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Not all crates are created equal, and neither are crating companies. A crate is the only thing standing between your machinery, artwork, or equipment and the realities of a truck, a forklift, and a loading dock. Here are the seven questions that separate the professionals from the guys with a nail gun.

1. Do you build custom crates, or only stock sizes?

If your item does not fit a standard box — and most valuable items do not — you need a company that designs the crate around the cargo: custom dimensions, blocking and bracing placed for your item’s weight and balance, cushioning matched to its fragility. “We only stock standard sizes” is a dealbreaker for anything valuable.

2. Can you crate on-site at my facility?

The best crating companies come to you. On-site crating means your machine, instrument, or artwork is crated where it stands instead of being moved twice: once unprotected to the crating shop and once in the crate. Ask specifically: do you build the crate around the equipment at our location?

3. Are you ISPM-15 certified for export?

If your shipment is leaving the country, the wood packaging must be heat-treated and stamped to the ISPM-15 international standard, or customs can refuse or quarantine it. This is non-negotiable for export. Ask to see the certification.

4. How do you document condition?

Professionals photograph your item before crating, note existing condition, and document again at delivery. If something goes wrong, that record is everything. “We take a quick look” is not a process.

5. What is your damage rate?

Ask for the number. A company that tracks and publishes its damage rate is a company that takes handling seriously. Ours is under 1%.

6. Are you insured, and for what?

Confirm cargo coverage and liability coverage in writing. Your item’s value should be covered from pickup through delivery, not just while it sits in their warehouse.

7. Can you handle the whole job, or just the crate?

The strongest partners crate, ship, deliver, and install under one roof, with one accountable contact. Coordinating a separate crating vendor, freight carrier, and installer multiplies the chances something falls through the cracks.

Custom Crating & Logistics answers yes to all seven: custom crates engineered for each item, on-site crating across Chicagoland, ISPM-15 certification, photo condition documentation, a sub-1% damage rate, full coverage, and crating through white-glove delivery and installation with one dedicated agent. Call (847) 258-5530 or request a free quote online.