Almost every service and product-oriented business in the world uses packaging materials at some point in its operations. If your own business does, it's one of the many thousands, possibly millions, of others that do the same. What's easy to forget every time you assemble a box or pallet for shipping, or use pallets as part of your project work, is the possible environmental impact of all the materials being used.

 This is where wooden crates and pallets become useful. They're an ideal sustainable packaging solution that can be used multiple times over—if handled carefully—and you can even sturdily finish their assembly yourself with a minimal need for tools.

 Essentially, with little more than a reliable staple gun and a handy supply of Crating SCRAIL® fasteners, you can handle your own wooden packaging materials like a pro. Here are a few reasons why you should consider this practice.

When packaging durable goods or loading bulk supplies onto pallets, the last thing anyone wants is a pallet that can’t stand up to the job. Yet, most people who work with pallets regularly have experienced pallet failure. There are really only two components to a pallet: The lumber and the fasteners. Where fasteners are concerned, you can easily eliminate problems by choosing SCRAIL®, a BECK brand. Due to its aggressive thread design, SCRAIL® Nail Screw Fasteners have maximum holding power—so your pallets will stay strong. When it comes to the lumber, it’s all about wood selection. Let’s explore how to give your pallets the strength they need to hold up under any job.

If you’re a builder, then you probably have a collection of shipping pallets and crates taking up space somewhere in your warehouse or staging area. They come with many of the products you use regularly, like bags of concrete, cement blocks, construction materials and so on. Have you ever thought about what you are going to do with all of them? The wood can be harvested for reuse in a variety of ways. You can create a compost holder, or harvest the wood and sell it for a low price to hobbyists who love the rustic look of pallet wood for many different projects.

Packaging is an essential aspect of product preservation and safety as companies can incur significant losses if merchandise is damaged in route to its destination. Although we may not think of wood packaging solutions as products that have room for improvement, the truth is that custom industrial packing and shipping companies are continually developing innovative solutions to ensure the items entrusted to their care arrive unscathed.

It has long been said that beauty is what’s on the inside. That couldn’t be truer than when shipping large, fragile, and valuable items in shipping crates. With our globalized economy, people and businesses are using shipping crates to protect and move products being shipped around the world. From retail merchandise to machines and equipment of any size, shape and weight, wooden shipping crates provide light, yet strong, enclosures to protect contents during shipping and storage.

Wood pallets are workhorses that constantly carry heavy loads. It’s the goal of every business that uses pallets to extend their life as much as possible, because, of course, a longer lifespan means less money spent on pallets. There are several ways to extend a pallet’s life so you can get the most out of it.

Shipping fragile holiday gifts to friends and family can become expensive very quickly. Anyone who has contacted a freight company will know that shipping a crated item is not cheap. However, there is a way to save money by making your own shipping crates from home! For tips on what needs to be crated and the supplies needed to make your own crate this holiday season, keep on reading. 

Did you ever try the egg drop challenge where you use paper, tape, and straws to create a protective package around an egg that would then be dropped from a height to see if it cracked? If you fail, your egg goes splat. Now imagine being asked to create a protective package around a 200-pound, $5,000 sofa that could potentially fall off a truck or warehouse rack. If you fail, you’re accountable for a lot more than a scrambled egg. Crating is an art form. Here are 5 tricks to help you build crates that can handle their journey.

Crates have been used for centuries to ship valuables from shore to shore, doorstep to doorstep. They have remained the steadfast choice when shipping items of value because of their durability, and the protection they offer. Crates protect their contents from damage during travel due to the crate box’s framework. The wood composition provides strength in conjunction with the strength of the fasteners that hold it together. All that is for nothing though if the contents inside are able to move and shift during delivery, causing potential damage in transport.

Known for durability, crating is the preferred method for shipping overseas or for any journey that requires extra protection. To ensure the contents arrive in the same shape they departed in, there are plenty of materials that can be used. Since these materials only have the job of protection, and aesthetics are irrelevant, this is a great place to use eco-friendly materials. Check out these tips for making your crating a little greener.