Packing It In: The Most Popular Materials Used in Shipping Crates

Shipping crates have been used for centuries to ship valuables over land and sea. Wooden crates offer consumers superior protection when compared to cardboard or plastic alternatives. Crates have been gaining popularity since their existence, but what materials are the most popular when making shipping crates?

Wood. A crate gets its strength from a framework of interconnecting boards on all sides.  Wood defines a shipping crate because of its ability to form an inflexible structure that will protect the items enclosed within. Using recycled wood has become very popular when building shipping crates, especially wood pallets. Recycled pallets are not only ecofriendly, but they offer the builder many different sizes and dimensions of lumber to work with.  Additionally, they are the most efficient when it comes to packaging in a truck or shipping container. They are easy to stack to maximize space.

Preservation Chemicals.  After ensuring the exterior is going to protect your product, it’s best to ensure the interior is secure as well.  Adding an interior level of protection is going to help your crate withstand the elements and preservation chemicals are the best approach to this solution. Preservation chemicals are most commonly used to maintain a level of pressure within the container, and this is successful only when the right chemicals are used in the right situations.

Dunnage. Dunnage is the solution to shifting within the crate. After precisely packing, the last thing you want is for the contents to be damaged because of shifting during transport. Dunnage comes in the form of foam packaging or air-filled bags that will effectively fill any empty spaces and prevent shifting.

Fasteners.  The most important ingredient to the shipping crate recipe are the fasteners. While both cardboard and plastic shipping containers can be easily sealed with tape, wooden crates require you to use screws to securely seal them up.  Crating SCRAIL® fasteners are popular because of their coarse threads that ensure easier and more consistent removal for dismantling crates. Additionally, the coarse thread gives it more surface area, which allows the fastener to grip to the wood better, an essential feature when shipping or moving valuable inventory.

One may never know the elements and conditions one shipping crate may face when traveling from destination to destination, but if built correct the first time using fasteners from BECK America, you can ensure that the products stored inside will arrive safely.