How we crate slabs for long-haul transport

Slabs break in transit for boring reasons: the crate flexes, a point load presses on a face, vibration grinds unprotected edges, or moisture gets in and stains. Every step below exists to kill one of those failure modes.

1. Inspect, then interleave every face

   Each slab is inspected before crating. Polished faces never touch each other: foam sheet or plastic film goes between every pair of slabs, so vibration cannot grind one face against the next during weeks at sea.

2. Upright on an A-frame — never flat

   Slabs travel standing at a slight angle in a reinforced A-frame wooden crate. Flat-stacked large slabs flex and crack under their own weight the first time a forklift or a wave moves the stack; upright, the load travels through the slab's strongest direction.

3. Edges and corners get armour

   Edge protectors and corner guards go on before strapping. Steel or heavy PET strapping locks the bundle to the frame so nothing can walk loose mid-voyage.

4. The crate is fumigated export timber

   Crates are built from fumigated, ISPM-15-compliant wood, so your container clears destination biosecurity without delays or re-packing at the port.

5. Blocked and braced inside the container

   Crates are blocked against the container walls — no free travel in any direction — and nothing is ever stacked on top of a slab crate. Desiccants go in against container rain on tropical routes.

6. Photographed, crate by crate

   We photograph every crate before and after loading, and the sealed container before departure. If anything ever arrives damaged, the insurance claim starts with evidence, not arguments.