4 Quick Tips on Simplifying Crating

As the world economy continues to grow, and ecommerce has removed boundaries on where people shop, the need for manufacturers and sellers to concentrate on the right shipping containers has increased. Due to the complexity in size and quantity of shipping goods worldwide, more companies are turning to crating as a packaging option.

What was once thought to be prohibitively expensive and labor intensive, wooden crates have matured as a viable option for affordable and efficient packaging. Here are 4 quick tips you can use to make your foray into using wooden crates in your shipping logistics plan easier:

1. Think design
When designed and constructed properly, wood crates are extremely strong and are able to protect their contents from damage, even under the most rugged conditions. Whether being shipped over seas, through the air on planes, or on the road or rails, there will be waves, wind, or bumps to cause shifting. Putting an expert or engineer on task to design a crate that is correct for your product is worth the expense.

2. Think plywood
One benefit of crating is that the external strength of wooden crates means they don't need excessive packing material to provide sufficient protection for the contents. The strongest shipping crates tend to use plywood construction, because the multiple layers of fibers are engineered for strength. The wood strands from layer to layer run in different directions, creating an extremely strong surface.

3. Think shape
Another plus to wooden crates is they are typically custom built to fit specific contents, optimizing outside dimensions and maximizing cost efficiency. Even if your products are oddly shaped (or round!) a wooden crate design will still be simple and dimensional in a way that makes stacking and storage efficient and cost effective. Uniform stacking allows more crates to fit in the train car or cargo ship, providing better economies of scale.

4. Think Recycling
Wooden crates are reusable, and can save money when used on return shipping or second/third/fourth use. When designing your crate, be sure to use quality wood and quality fasteners to ensure its longevity and ability to be used several times for future shipments. Wooden crates constructed with SCRAIL^® , Jumbo SCRAIL^®, or Mini-SCRAIL^® crate fasteners can be easily disassembled, to be re-designed for future use. And when the crate is ready for retirement, wooden crates can be converted and sold in industrial inspired design.

Want more tips on crating? Download our whitepaper “3 Smart Strategies in Crating” for more information on how using SCRAIL^® products can make crating a simple and affordable option for your business.