When your business needs to move machinery, trade show equipment, manufacturing tools, or commercial fixtures, you need a freight partner who understands the stakes. Austin Crate & Freight provides custom crating, liftgate service, and LTL freight coordination for businesses throughout Central Texas.
Austin's economy includes manufacturing plants, technology companies, healthcare systems, construction contractors, and a growing trade show and events industry. Each sector regularly needs to move heavy, specialized equipment that standard parcel carriers cannot accommodate.
A manufacturing company relocating CNC machinery. A healthcare clinic decommissioning an MRI and shipping it to a new facility. A tech company that needs to get a trade show booth from Austin to Las Vegas and back in one piece. An Austin restaurant group moving commercial kitchen equipment to a second location. These are the businesses we serve.
We are not a moving company. We do not move households. We specialize in industrial, commercial, and high-value equipment that requires professional crating, proper freight classification, and experienced handling from dock to dock.
Every heavy equipment shipment follows a structured process designed to protect your asset, meet carrier requirements, and keep your project on schedule.
For large or complex equipment, we assess the item at your Austin location before building the crate. We measure, photograph, and identify any disassembly required for safe crating and transit.
Heavy equipment crates use heavier lumber grades and reinforced joinery compared to standard crates. Crate design accounts for forklift entry points, stacking weight, and internal bracing to prevent equipment movement.
LTL freight is priced by freight class (1–500), which is based on density, stowability, handling characteristics, and liability. We classify your shipment correctly to avoid reclassification charges and select the best carrier for the equipment type.
Business locations without loading docks require a liftgate truck for both pickup and delivery. We coordinate this at both the origin and destination so there are no surprises on arrival day.
For regulated equipment (medical devices, hazmat-adjacent machinery) we provide condition reports, crate inspection records, and carrier POD documentation. This protects you in insurance claims and compliance audits.
We ensure your equipment is covered at its actual replacement value — not LTL carriers' default $0.10/lb rate, which would leave a $20,000 machine valued at only $200 in their liability calculation.
We ship equipment in all of the following categories and have handled dozens of variations within each. If you do not see your equipment type listed, call us — we almost certainly can help.
Austin is home to major events including SXSW, the Austin City Limits Music Festival, and a growing roster of business and technology conferences. Companies exhibiting at Austin events and shipping their displays to other national venues need reliable, repeatable freight solutions.
Trade show displays present a unique combination of challenges: they are large and heavy, they have fragile branded graphics and lighting components, and they operate on hard deadlines. A display that arrives damaged or late does not just cost the repair — it costs the entire show investment.
We build crates specifically designed for exhibit components, with internal dividers, foam padding on graphic faces, and labeled packing lists so reinstallation at destination is straightforward. We also coordinate advance warehouse delivery and show-floor timing when required by the venue.
Cost depends on equipment dimensions, weight, freight classification, destination, and services required (liftgate, inside delivery, declared value coverage). As a rough guide:
Single-piece equipment under 500 lbs, local or short-haul Texas shipment, standard crate.
Pallet-rated equipment 500–2,000 lbs, LTL freight to any Texas destination, full-value coverage.
Multi-piece or multi-pallet equipment, custom crate design, cross-country LTL freight, white-glove delivery.
Call (512) 240-9818 or submit a quote request with your equipment type, dimensions, weight, and destination. We provide quotes quickly and without obligation.
Not necessarily. We have liftgate trucks for pickup at locations without loading docks — manufacturing facilities, retail locations, residences, and construction sites. Tell us your pickup location and we will send the right truck.
For equipment that requires partial disassembly for safe transport (removing large appendages, lifting arms, detachable components), we can coordinate disassembly. For equipment requiring specialized technical knowledge, we work alongside your technicians to ensure proper procedure.
LTL freight class is determined by four factors: density, stowability, handling, and liability. Most heavy industrial equipment falls into class 50–85, which are the lower-cost classes. Equipment with high liability (sensitive electronics, medical devices) is classified higher. We assess your equipment and classify it correctly to avoid expensive reclassification at the carrier facility.
Yes. We ship to major trade show venues across the US including Las Vegas Convention Center, McCormick Place Chicago, Orange County Convention Center, and others. We coordinate advance warehouse delivery and show move-in timing when required.
LTL carriers default to a liability of approximately $0.10–$0.25 per pound, which is catastrophically low for valuable equipment. A 1,000 lb machine worth $15,000 would only be covered for $100–$250 under default terms. We strongly recommend declared value coverage at actual replacement cost for all commercial equipment shipments.
Austin Crate & Freight serves the entire Austin metro — custom crating, white-glove pickup, and specialty freight for items that standard carriers cannot handle.
White-glove furniture shipping and custom crating across Austin and all of Texas. Sofas, dining sets, bedroom furniture, antiques, and pieces too large or fragile for standard carriers.
Tell us your equipment type, dimensions, weight, and destination. We will send back a complete quote covering crating, freight, and all services needed.