"We continue to use Craters & Freighters for Specialty Crates and Machinery relocation projects in their area. We have found them to be expedient, innovative and fairly priced."

Steve, Logistics Manager from Burlingame, CA

Highest-Quality Crates to Get the Job Done

Arts & Antiques: Crates or Corrugate Boxes used for crating art objects, paintings, or antique pieces vary in size and dimensions.  Particular attention is given to handling, which includes uncrating or unwrapping any of these items, when they are received by the recipient.  While in transit precautions are taken to protect against, dropping, shifting or even a complete turn over.

Paintings: If a painting is oil, special wrap is used to cover the face so that it is not exposed.  If it is framed and covered with glass, the glass is taped to ensure that it will not puncture the painting, if broken.  Each shipment is wrapped and secured with foam so as not to allow movement within the crate or box.  Larger items are crated so they ride on edge and have an outer support system to keep the crate upright.

Antique Pieces or Furniture: Prior to packing, all items are evaluated to determine the best shipping position without compromising the item.  Each item is wrapped accordingly and placed in its selected shipping position. Styrofoam or foam cushioning is used to maintain protection and restrict movement.  Instructions accompany specialty packed items to alert the recipient on how they might unpack the item.

Value usually dictates what type of crating or boxing is needed.  Any and all decisions are discussed with the person doing the shipping or receiving to get their input.

Industrial: Our engineers draw from many sources to design the best packaging solutions for your shipment.  These sources include an extensive MIL-Spec library, Auto-CAD, cushioning software, and multiples years of experience.

Crates are designed to reflect the item properties, fragility, sensitivity, weight of the item, and weight distribution. Consideration also includes and relates as to how an item will be handled.  How it will be loaded and secured in the crate, and how it will be received.   Methods of transportation are considered as well as offloading, and reloading from various destinations.  All of these factors are necessary to ensure a safe and productive shipment.

Crating material usually includes beams to timbers for the crate runners, thick plywood or planks for the decking.  Nominal sized wood components for the cleats structurally supporting the crate walls and tops and again different thicknesses of plywood for actual walls.  Size and thickness depends on the weight and size of the item being shipped.

IT Electronic Crating: Critical to this type of crating is considering the fragile and sensitive nature of the item being crated.  Our custom engineered crates provide proper cushioning and support to ensure that items arrive ready to power on.  Additional attention is given to moisture exposure anti-static atmosphere as well as the ease of unloading the item from its shipping crate.  Materials used to in building the crate are consistent with the item properties as it relates to size, value and fragility.

Open Slat Crates and Other: Open or Slat crates are designed in such away as to protect the contents of the crate from other items falling onto the crated item while in transit.  The crate is designed with a pallet or skid type bottom to support the weight and size and upright and diagonal cleats using nominal wood components to structure the walls and top of the crate.

Various other crates in our library include corrugate sided crates supported by nominal wood parts.  Smaller crates built lighter in weight used for air transport, and reusable crates either assembled or unassembled.