Because there are too many things to consider, choosing a crating manufacturer can be a little overwhelming. After all, choosing the wrong partner can have a pretty serious effect on your business, particularly if the wooden crates you purchase do not do a good job of protecting your product during shipping.
Choosing an ideal partner, on the other hand, will make you feel like a rock star. Your products will be safe; there will be no inventory shortage; manufacturing lines will continue to run seamlessly; and they will safely get to their destination.
Aircraft Crating acknowledges that it is a smart tactic to be very cautious, and fortunately, there’s a way to walk a few steps ahead.
You’ll need to ask questions before diving into business with a new wood crating provider. Having the answers to some of the most important questions will help your organization identify problems before they start.
Question 1: What is the manufacturer’s range of package manufacturing?
The response to this question will help you gauge the capacity of the packaging supplier. For example, do they specialize in one kind of packaging—die-cut corrugated or heavy-duty shipping crates? Will they have a broader variety of wholesale-priced products?
Aircraft Crating offers custom crating for wooden boxes, heavy-duty platforms, and wood pallets.
Question 2: Are you ready for a quote?
You find a manufacturer, and you are ready to ask them for a quote, but are you prepared with the requisite details to give you a precise quote? There are some important details a manufacturer must know before they can give you a quote:
What are your products?
What are your products’ weight and dimensions?
How and where will your product be shipped?
Is the product prone to damage or fragile, involves chemicals, etc.?
Would you want it custom-made or choose from their standard crate sizes?
How will the product be stored?
Will the pallet be re-used?
Question 3: What can you expect from their customer service?
Knowing what to expect from the customer service team of the shipping crate supplier will help you manage your standards while embarking on your partnership with them. When choosing a partner, you really can’t deny the need for high-quality customer service.
You can consider choosing a manufacturer who only sells industrial wood and wood packaging so that you can avoid a lot of this frustration and poor customer service.
Aircraft Crating is devoted to providing exceptional customer service as well as building a strong relationship with our clients. We respect our clients and recognize that every shipping need is different.
Question 4: Are there other cost-related factors you should consider?
Cost factors are evident in any decision to work with the manufacturer, but there are many other factors that are also significant. Here are a couple you might want to focus on:
Shipping distance: How far will your finished crate have to travel to reach your product? Shipping distance will add dramatically to your costs.
Wood supply available: Does the manufacturer have a consistent supply of the wood products you’ll need for your wooden crate? Lack of supply can cause delays and increase costs.
Design savings: Are there ways to reduce the cost of the design or materials used for your pallet?
On-Time Delivery: Does the manufacturer have a nice record of on-time delivery? Having your pallet late can add to your costs, and your production may even slow down.
Question 5: Can the manufacturer meet your deadline?
This will help you decide if the company will deliver the wooden container on time.
Requesting a commitment in advance for timely deliveries will notify the provider that you will be evaluating their delivery performance. If they say they cannot meet your deadline because they have prior projects or it really takes a lot of time to work on your project, it is up to you to decide whether to extend your deadline or find another supplier.
Question 6: Does the manufacturer have the capacity to deliver?
The last thing you want when you have a vendor supply your crates and pallets is for them to run out of capacity to manufacture. After all, you are counting on them to deliver so that you can get your products to their destination.
So how can you ensure that the manufacturer you chose will not lack the capacity to deliver at some point?
The best way to make sure a vendor can always meet your needs is to pick one that has redundancies and locations for backups. Any vendor you want to manufacture your crates and pallets should have multiple plant locations so that when a problem occurs, backup locations may take over.
Aircraft Crating is offering our crating and packing services at the following locations:
Los Angeles, CA, Crating and Packaging Services
San Fernando, CA, Crating and Packaging Services
Sun Valley, CA, Crating and Packaging Services
Granada Hills, CA, Crating and Packaging Services
Northridge, CA, Crating and Packaging Services
And many more!
Question 7: Are you ready for a partner?
As a purchasing or shipping manager, it is a vital part of your role to find the right packaging for your products. What can make this part of your job simpler or easier is having a partner you can count on to meet your packaging needs.
Yes, you can get a bunch of quotes from different suppliers every time you need to purchase something, but that means you have to invest a lot of time again in researching and finding the right supplier.
On the other hand, you can save time and effort if you already have a go-to partner manufacturer because you know what to expect and can trust them.
Wrapping It All up
Hopefully, these 7 questions to ask before choosing a wooden crate or pallet manufacturer will help you avoid the possible pitfalls and be ready to work with a manufacturer to get the packaging materials you need for your product.
We know it can be challenging, but choosing the right partner for your company will produce great results.
Aircraft Crating is here to help you with your packaging needs. Whether you manufacture industrial machines, parts for the aviation, railway, or aerospace sectors, or any other products that require protection from the jolts and shocks of international shipping, we have the wooden shipping crates or pallets to ensure that your items arrive intact and with no scratches. Our wood boxes or crates are built to withstand the rigors of the export market and comply with ISPM 15 regulations.
When it comes to crates and packaging needs, Aircraft Crating Inc. has the expertise to deliver! Contact us now!