Crating Services
Fully Customized Crates
The trusted industry leader, Craters & Freighters is known for offering comprehensive, reliable crating services to the many industries that call San Diego home. We are skilled in the specialized packaging process for the military, as well as the industrial, commercial, and manufacturing businesses in the area. To benefit clientele such as this, we have no weight and size restrictions on items in need of tailored wood crates, packaging, and shipping.
We also work closely with residential customers looking to successfully transport their fine art, antique pieces, vehicles, and one-of-a-kind, sentimental family heirlooms.
Your heavy, valuable, sensitive, and unique assets are fitted with precise protection, ensuring a safe, secure journey through the unpredictable shipping stream. Whether you need domestic or international freight service, you can count on our professional crating engineers to determine how to best get your valuables where they need to go.
How We Do It
Working with a wide variety of businesses, organizations, and people, we’ve learned a lot in our decades of experience. If you need a custom wood crate and its protective supports, we can design it and build it in our warehouse or at your location.
We use advanced technology, education, and insight to safeguard even the most fragile of items. Considering the item’s weight, dimensions, value, fragility, and final destination, our team will build the perfectly optimized crate for whatever you need. Think it’s too challenging for us? Let us determine that.
Take a Look Inside
What’s inside the crate is just as crucial to a damage-free arrival as the container itself. We provide customized packaging, cushioning, blocking, and bracing to each item we crate. Our crating solutions are specific, never using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Comprehensive Crating Services
Craters & Freighters offers comprehensive custom crating, packaging, and transportation services by sea, land, or air. We are leaders in freight forwarding, international freight, and designing custom wood crates for the most awkward, challenging assets.
Our goals are your goals: the smartest, fastest, safest shipping process possible. Let our customer service and logistics teams give you peace of mind so you can focus on other endeavors.
Call us today to learn about all of our crating and shipping services, and we’ll put together a plan you can rely on. Our teams can design and build crates to meet any requirement. This includes:
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all of your crates/boxes custom made?
Yes, each container is custom-designed and built to fit the needs of the item(s) you are shipping.
Do you handle sensitive electronic equipment?
Yes, please visit our IT & Electronics page for details.
Do you provide ISPM 15 crates for export?
Yes, we have extensive knowledge of ISPM 15 policies and regulations.
What are the requirements for ISPM 15 crates?
According to the US Department of Agriculture:
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 require all solid wood packing material to be heat treated and stamped with an official mark. ISPM 15 requirements apply to all hardwood and softwood (coniferous and non-coniferous) packaging materials. The standard does not apply to wood packaging made wholly of manufactured wood products such as plywood, particle board, oriented strand board, or products created using glue, heat and pressure or a combination of these. The second alternative, Fumigation with Methyl Bromide (MB), while still acceptable is being phased out because of environmental reasons. The fumigator must be registered in the program in order to issue the ALSC Quality Mark. Important note to exporters: ISPM 15 requirements apply to all coniferous (softwood) and non-coniferous (hardwood) packing materials including dunnage. U.S. Inspection Agencies control the issuance of the ALSC Quality Mark, and the presence of the Quality Mark ensures WPM produced in the U.S. and destined for export meets the importing countries regulations. Trading partners are adopting the ISPM15 in their import regulations. As the National Plant Protection Organization of the United States, the United States Department of Agriculture, in coordination with the wood packaging material industry, has developed an export program to guarantee compliance with the import requirements of trading countries. The program insures certified treatment and marking of wood packaging material for international trade, while maintaining traceability of the packaging material. The integrity of the program is dependent upon industries compliance.
Do you do on-site crating?
Yes, we can provide on-site crating at your place of business.
Do you make reusable crates?
Yes! Save time, effort, and money by allowing us to design and build you a reusable crate, whether it’s for trade shows or other purposes.
Do you provide heat shrink wrapping?
Yes, please visit our Heat Shrink Wrapping page for more information.
Industrial & Commercial Custom Crating
Craters & Freighters offers full-service support for any industrial or commercial crating need. Whether you’re looking to crate and ship one item or all of your inventory, or want to use us for your repeat crating needs, we’re here to help.
Military Industry
We will design and build wood crates for any equipment, manufacturing plant, construction equipment, medical devices, military goods, electronics lab, and everything in between. But, more than that, we’ll do it well. Our engineers have aided local industries for years, and we’re effective, efficient, and talented.
Art Galleries
San Diego has much more to offer than vast industries; it’s also full of small, unique communities occupied by museums, galleries, and artists of all kinds that trust us to safely get their invaluable pieces between cities, states, and countries. We don’t disappoint.
The materials we use are of the highest quality, our workmanship unmatched, and our customer support can’t be topped.
Residential Custom Crating
Our residential custom crating team will take as much stress out of your residential shipping process as possible. We work with customers in need of estate moves, art and antique crating and packaging, and family heirloom shipments. We understand that many times, your residential valuables hold much more than financial significance; we’re dedicated to these items as if they were our own.
Let us help get your residential belongings where you want them, domestically or internationally, safely and harm-free.
Domestic and International Crating
No matter where your items need to go, we are your one-stop-shop for custom crating, packaging, and shipping. We take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety of your valuable assets. The shipping stream is no place to make guesses or hope for the best. Serious execution and precision are necessary, and we provide them.
Using quality wood and packing materials, your belongings will travel safely and responsibly through the sea or through the air. Our packaging solutions have stood the test of time; your hazardous, bulky, and sentimental items will get the tailored, special packaging and crating they need.
When you team up with Craters & Freighters, you receive experience, knowledge, care, and confidence. Our attention to detail will surpass your expectations.
Get a fast, free, no-obligation cost estimate from Craters & Freighters San Diego.
All you need to do is provide your shipping goals and requirements to our team; we’ll take care of the rest. One of our seasoned engineers will be able to give you an accurate, customized estimate that you can count on. If you don’t think we can handle your shipment, call us anyway. We’ll head to you and see if we can put together a plan everyone is satisfied with.
Serving all of San Diego County, including the beaches, North County, East County, and South to the border.