in a cardboard box. |
| palletizing. | | | | Although this way of packaging is acceptable for |
| A pallet is nothing more than a platform that | | | | shipping, it is not very safe. This would be considered |
| something can be strapped to and moved with a | | | | the minimal amount of protection given. The entire |
| fork-lift or pallet jack. The most common size pallet is | | | | item needs to be enclosed in heavy duty cardboard |
| 48(L)x40(W), but there are plenty of different size | | | | or the freight carriers will not even pick it up. |
| pallets to use. The idea is to make sure the item is | | | | Remember, packaging your freight is to help eliminate |
| not hanging over the sides of the pallet, and not | | | | the potential for damage, not to make it harder for |
| higher than 8 feet. Also, the freight needs to be | | | | you to ship. Shipping freight on an LTL (less than a |
| fastened to the pallet without blocking area where | | | | load) truck is not like putting something on a moving |
| forklift enters pallet. With more delicate items, it is a | | | | truck, it does not remain on one truck the whole |
| good idea to wrap pallet with cardboard for added | | | | way. From the time your freight is picked up it will be |
| protection. | | | | moved onto a minimum of two trailers, with a |
| The next method of preparing a freight shipment | | | | potential of being on as many as six or seven |
| would be crating. | | | | throughout transit. With all this loading and unloading, |
| A crate could be made of wood, metal, or plastic, | | | | there are many opportunities for incurring damage. |
| and has sides and a top. Many crates are built by | | | | Good luck and happy shipping! |
| using a pallet as the base for the crate, this is | | | | |