Cleated Crates

Companies choose plywood shipping crates with cleats because they combine lightweight plywood with reinforced cleats, offering strength, durability and cost savings for heavy or irregular shipments.

Plywood shipping crates with cleats are designed to balance performance and efficiency. Standard plywood crates are lighter than all-lumber containers, reducing freight costs, but they can flex under heavy loads. By adding lumber cleats to reinforce edges and joints, these industrial crates provide the rigidity needed for oversized or irregularly shaped cargo. Cleated crates also offer excellent customizability, making them adaptable for industries ranging from heavy equipment to specialty manufacturing. Their durable construction lowers product damage risk while still optimizing weight. For exporters and manufacturers alike, cleated crates are a proven solution for ensuring goods arrive intact while keeping shipping and material costs manageable.

Cleated crates are used in industries like military, government, heavy equipment, industrial production and specialty manufacturing where product protection and compliance are critical.

Cleated crates are relied upon in industries where durability and strength cannot be compromised. Military and government agencies use them for global shipments, often requiring mil-spec compliance. Heavy equipment manufacturers depend on cleated industrial crates to move large parts such as excavator arms, motors and backhoe scoops. In industrial production, these crates safeguard engines, delicate equipment and other high-value components. Specialty manufacturers benefit from plywood shipping crates for oversized items like bathtubs, plumbing fixtures or awkward assemblies that won’t fit into standard containers. Exporters also prefer cleated crates for international shipments, where cargo faces extended transit times, multiple transfers and shifting climates. Their versatility makes them essential across industries.

Cleated crates are built by fastening lumber cleats to plywood panels, creating a hybrid design that provides strength, stability and flexibility for heavy or irregular cargo.

From an engineering standpoint, cleated crates are constructed as sub-assemblies where lumber cleats are nailed or fastened to plywood panels. The cleats serve as a frame, distributing weight evenly and giving the container rigidity. For crates larger than standard 4×8 plywood sheets, cleats act as splices, joining panels into one continuous structure. This hybrid method ensures crates can support heavy loads while reducing unnecessary material usage. Depending on requirements, cleated crates may have full cleating on all edges, partial cleating for lighter-duty applications, or reinforced bottoms for heavy equipment. This adaptable design makes them one of the most versatile options in industrial packaging and export compliance.

Cleated crates provide superior strength-to-weight performance, cost efficiency and customizability, making them ideal for protecting sensitive, oversized or high-value products in demanding supply chains.

The advantages of cleated crates set them apart from standard wood boxes or solid-lumber crates. Their hybrid design delivers an excellent strength-to-weight ratio: plywood panels reduce overall weight while cleats reinforce stress points. This makes them economical to produce and transport without sacrificing durability. Cleated crates are highly customizable, with nearly unlimited design options to accommodate oversized, irregular or fragile items. Many are manufactured to comply with military specifications (mil-spec) and ISPM-15 export standards, ensuring consistency across industries. Most importantly, cleated industrial crates protect sensitive or high-value cargo through demanding shipping environments. Businesses rely on them for long-term performance and reduced damage risk.

Yes, cleated crates are durable enough for repeated use, making them a sustainable and cost-effective solution for industrial and export shipping.

Cleated crates are designed for durability, allowing them to be reused across multiple supply chain cycles. Their plywood-and-lumber hybrid construction can withstand repeated handling in warehouses, distribution centers, and export shipments. This makes them a sustainable alternative to single-use packaging, reducing both waste and costs. Many companies adopt reusable plywood shipping crates as part of their environmental initiatives, extending product life while conserving resources. For one-way export shipments, cleated crates can also be engineered for material efficiency, keeping overall weight and costs low. This adaptability ensures cleated industrial crates deliver long-term value, combining eco-friendly practices with reliable performance in global supply chains.

Millwood is the right partner for cleated crates because we design, build and deliver fully customized solutions backed by vertically integrated capabilities.

Millwood offers unmatched expertise in designing and manufacturing cleated crates tailored to specific products and shipping requirements. Whether your need is a one-time crate for oversized equipment or a repeatable system for export programs, our team engineers solutions that ensure safety and efficiency. With vertically integrated operations, Millwood controls the entire process—from lumber sourcing and design to crate construction and delivery. This provides customers with a single, reliable partner for cleated crates, plywood shipping crates, and other wood packaging solutions. By working with Millwood, companies gain consistent quality, compliance with industry and export standards and a partner committed to strengthening their supply chain.