In plain English
A crate is stronger than a box and protects the contents from impacts and from other freight. It is often built on skids, so a forklift can lift it.
Crating adds weight and size, and some carriers class crated freight differently. Ask for an accurate class when you ship a crate.
Why it matters when you ship
Crate when the cost of damage is more than the cost of crating: artwork, machinery, glass, instruments and equipment shipped to a trade show.
Example
A company ships a 600 lb machine part in a plywood crate on skids. The carrier can lift the crate by forklift and stack nothing on it.
Related terms
Learn more
Crate: common questions
When should I crate freight instead of palletizing it?
When it is fragile, valuable, oddly shaped or cannot be stacked or shrink-wrapped, a crate protects it better than a pallet alone.
Cite this page
Cite as: Transportli, “Crate in Shipping: Meaning and When to Use One”, https://transportli.com/glossary/crate/, updated November 11, 2026.
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