Somewhere in your service design is a chapter on how to deliver your product. You've currently identified that your product is either too heavy, too big, or too delicate to count on the trusty old cardboard box. The concern is now, how to pick quality wood crates for Fruit?
Choosing on which crate to use to deliver your item to your customers so that it arrives intact is an important choice not to be left to the treasurer in the back room. There are lots of wood shipping crate providers out there vying for your service. Here are a couple of pointers to assist you through the process of how to choose quality wooden boxes from a producer to fit your shipping requires:
This may seem like a wood crate company near me that specializes in creating wood crates, however what do you understand about them? How long have they been in the crate organization?
Can he handle the volume of boxes you need on a weekly basis, or does he buy from another supplier and re-sell to you? Do your research and make a couple of calls prior to deciding on a crate maker, and do not sign a volume buying arrangement before you see a sample of their work.
If you purchase crates in volume, will you have adequate area in your warehouse to store them all? Stacking them outside till needed in some areas of the nation is simply not an option. 'Assembly Required' may sound like extra labor on your part, but crates that arrive broken down and all set to put together will use up less space in your warehouse. It will provide your shipping department something to do during down-time. If your product is fairly little, and you do have the storage capacity, then stocking a supply of ready-to-use crates can be a practical option for you.
Take a look at the products used in the wood crate you are thinking about. Is the wood totally free of knots and blemishes? Are the sides loose, or strongly connected to the corners and braces? Did the home builder use thin metal staples to tack the elements together? Steel screws, bolts and ring-shank nails mark a quality wood crate that won't chill out during the rigors of delivery. Kiln dried, and preferably chemically treated or painted wood, are preferred over inferior grades of unattended lumber sheathing and framing. Quality wood boxes that have steel reinforced corners and a resilient lower assembly can be recycled over and over once again. Consider charging a deposit on your shipping boxes, it may save you from needing to buy brand-new shipping stock in the future.
Look for a provider that gets their products from regional, sustainable sources. Crate providers that do not need to import their products might have lower overhead, and pass their cost savings down to their customers. Advertising that your shipping crates are made in the U.S.A. can be the deciding consider whether or not a purchaser selects your items. You could request for a sample to be shipped to your workplace, or schedule a factory tour to see for yourself if the crate maker takes pride in their product, and produces a quality wood crate.
The International Standards For Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 needs that all shipping boxes that are used to carry products overseas be treated versus insects and illness. If you intend on international sales, ensure your boxes satisfy these requirements. The exact same applies for MIL-STD packaging and shipping crates. If your item needs additional defense, and the rate point/profit margin allows, you can't do better than MIL-STD basic wood boxes to make sure safe shipment of your item to your clients. If you just intend on shipping within your own nation, save the additional cash invested on boxes that fulfill these requirements.
Before going on a purchasing spree, or talking to prospective wooden crate suppliers, you must inform yourself on the terminology of wood crates. That way, when the salesman from Kevin's Crates talks about an unsupported period, a batten cleat or the lower assembly, it won't sound Greek to you. If you do not understand simply what you are purchasing, the quality of the wooden crate doesn't matter if it does not fit your requirements. Contact EWC with any questions you may have because we aim to be a great source of quality wood crates.
We can help with the following: