Protect Your Freight with Shipping Crates
It’s no secret that shipments are often damaged due to mishandling during the transport process. One way to protect your cargo is to crate it. Crating freight offers absolute protection when shipping furniture, machinery, auto parts, and other fragile items. In this guide, you will learn how to properly crate your freight and then ship it using uShip’s LTL freight services.
HOW TO SHIP A CRATE
To get started, you will need to find a suitable crate for your freight. You can do this one of three ways – purchase a pre-made crate, build a custom wooden crate, or hire a crating company. That said, it is typically cheaper to build your own instead of hiring an outside company or purchasing one.
While crating your shipment will protect your items, it will yield better results if you pack it properly. To ensure maximum protection when shipping a crate:
- Pack crates as full as possible to prevent additional movement during transport.
- Pack heavier items on the bottom of the crate and place lighter items at the top.
- Use packing material to fill excess space inside of the crate.
- Individually wrap items before crating. This adds an extra layer of protection.
- Clearly label the crate. You will want to mark which end is upright and whether or not the freight is fragile.
- Use clear tape to attach the packing slip and bill of lading to the crate.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO SHIP A CRATE?
The price of shipping a crate depends on several different factors:
- Dimensions: The length, width, and height contribute to the cost of shipping a crate. Be sure to pack your crate efficiently.
- Transport Service Type: The type of service you select to transport your freight will attribute to the total shipping cost.
- Weight: The total weight, including the crate, is a price factor. Be sure to use only the necessary amount of material to build your crate.
- Distance: Typically, the further your crate needs to travel, the higher the price.
- Location: The pickup and delivery location type is a major factor when it comes to the cost of shipping a crate. If you are not shipping dock to dock, expect higher fees for additional services. Alternatively, you can ship terminal to terminal.
- Time: Regular crate shipments can take anywhere between 2-7 days to be delivered. However, if you have time to spare, use a consolidated LTL carrier. While delivery tends to take between 1-3 weeks, the prices are dramatically lower.
Are you ready to get free crate shipping quotes from top-rated LTL carriers? If so, go ahead and fill out uShip’s LTL freight form. From there, you will receive instant rates from multiple crate shipping companies.
WHY USHIP?
Not only does uShip provide discounted freight quotes, but we also offer other great benefits, such as:
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- Customer Support: uShip’s knowledgeable LTL customer support team is available via phone or email. If you need to file a damage claim or dispute a rebill, we can help.
- Invoice Audits: All invoices are checked for accuracy to ensure you are getting the best price possible. We will proactively credit the difference of any overpayment to your uShip account.
- Bring Your Own Rates: If you have your own rates with LTL carriers, you can load them directly into your uShip portal, allowing you to compare quotes all in one place.
- Customer Specific Pricing: We can negotiate pricing with carriers based on your individual volume.
- Referral Program: You will receive shipping credit when you refer a friend.
- Insurance Options: Did you know LTL carriers do not have full liability insurance? It’s always best to cover your freight with a uShip cargo insurance policy.
From competitive prices to great customer service, it’s clear why so many small businesses prefer obtaining LTL crate quotes from uShip. If you have any questions about shipping LTL freight on uShip, please contact us. We have an experienced freight team available to answer all of your questions.
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