Craters & Freighters

What Craters & Freighters does

Craters & Freighters is a U.S. specialty logistics franchise network providing custom crating, engineered packaging, and freight forwarding services for items that are oversized, fragile, hazardous, high-value, or otherwise difficult for standard carriers to handle. The company is anchored by Craters & Freighters Franchise Company (Colorado corporation) as franchisor, with 65+ independently owned and operated franchise locations across the United States delivering local project execution backed by national and international shipping resources. Core service lines include Custom Crating Services (including ISPM 15 certified export wood crates), Custom Packaging Services (anti-static ESD, vapor barrier, cushioning, heat shrink), and Shipping Services (U.S. domestic, international, freight forwarding, white-glove delivery).

Technical capability centers on SolidWorks CAD-based engineering of one-off crates tailored to unique item geometries, supplemented by regulatory expertise in ISPM 15 heat-treated wood packaging, UN-certified hazmat containers, and multi-modal transportation coordination (truck, air, ocean, breakbulk). Recent productization efforts extend these capabilities into specialized verticals such as aerospace components, museum-quality artifact transport, historical racecar shipping, and unmanned aircraft system (drone) shipping.

The business model is a sales-led, project-based franchise system. The franchisor collects franchise fees and royalties from independently owned franchisees (such as Craters and Freighters New York City, headquartered in Middlesex, NJ), each of which generates revenue through one-time crating/packaging project fees, freight transaction fees, cargo insurance, and white-glove delivery services. All pricing is custom quote-based, with no publicly disclosed tiers; customers engage via phone, website quote request forms, and onsite consultation visits. Customer segments span commercial (IT/electronics, military and government, medical equipment, manufacturing and heavy equipment, aerospace, hazmat) and residential (arts, antiques, estate and trust shipping, senior relocation) end markets, served through a direct-sales motion supplemented by content marketing, video, and local SEO channels.

Name

Craters & Freighters

Legal name

Craters and Freighters New York City

Website

https://cratersandfreightersmanhattan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Craters & Freighters is a U.S. franchise network of 65+ locations providing custom crating, engineered packaging, and freight forwarding for oversized, fragile, hazardous, or high-value items, serving commercial and residential customers across electronics, government, medical, industrial, and museum verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Crating & Shipping Logistics

NAICS

Packing and Crating (488991)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650)

akta.pro primary industry

Crates & Cases (Wooden/Plastic/Metal, Export Cases) (IMALAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Material Handling Protective Accessories (Slip Sheets, Corner Boards, Pallet Collars) (IMALAFAN), Fine Art & Exhibition Cargo Forwarding (TLACAJAH), Hazardous Materials & UN-Certified Transport Packaging (Dangerous Goods Packaging) (IMALAFAK)

Keywords

• Custom crating services
• Specialty packaging solutions
• Freight forwarding services
• White-glove delivery
• International shipping logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Middlesex

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Crating Services: Design and fabrication of custom wooden crates tailored to specific items being shipped, including ISPM 15 certified export crates, reusable trade show crates, and specialty crates for heavy equipment, machinery, and unusual items
2. Custom Packaging Services: Packaging services including anti-static packaging for electronics, vapor barrier packaging, corrugated packaging, cushioning, and heat shrink wrapping for items requiring specialized protection
3. Domestic Shipping Services: U.S. domestic shipping including truck, air, and sea transport, white-glove delivery service, pickup and delivery, and time-critical/overnight services
4. International Shipping & Freight Forwarding: International shipping services including ocean freight, air freight, freight forwarding, and comprehensive logistics coordination for overseas shipments
5. Insurance Services: Cargo insurance coverage for items during pickup, packaging, and transit to final destination, with industry-leading insurance options not offered by standard providers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Craters & Freighters provides custom design, fabrication, and shipping of specialty wooden crates and protective packaging for items that standard carriers cannot safely transport — including oversized industrial equipment, fragile artworks, sensitive electronics, hazmat, military assets, and museum artifacts. The franchise combines SolidWorks CAD-engineered crate design with ISPM 15 certified export packaging, anti-static and vapor barrier materials, and a national network supporting domestic, international, and white-glove delivery service.

Product overview

Craters & Freighters is a specialty crating, packaging, and shipping franchise network with 65+ locations across the United States. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services centered around custom wood crating and specialized packaging solutions for valuable, fragile, heavy, or sensitive items. Core offerings include Custom Crating Services (including ISPM-15 certified wood crates), Custom Packaging Services (anti-static, vapor barrier, cushioning), and Shipping Services (domestic, international, freight forwarding). The portfolio extends to specialized vertical solutions including Commercial Shipping for IT/Electronics, Medical Equipment, Military & Government, Manufacturing, and Heavy Equipment; Residential Shipping for arts, antiques, and estate items; Relocation Services; Hazmat Shipping; and white-glove delivery options. Recent additions include custom aerospace crating using CAD modeling for aerospace clients and specialized crating for museum-quality artifacts like historical racecars. The company also provides cargo insurance and on-site crating services. All services are delivered through a franchisee network model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Crating Services Custom-designed and built wooden crates tailored to specific item dimensions and protection requirements, including ISPM-15 certified export crates, on-site crating at customer locations, museum and art crating, and reusable trade show crates. For commercial and residential customers needing precise protection for unusual, oversized, fragile, or high-value items.
• Custom Packaging Services Specialty packaging solutions including anti-static (ESD) packaging for electronics, corrugated packaging, cushioning, industrial heat shrink wrapping, and vapor barrier packaging with desiccant. For commercial and residential customers shipping items requiring protection from static, moisture, shock, or physical damage.
• Shipping Services Comprehensive shipping solutions including U.S. domestic shipping, international shipping via ocean and air freight, freight forwarding, and pickup and delivery services. Includes white-glove delivery, time-critical, and overnight options for both commercial and residential customers.
• Server & Electronics Shipping Specialized shipping for sensitive electronic equipment including servers, computer peripherals, telecommunications equipment, and laboratory devices, with anti-static (ESD), vapor-barrier, and shock-protection packaging. For IT departments and electronics manufacturers.
• Military & Government Shipping Specialty crating and shipping services for U.S. military branches and federal/state government agencies requiring careful handling of defense assets and government equipment with regulatory compliance.
• Medical Equipment Shipping Specialty shipping for sensitive medical imaging systems, medical devices, and laboratory equipment requiring sterile handling, careful protection of instrumentation, and reliable delivery schedules.
• Manufacturing & Heavy Equipment Shipping Custom-engineered crating, heavy-duty lumber, steel corner supports, custom CAD-designed cradles, rigging, and specialized loading for shipping industrial machinery, manufacturing equipment, heavy equipment, and plant relocation assets. Includes breakbulk ocean transport for multi-ton items.
• Residential Shipping (Arts, Antiques & Estate) Residential specialty shipping for valuable items including fine art, antiques, museum-quality pieces, sculptures, paintings, china and tableware, and grandfather clocks with white-glove handling, climate awareness, and high-value insurance coverage.
• Relocation Services Relocation services including estate moves and senior moving services with careful, white-glove handling for valuable and sensitive household items.
• White-Glove Delivery Service Premium white-glove delivery service with elevated care and attention to detail for fragile, high-value, or sensitive items requiring extra handling protection during transit to final destination.
• Hazmat Shipping Specialized hazardous materials shipping services including lithium batteries and other hazmat cargo, with proper UN-certified containers, regulatory documentation, and compliance with hazmat transport regulations.
• On-Site Crating Crating services performed at the customer's location for large, oversized, or immovable equipment that cannot be transported to the Craters & Freighters facility.
• Reusable & Trade Show Crates Durable reusable wooden crates designed for repeated use in trade shows and recurring shipping needs, offering cost savings over time versus single-use packaging.
• Cargo Insurance Comprehensive all-risk cargo insurance coverage for items during pickup, packaging, and transit to final destination, offering protection beyond what standard freight carriers provide.
• Custom Aerospace Crating Custom-engineered crating solutions using SolidWorks CAD modeling for aerospace components, including foam inserts, steel corner supports, custom color branding, and hinged lids for sensitive, irregularly shaped parts.
• Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS/Drone) Shipping Specialized shipping services for drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, including hazmat handling for lithium batteries, custom containers, and regulatory compliance for transport.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully shipped four historic racecars from Indianapolis to UK without damage
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Trees for the FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Craters & Freighters has partnered with Trees for the Future since 2015 as part of their sustainability commitment. Trees for the Future is a sustainable agriculture nonprofit dedicated to reforestation and sustainable farming practices. Craters & Freighters has helped plant 750,000 trees through this partnership, contributing to Trees for the Future's milestone of planting 200 million trees globally.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• XPO Logistics: XPO Logistics is a major North American LTL freight and contract logistics provider serving industrial and commercial shippers, including heavy and high-value freight. It is a broad-incumbent peer with overlapping freight forwarding, specialized handling, and industrial customer segments.
• PostalAnnex: PostalAnnex / iPostal1 operates a franchise network of shipping, packing, and business service centers serving SMBs and consumers. It is a broad-incumbent franchise peer to Craters & Freighters at the retail shipping/packaging layer, but without the custom industrial crating depth.
• FedEx Custom Critical: FedEx Custom Critical is a FedEx division providing time-sensitive, white-glove, and high-value shipment services with specialized handling. It is a broad-incumbent peer overlapping Craters & Freighters' white-glove, hazmat, and time-critical offerings as part of a much wider FedEx portfolio.
• The UPS Store: The UPS Store is a large franchise chain of shipping, printing, and mailbox service centers under the UPS brand. It is a broad-incumbent franchise peer that overlaps with Craters & Freighters' shipping and packaging services but lacks specialty custom crating focus.
• Iron Mountain Incorporated: Iron Mountain is a global logistics and storage specialist for records, data, and high-value physical assets, with services spanning secure transport, compliance packaging, and white-glove fulfillment. It is a broad-incumbent peer addressing similar regulated, high-value, niche-customer needs as Craters & Freighters.
• BlueGrace Logistics: BlueGrace Logistics is a third-party freight broker and logistics provider serving shippers of LTL, truckload, and specialized freight including hazmat. It is a broad-incumbent peer that competes for some commercial shipping customers Craters & Freighters serves through its franchise network.

Emerging players

• uShip: uShip is an online marketplace that connects shippers of oversized, fragile, and high-value goods (vehicles, equipment, art) with carrier capacity. It is an emerging digital peer that increasingly competes for the customer Craters & Freighters targets, though it does not produce packaging itself.
• GoShip: GoShip is an online freight marketplace matching LTL and specialty freight shipments to carriers. It is an emerging digital player serving some of the same B2B shipper audience Craters & Freighters reaches, particularly for one-off oversized industrial moves.

Direct peers

• Pak Mail: Pak Mail operates a nationwide franchise network of specialty packing, crating, and shipping stores for both residential and commercial customers, including custom packaging and international shipping. It is the closest direct franchise peer to Craters & Freighters' model.
• Pelican BioThermal: Pelican BioThermal manufactures and rents reusable temperature-controlled and protective packaging for life sciences, aerospace, and high-value industrial shipments. Comparable as a specialty protective packaging provider targeting regulated, sensitive goods similar to Craters & Freighters' electronics, medical, and aerospace verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ThinkCFNYNJ
• Facebookfacebook.com/THINKCFNYNJ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/craters-freighters-ny-nj
• Instagraminstagram.com/cfnynj

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Craters & Freighters