Wide load shipments of heavy-duty wood crates can be quite a challenging process to navigate. A wide load by definition is any load more than 8.5 feet wide and will require a state permit to travel on public highways (with a few exceptions). Learn more about wide load regulations here!
Why are wide load shipments so costly?
- Travel Escorts: In most of the US, shipments over 12 feet wide require 1-2 travel escorts. In addition to per-mile rates, shippers generally cover the cost of hotels and other incidentals, increasing the cost of your shipping estimate.
- Driving Time Limitations: Generally oversize loads with travel escorts may only be on the road from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Other limitations are weekdays, most states don't allow transit on weekends or holidays.
- Schedules: Before your wide load shipments get on the road, drivers are required to have permits for each state traveled through, with exact travel routes designated.
Solution: Ship on an angle
Introduce a device known as a "canted cradle" which elevates the heavy-duty wood crates into an angle that reduces the width of the crate and thereby eliminates wide load shipping fees.
In the past there have been three options, the Canted Cradle Only, Canted Cradle with Top Box and the Canted Cradle with Removable Top Box but this San Diego crating manufacturer has created a fourth option.
Valley Box designed a way to eliminate the cost of wide load shipment difficulties, check out our Collapsible Canted Cradle!
NEW Collapsible Canted Cradle
The collapsible canted cradle is a shipping crate that folds down to create a flat package that reduces the size of the container.
This heavy-duty wood crate allows the customer to easily load their part, tilt-up into the shipping position, then collapse to remove the part.
This San Diego crating manufacturer's new design allows one person to do the entire job, greatly reducing the costs associated with wide load shipments & labor fees.
Is our Collapsible Canted Cradle right for you?
One of our experienced heavy-duty wood crates experts will evaluate your product's workflow and can recommend if a collapsible return shipper is a good solution for you.
Here are some other awesome benefits these smart containers have to offer:
- User friendly: Destination staff can easily collapse containers by hand. Plus, they are easy to clean and prep for the next run, which helps reduces labor costs.
- Optimizes storage space: Besides being composed of durable materials that withstand impact, collapsible shippers lay flat, stack and store easily, which reduces the opportunity for damage.
- Freight Savings: Valley Box's San Diego crating engineers will design a fold-able shipper for your project that can help reduce overall cubic feet and save money on that return trip! Freight costs are not only based on payload but cubic feet as well.
Canted Cradle Only
Some customers will purchase the canted cradle and mount their part directly to it without a top box. This allows them to ship a part that would be considered a wide load without the extra fees associated with a wide load.
Canted Cradle with Top Box
Some canted cradles already have the box mounted. Something to consider is the challenge with this method is it can be harder to safely load and unload the part. To get the part out at an angle requires more labor to sling it out safely.
Canted Cradle Removable Top Box
In some cases, a customer may require the horizontal loading of their product into the shipping container. After final packaging, the heavy-duty wood crate is then sling lifted onto the cradle and secured with bolts so it can ship in the canted position. Once at the end-user the bolts are simply removed, the box is sling lifted off. Once in the horizontal orientation, the part can then be accessed.
