Dimensions / Industrial & logistics / Export wooden crates / Open (frame) crate
An open wooden crate is a framework of boards with gaps between them, not a closed box, for items that need only limited protection from the elements: ASTM D6039 covers open crates for net loads up to 4000 lb [1814 kg], in Types I to V and Styles A (heavy-duty) and B (light-duty). Open crates are built to order, so there is no stock size: AH-252’s military open crate takes up to 10,000 pounds at a maximum of 16 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet high, and Germany’s VG 95621 covers open crates up to 1 000 kg. GDV keeps the closed area to the open area between 1:1 and 2:1, with boards at least 10 cm wide. They are lighter and show the goods, but being solid lumber they always need ISPM 15 treatment and the mark.
| Closed to open area, GDV | Board width, at least, GDV | Open crate net load, ASTM D6039 |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1–2:1 | 10cm | 4000lb1814 kg |
Sources: GDV 6.8, ASTM D6039/D6039M-18(2026). Checked October 2026.
An example open crate and Triton’s 20 ft are filled in. Enter your goods and your crate; 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 1500 × 1000 × 1200 mm with 30 mm on each side and on top need 1560 × 1060 × 1230 mm, within the 1600 × 1100 × 1300 mm inside.
An example open crate built round a 1500 × 1000 × 1200 mm machine is filled in, with GDV’s 3 cm gap: enter your own crate, since open crates are built to order.
600 kg of goods is 1214 kg under the crate’s 1814 kg rating; with the 150 kg crate it ships at 750 kg gross.
ASTM D6039 covers open crates for net loads up to 4000 lb [1814 kg]; AH-252’s limited-military open crate takes loads to 2,500 pounds.
The crate clears the 2340 × 2280 mm door; one high, 4 crates of 1700 × 1200 mm fit on the 5898 × 2352 mm floor, enough for your 4, and 4 × 750 kg = 3000 kg is within the 28380 kg payload.
Through Triton’s 2,340 × 2,280 mm door, the crate still needs ISPM 15 treatment and its mark: open crates are solid lumber.
Shipping large parts in open crates? Photograph the crated part, mark the crate’s size, skids and lifting points in SizeMarker and send it with the packing list.
Mark a photoOpen crates are built to order; these are the limits the standards and makers give.
| Standard or class | Net load; size |
|---|---|
| ASTM D6039-18(2026) | Open and covered crates for net loads up to 4000 lb [1814 kg]; for items needing only limited protection against the elements |
| ASTM D6039, Types I, IV and V | General purpose types |
| ASTM D6039, Type II | Ladders, tubing, extrusions or wallboard, without blocking, bracing or cushioning |
| ASTM D6039, Type III Style B | Channels, angles or other structural members |
| ASTM D6039, Styles A and B | A: heavier components, heavy-duty; B: light to moderate hazards, light-duty |
| AH-252, military open crate | Items up to 10,000 pounds; maximum 16 feet long, 8 feet wide, 8 feet high |
| AH-252, limited-military open crate | Loads to 2,500 pounds |
| AH-252, light-duty open crate | Loads to 200 pounds |
| VG 95621:2024-12German Armed Forces | Open crates for net masses up to 1 000 kg |
| Nelson, open-frame crateArchived page; maker’s tiers | Light Duty < 1000 lbs; Medium Duty 1000- 2500 lbs; Heavy Duty > 2500 lbs |
| BlueRose skeleton cratesMaker | Mostly dimensional lumber; weight bearing capacity around 1000 pounds |
Sources: ASTM D6039/D6039M-18(2026) · USDA AH-252 · VG 95621 · Nelson (Wayback) · BlueRose
| Rule | What the source says |
|---|---|
| CladdingGDV 6.8 | Not closed: closed to open area 1:1 to 2:1, gaps half to one board wide |
| Board widthGDV 6.8 | Not less than 10 cm |
| MarkingsGDV 6.8 | On special surfaces such as weather-resistant plywood or OSB sheets attached to the walls |
| ComponentsAH-252 | Relatively light, since the components are minimum size |
| Side styleAH-252 | For loads not over 2,000 pounds and crates no more than 6 feet high, the figure 52 sides |
| Materials, slat crateSITES | ½” or ¾” AC exterior plywood, 1 x 4” heat-treated battens, 2 x 4” framing, 4 x 4" skids |
| Gap to the goodsGDV 6.1 | Not smaller than 3 cm |
Sources: GDV 6.8 · USDA AH-252 · SITES · GDV 6.1
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| WeatherAH-252 | For items not affected by weather or stored inside; a waterproof shroud gives partial protection |
| Light, bulky itemsAH-252 | Light, bulky items that do not require a waterproof container |
| Seeing the goodsNelson | Product visibility; staking for odd-shaped products |
| Typical loadsCrating Technology, maker guide | Heavy machine parts that need no weather protection, ventilated cargo, weight-sensitive air freight |
| ClimateCrating Technology | Rarely makes sense for shipments crossing climate boundaries |
| ISPM 15ISPM 15 | Solid wood: heat treated at 56 °C for 30 minutes, or fumigated, and marked; only processed wood such as plywood is exempt |
| 20 ft door and insideTriton | Door 2,340 × 2,280 mm; inside 5,898 × 2,352 mm; 28,380 kg payload |
Sources: USDA AH-252 · Nelson (Wayback) · Crating Technology · ISPM 15 · Triton (20ft)
A framework of boards with gaps between them rather than a closed box (GDV), also called a skeleton, slat or frame crate. ASTM D6039 covers open crates for net loads up to 4000 lb [1814 kg] for items that need only limited protection against the elements.
There is no stock size: open crates are built round the goods. AH-252’s military open crate goes up to 16 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet high for items up to 10,000 pounds, and GDV asks for a gap of at least 3 cm around the goods.
GDV keeps the closed area to the open area between 1:1 and 2:1, so the gaps run from half a board to a full board wide, with boards not less than 10 cm wide.
For items not affected by weather or stored inside, and for light, bulky items that need no waterproof container (AH-252); the crate is lighter, since its components are minimum size. A waterproof shroud gives partial protection.
Yes: they are solid lumber, so the wood must be heat treated (56 °C for 30 minutes) or fumigated and carry the mark; only processed wood such as plywood is exempt. On an open crate GDV puts markings on a separate plywood or OSB sheet.
Buyers of large castings, frames and panels ask whether an open crate is enough, how the goods are fixed inside, the crate’s outside size and gross weight, and whether the wood is treated and marked. 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.
