A good crate starts with good measurements. This guide covers what to measure, what else to tell your crate maker, and the limits to check before you fix the size.
By Matthew Bowes, APS Packaging Ltd. Last reviewed 30 October 2026
The quickest way to an accurate crate quote is to send the right measurements first time. A crate maker needs the size of the item at its widest points, its weight, how it is lifted, and where it is going. With those, the crate can be designed and priced in one go, rather than revised after the item turns up bigger or heavier than expected.
Tell us the size of the item, and we work out the internal size of the crate from it. The internal size is the item plus clearance for blocking, foam and fitting it in. The external size is the internal size plus the walls, frames, base and lid. If the crate has to fit something specific, such as a container, a door or a trailer, tell us the external limit as well and we will design inside it.
| Item | Typical allowance |
|---|---|
| Item bolted or blocked to the base | A small clearance each side for fitting |
| Item in foam | The foam thickness on every face, typically 25 to 50 mm |
| Item in a barrier bag | Room for the bag and desiccant without trapping it |
| Crate walls, frame and lid | Added outside the internal size |
| Limit | Approximate size | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 20 ft container door | About 2.34 m wide x 2.28 m high | The crate must fit through the door, not just inside |
| 40 ft container door | About 2.34 m wide x 2.28 m high (2.58 m high-cube) | High-cube boxes take taller crates |
| 20 ft container inside | About 5.9 m long x 2.35 m wide x 2.39 m high | Plan how crates stack and fill the box |
| 40 ft container inside | About 12.0 m long x 2.35 m wide x 2.39 m high | As above |
| Curtain-side trailer | About 2.45 m wide internal | Wider loads need special vehicles |
| Air freight | Set by the aircraft and pallet type | Ask your forwarder for the limits before we build |
Figures are typical; check the exact limits with your forwarder or haulier for the equipment they will use.
A photo with a tape measure in shot, or the maker’s drawing, saves a lot of questions. If the item is hard to measure, call us and we will talk you through it.
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Give the size of the item itself. We work out the internal size from it, and you tell us any external limit, such as a container door, that the crate must fit.
It depends on what holds the item: a small fitting clearance if it is bolted or blocked, or the foam thickness on each face, typically 25 to 50 mm, if it is foam-packed.
A standard container door is about 2.34 m wide and 2.28 m high, so the crate must fit through that opening. High-cube containers take taller crates.
Yes. The weight decides the base, the timber sizes and the fixing, so an accurate weight is as important as the size.
Call us and we will talk you through it. A photo with a tape measure in shot, or the maker’s drawing, is usually enough.
Send the measurements, weight and route and we will design the crate.
Email our Sales Team : sales@apspackaging.co.uk
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