Dimensions / Industrial & logistics / Export wooden crates / Closed crate
A closed wooden crate is sheathed on every side, with lumber or plywood, on a frame and a skid base (AH-252), for goods that need full protection; ASTM D7478 covers heavy-duty sheathed crates for net loads up to 30 000 lb [13 607 kg]. Stock closed crates are plywood or OSB on a heat-treated pallet: Fast Crate’s 48″x40″x40″ is 46.5″ × 38.5″ × 38.5″ inside and 48″ × 40″ × 44.25″ outside, rated 2,500 lbs, and its range runs from 1,000 to 3,500 lbs. Leave a gap of at least 3 cm between the goods and the crate, 5 cm with desiccant or VCI (GDV). A sheathed crate needs ventilation: AH-252 asks for at least one 3/4 inch hole in each end per 45 cubic feet. For deck stowage and foreign ports AH-252 advises a sheathed crate.
| Gap to the goods, GDV; with desiccant or VCI | Fork clearance under the floor from 1,000 kg gross, GDV | Heavy sheathed crate, net load, ASTM D7478 |
|---|---|---|
| 3cm5 cm | 12cm | 30 000lb13 607 kg |
Sources: GDV 6.1, GDV 6.3.1, ASTM D7478/D7478M-26. Checked October 2026.
Fast Crate’s 48″x40″x40″ crate and Triton’s 20 ft are filled in. Enter your goods; each check uses the numbers in the tables on this page.
Sizes in millimetres, weights in kilograms (1 in = 25.4 mm, 1 lb = 0.4536 kg). The gap goes on each side and on top; crates go one high, in straight columns.
Goods of 1100 × 900 × 900 mm with 30 mm on each side and on top need 1160 × 960 × 930 mm, within the 1181 × 978 × 978 mm inside.
Filled in: Fast Crate’s 48″x40″x40″, 46.5″ × 38.5″ × 38.5″ inside (1181 × 978 × 978 mm), and GDV’s 3 cm gap; use 5 cm when you pack with desiccant or VCI.
800 kg of goods is 334 kg under the crate’s 1134 kg rating; with the 74 kg crate it ships at 874 kg gross.
Fast Crate rates this crate at 2,500 lbs (1134 kg), contents and stacking; the crate itself weighs 164 lbs (74 kg).
The crate clears the 2340 × 2280 mm door; one high, 9 crates of 1219 × 1016 mm fit on the 5898 × 2352 mm floor, enough for your 9, and 9 × 874 kg = 7866 kg is within the 28380 kg payload.
Triton’s 20 ft door opens 2,340 × 2,280 mm. GDV: from 1,000 kg gross, leave at least 12 cm under the floor for the forks.
Exporting machinery in closed crates? Photograph the crate, mark its outside size, skids and lifting points in SizeMarker and send it with the packing list.
Mark a photoStock crates with plywood or OSB panels on a heat-treated pallet. Ratings are each maker’s own.
| Crate | Inside; outside | Rating; crate weight |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Crate 24″x24″x24″3/4″ CDX plywood | 22″ × 22″ × 22″Outside 23.5″ × 23.5″ × 27.75″ | 1,000 lbs, contents and stacking; 55 lbs |
| Fast Crate 32″x32″x32″ | 30″ × 30″ × 30″Outside 31.5″ × 31.5″ × 36″ | 1,500 lbs; 104 lbs |
| Fast Crate 48″x40″x40″ | 46.5″ × 38.5″ × 38.5″Outside 48″ × 40″ × 44.25″ | 2,500 lbs; 164 lbs |
| Fast Crate 48″x48″x48″ | 46.5″ × 46″ × 46″Outside 48″ × 47.5″ × 51.75″ | 3,000 lbs; 206 lbs |
| Fast Crate 72″x48″x24″ | 70.5″ × 46.5″ × 22″Outside 72″ × 48″ × 27.75″ | 3,000 lbs; 217 lbs |
| Fast Crate 72″x48″x48″ | 70.5″ × 46″ × 46″Outside 72″ × 47.5″ × 51.75″ | 3,500 lbs; 280 lbs |
| SharkCrates 48x48x2415 mm OSB on a heat-treated block pallet | 46.5 x 46.5 x 18Outside 48 x 48 x 24 | 3,100 lbs; 15,000 lbs stacking; 174 lbs |
| SharkCrates 60x48x54 | 58.5 x 46.5 x 48Outside 60 x 48 x 54 | 2,500 lbs; 15,000 lbs stacking; 294 lbs shipping |
| SharkCrates 96x24x30 | 94.5 x 22.5 x 24Outside 96 x 24 x 30 | 2,000 lbs; 15,000 lbs stacking; 215 lbs |
Sources: Fast Crate (24x24x24) · Fast Crate (32x32x32) · Fast Crate (48x40x40) · Fast Crate (48x48x48) · Fast Crate (72x48x24) · Fast Crate (72x48x48) · SharkCrates (FAQ) · SharkCrates (48x48x24) · SharkCrates (60x48x54) · SharkCrates (96x24x30)
| Standard or class | Net load; size |
|---|---|
| ASTM D7478-26, heavy-duty sheathed crates | Up to 30 000 lb [13 607 kg]; protects items from atmospheric elements |
| ASTM D7478-26, Class 2 | Lighter: no diagonals and thinner plywood sheathing |
| ASTM D6256-25, cleated boxes on skids | Less than 2500 lb [1134 kg]; up to 16 ft [4877 mm] long |
| ASTM D6039-18(2026), covered crate | One type and style of covered crate, net loads not exceeding 4000 lb [1814 kg]; for when environmental protection is necessary |
| AH-252, military sheathed crate | Loads up to 30,000 pounds, overseas or domestic |
| AH-252, limited-military | Loads of not over 2,000 pounds |
| AH-252, light-duty | Loads not over 1,000 pounds, by air or within the United States |
| AH-252, member sizes | For crates up to 48 feet long, 10 feet wide and 12 feet high |
| Nelson, closed lumber crateArchived page | Heavy Duty: > 2500 lbs; maximum protection, fully contained |
Sources: ASTM D7478/D7478M-26 · ASTM D6256/D6256M-25 · ASTM D6039/D6039M-18(2026) · USDA AH-252 · Nelson (Wayback)
| Rule | What the source says |
|---|---|
| When to choose itAH-252 | A sheathed crate with a waterproof top for shipment on deck, and for most items destined for foreign ports |
| VentilationAH-252 | At least one 3/4 inch hole in each end panel for each 45 cubic feet of a lumber-sheathed crate |
| LinerAH-252; GDV 6.3.2 | Waterproof paper between square-edged sheathing and frame; walls lined with kraft paper |
| Gap to the goodsGDV 6.1 | Not smaller than 3 cm; at least 5 cm with desiccant or VCI, to protect the film cover |
| Clearance when sizing the baseAH-252 | Add the desired clearances, from 1 to 3 inches, to the measurements of the goods |
| Diagonal battensGDV 6.3.2 | Needed when the internal height is greater than 150 cm |
| Vertical batten spacingGDV 6.3.2 | Not more than 100 cm |
| Board widthsGDV 6.3.2 | Edge boards at least 10 cm, other boards at least 8 cm |
| Skid spacingGDV 6.3.1 | Not more than 80 cm between longitudinal skids |
| Fork clearanceGDV 6.3.1 | At least 12 cm for boxes from 1,000 kg gross |
| What it protects againstCrating Technology, maker guide | Rain, dust, theft and impact; 1/2″ or 3/4″ plywood on 2×4 framing |
Sources: USDA AH-252 · GDV 6.3.2 · GDV 6.1 · GDV 6.3.1 · Crating Technology
| Rule or figure | What it says |
|---|---|
| Solid woodISPM 15 | Heat treated at 56 °C for 30 continuous minutes, core included, or another approved treatment, and marked |
| MarkISPM 15 | Preferably on at least two opposite sides; not hand drawn |
| Fast CrateFast Crate | Base is ISPM-15 heat-treated and stamped; plywood panels are exempt |
| Fast Crate 48″x40″x40″ in mmOur conversion | Inside 1181 × 978 × 978 mm; outside 1219 × 1016 × 1124 mm; 2,500 lbs = 1134 kg; 164 lbs = 74 kg |
| 20 ft door and insideTriton | Door 2,340 × 2,280 mm; inside 5,898 × 2,352 mm; 28,380 kg payload |
| That crate in a 20 ftOur calculation | 9 on the floor, one high |
Sources: ISPM 15 · Fast Crate (48x40x40) · Triton (20ft)
A crate sheathed on every side, with lumber or plywood, on a frame and a skid base, for items that need full protection (AH-252). ASTM D7478 covers heavy-duty sheathed crates up to 30 000 lb [13 607 kg] and says they protect items from atmospheric elements.
Built to order, or as stock plywood crates on a pallet: Fast Crate sells 24″x24″x24″ to 72″x48″x48″, rated 1,000 to 3,500 lbs, and its 48″x40″x40″ is 46.5″ × 38.5″ × 38.5″ inside and 48″ × 40″ × 44.25″ outside.
For shipment on deck and for most items destined for foreign ports, AH-252 advises a sheathed crate with a waterproof top. Open crates suit goods that need only limited protection from the elements (ASTM D6039).
Yes: AH-252 says sheathed crates need ventilation to keep moisture from building up, with at least one 3/4 inch hole in each end panel for each 45 cubic feet of a lumber-sheathed crate.
At least 3 cm between the goods and the crate, and at least 5 cm when you use desiccant or VCI, to protect the film cover (GDV). AH-252 suggests clearances of 1 to 3 inches.
Buyers of machinery and spare parts going overseas ask whether the crate is fully sheathed, how it is ventilated and lined, its outside size and gross weight, and where the forks and slings go. Mark the real crate, skids and lifting points on your own product photo in SizeMarker, as in the picture at the top, and send one product card for WhatsApp or WeChat.
