Professional & Secure
Crate Shipping Services
Shipping large, heavy, or delicate items requires specialized packaging that standard boxes and pallets can't provide. ExpediShip offers professional crate shipping — custom-built for your item's exact dimensions, with secure handling and full customs support for domestic and international delivery.
Custom Built
crates for any shape or size
200+
countries worldwide
No Weight
or dimension limits
No Hidden
fees, ever
What makes our crate shipping different
Crate shipping requires expertise beyond standard freight. We bring specialized knowledge, custom-built solutions, and careful handling to every shipment.
Custom Crate Options
We offer a range of crate sizes and build custom crates to fit the exact dimensions and weight of your item — no forced standard sizing.
Domestic & International
From coast-to-coast US delivery to international shipping with full customs handling — our team manages every detail.
Secure Handling
Every crate is properly reinforced and handled by trained freight professionals to protect contents from damage or tampering during transit.
Transparent Pricing
Competitive rates with no hidden fees — you receive a clear cost breakdown before confirming your crate shipment.
Real-time Tracking
Monitor your crate from pickup through customs and final delivery with live tracking and status notifications.
Expert Support
Mon–Sat 7am–8pm, Sun 9am–5pm PST. Our team guides you through crate selection, packing, and international documentation.
The right crate for every shipment
We assess your item and recommend the correct crate type and interior protection before building and quoting.
Open Crate
Slatted wood frame — lighter and more economical. Best for robust items that are too large for cardboard but don’t require full enclosure. Good ventilation for large machinery.
Closed Crate
Fully enclosed plywood box with internal foam or padding bracing. Maximum protection for fragile, high-value, or environmentally sensitive items. Tamper-evident sealing.
Custom Crate
Built to your item’s exact dimensions with custom interior supports, cradles, foam inserts, or vibration dampening for unusually shaped or extremely delicate items.
Items ideal for crate shipping
When a box or pallet simply isn’t enough — crating provides the rigid structural protection your item requires.
Why crating makes sense for your shipment
Crates cost more than cardboard — but the protection they provide can prevent losses that far exceed the shipping cost.
Protection Against Damage
Rigid wooden structure prevents compression, crushing, and movement during transit. Items are isolated from external forces through custom interior blocking and bracing.
Temperature & Humidity Control
Closed crates offer a controlled environment that shields sensitive items from moisture, temperature swings, and environmental factors — especially important for sea freight.
Custom Fit Eliminates Movement
Unlike a box with loose padding, a custom crate is built so the item fits precisely — interior bracing, foam inserts, and cradles eliminate any possibility of shifting.
Simplified International Compliance
Our team handles all export/import documentation for crated international shipments, ensuring customs compliance and reducing the risk of delays or holds at the border.
Domestic and international crate freight
Air for speed, sea for economy — both include full customs clearance documentation and real-time tracking.
Ground Freight
- 1–7 business days transit
- All 50 US states
- Lift gate service available
- White-glove option on request
- Signed delivery confirmation
Best for domestic crate freight
International Air Freight
- 3–10 business days
- 200+ countries served
- Full customs documentation
- Priority crate handling
- Real-time tracking
Best for urgent international crates
International Sea Freight
- 2–8 weeks transit time
- FCL or LCL container
- Full customs documentation
- Ideal for heavy, large crates
- Best rate for non-urgent items
Best for heavy, non-urgent crate freight
Crate shipping in 5 steps
Tell us about your item and we handle the crating, pickup, customs, and delivery.
Request a Quote
Describe item dimensions, weight, fragility & destination
Crate Assessment
Our team recommends the right crate type and interior bracing
Custom Crate Built
Crate is constructed to your item’s exact specifications
Collected & Tracked
Crate is collected and monitored at every checkpoint
Delivered Safely
Signed confirmation and delivery notification at destination
How to prepare your item for crating
Our team builds the crate — but proper item preparation ensures maximum protection inside the crate itself.
Choose the Right Crate Size
- For unusual shapes, a custom crate is always safer than adapting a standard one
- Allow 3–4 inches of clearance on all sides for internal padding
- Provide us with exact dimensions and weight for accurate crate building
- Consider future use — some crates can be disassembled and reused
Use Protective Materials Inside
- Wrap item in bubble wrap before placing in crate
- Use foam padding or polyethylene foam inserts for fragile surfaces
- Add corner protectors for frames, mirrors, and glass items
- Use silica gel packs for moisture-sensitive items on sea freight
Seal and Reinforce
- Fasten the crate with screws instead of nails for tamper resistance
- Add banding straps around the exterior for extra hold
- Include desiccant inside for sea freight or long transit times
- Seal all seams with reinforced packing tape
Label Clearly
- Label all four sides with sender and recipient full address
- Mark “Fragile,” “This Side Up,” or “Do Not Stack” as appropriate
- Attach contact phone numbers in a waterproof label pouch
- Include a duplicate address label inside the crate in case exterior is damaged
Shipping crates internationally with ExpediShip
International crate freight requires careful customs planning and carrier coordination. We handle the complexity so you don’t have to.
Customs Clearance
We prepare all export/import documentation — commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, and ISPM 15 heat-treatment certificates required for wooden crates entering most countries.
Global Delivery Network
Our carrier partnerships allow reliable crate delivery to 200+ countries. We select the best carrier for your crate size, weight, destination, and urgency.
End-to-end Visibility
Real-time tracking from US pickup through customs clearance, air or sea transit, and final delivery — with our support team available for updates throughout the journey.
What every crate shipment comes with
Professional crating from assessment to delivery. No hidden fees.
Custom Crate Sizing
Built to your item’s exact dimensions — no standard sizing forced on unusual shapes
Customs Documentation
All export/import paperwork including ISPM 15 certificates for wooden crates
Real-time Tracking
Monitor from crating through customs to final delivery at every checkpoint
Dedicated Support
Mon–Sat 7am–8pm, Sun 9am–5pm PST for all crate freight questions
Cargo Insurance (Optional)
Strongly recommended for high-value or fragile crated items — covers full replacement value
White-glove Option
Professional packing, crating, and unpacking at destination — available on request
Common questions about crate shipping
The choice depends on your item’s structural vulnerability and environmental sensitivity:
Open Crates (Slatted Wood Frames): These offer excellent ventilation and visibility, making them highly economical for robust, heavy industrial machinery or construction equipment that requires rigid containment but isn’t prone to moisture damage.
Closed Crating (Fully Enclosed Plywood Boxes): These provide maximum security and full isolation. Outfitted with internal custom foam padding, bracing, or vibration-dampening cradles, closed crates are essential for high-value fine art, scientific lab instruments, or musical instruments that require strict protection against impact, debris, and moisture.
Yes, ISPM 15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15) applies strictly to all international wood packaging materials, including custom shipping crates. To prevent the spread of timber pests across global borders, wooden crates must be constructed from heat-treated (HT) or fumigated wood and stamped with an officially recognized IPPC mark. When you book international air or sea freight with ExpediShip, we ensure full compliance by building your crates to meet rigid export standards and managing all necessary customs clearance and compliance documentation automatically.
To guarantee a flawless structural fit and secure blocking, follow this measurement framework before submitting your freight details:
Accurate Specs: Measure the exact length, width, and height of the item at its widest points, alongside its total weight.
Clearance Allowance: Always factor in an additional 3 to 4 inches of clearance on all sides of the item to leave ample room for critical shock-absorbing materials like polyethylene foam inserts, heavy-duty bubble wrap, or corner protectors.
Moisture Protection: For long-transit international sea freight, we highly recommend adding silica gel packs or industrial desiccants inside the wrapping to combat humidity.
Custom crating is recommended when the value or fragility of an item makes standard cardboard boxes or open palletization a high-liability risk. Crating provides a rigid outer shield that prevents shifting and handles vertical compression. Ideal items include:
Fine Art & Antiques: Sculptures and paintings that require precise edge support.
Medical & Lab Devices: Sensitive precision electronics that cannot tolerate vibration.
Oversized Automotive Parts: Industrial engines, transmissions, and CNC machinery that require forklift pockets, heavy-duty blocking, and anti-contamination containment.
International crate shipping requires specialized paperwork to avoid border delays. The standard compliance stack includes a Commercial Invoice, a detailed Packing List specifying individual crate dimensions/contents, Harmonized System (HS) Codes for global tariff classification, and an ISPM 15 heat-treatment certificate for wood packaging. ExpediShip handles this entire administrative layer, mapping out customs paths across our global network of 200+ countries.
Yes. Because heavy wooden crates cannot be lifted manually and most residential areas or small businesses lack a dedicated, warehouse-height commercial loading dock, ExpediShip offers comprehensive Lift-Gate Service across all 50 US states. Our domestic ground freight carrier network utilizes specialized trucks with hydraulic lift gates to safely lower or lift crates directly from the pavement or curb, bypassing the need for your own heavy machinery or forklifts.
More from ExpediShip
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