We Come to You, Whatever You Need Packed
What is onsite packing? Let’s talk about it!
Some machinery simply can’t be moved before it’s protected. Perhaps it’s bolted to a slab, too heavy to shift twice, mid-way through a production line, or sitting on the third floor of a building with no loading dock. Trucking it to a packing facility unprotected isn’t a minor inconvenience — it’s the exact risk you’re trying to avoid in the first place.
That’s the entire reason on-site packing exists. At Crate n Pack Solutions, we are known as The Leaders of Industrial Packaging in Melbourne. We have packed hundreds of heavy machinery items ranging from 50kgs up to 20+tonne. Our onsite packing service is a packing service specifically for heavy machinery and fragile equipment being exported internationally.
Our dedicated mobile packing team travels to your business, or item location anywhere across Melbourne and Victoria. We arrive fully equipped to crate and pack heavy machinery and fragile equipment on the spot — so nothing moves until it’s already protected. At Crate n Pack Solutions, this is what we do best.
Quick Takeaways
- On-site packing means our packing team travels to your location with everything needed — custom crates and cases, specialised packing tools, VCI film, shrink wrap and bracing materials — and we can pack the crate or case – where the equipment sits.
- We’ve packed all types of heavy machinery and fragile equipment items from 10kg electronics up to 30+ tonne machinery, on-site, with no size or weight limitation on what we can handle at your location.
- Service coverage spans Melbourne metro, the South East suburbs, Dandenong, Frankston, Geelong, the Mornington Peninsula, and regional Victoria within a 150km radius, with interstate coverage available for major relocations.
- We schedule around your production — shutdowns, after-hours or weekends — so packing doesn’t cost you downtime.
- Every export job includes ISPM15 heat-treated, IPPC-stamped timber, certified and stamped on-site as standard.
- Free site visits and measure-ups for jobs of reasonable size across Melbourne metro, with a fixed-price quote typically provided within one working day.
What Is On-Site Packing?
On-site packing is the process of building and applying protective timber crates, cases and packaging directly at a client’s premises, rather than requiring equipment to be transported to a packing facility first. A mobile team brings all materials and tools to the location — the factory floor, warehouse, mine site or job site — measures the equipment, builds a custom crate or base around it, and applies bracing, corrosion protection and export compliance where required, all before the item ever needs to move. It’s the standard approach for machinery that’s too heavy, too sensitive, or too impractical to relocate unprotected.
Why On-Site Packing Exists
Heavy or fragile equipment creates a genuine chicken-and-egg problem: you need to protect it before it moves, but moving it to get protected is itself the highest-risk part of the journey.
On-site packing services by Melbourne’s leading industrial company, removes that problem entirely by bringing the packing capability to wherever the equipment already is.
Eliminate transport risk. No crane-lifting, trucking or repositioning equipment before it’s protected. We pack items exactly where they sit — factory floor, warehouse, basement, or upper floor.
Reduce costs significantly. One trip to the final destination instead of a pre-packing transport leg, crane hire, rigging and duplicated logistics coordination.
Minimise production downtime. We work around your schedule — production shutdowns, after-hours, or weekends — so packing doesn’t interrupt operations that are already running to a plan.
No practical size or weight limitation. We’ve packed all types of machinery ranging from 10kg sensitive electronics to 30+ tonne industrial equipment at customer locations — CNC machines, printing presses, medical and scientific instruments, mining components, complete production lines.
Complete service integration. One team handles it all, from assessment to crating, packing, documentation and freight coordination — rather than juggling separate providers for each stage. Crate n Pack Solutions offer a full service, no need to juggle multiple companies while trying to chase the strict cut off times by the shipping boats.
What We Build and Install On-Site
- Custom wooden crates — open-slatted or fully enclosed designs, top-loading, side-loading or pallet-box configurations depending on how the equipment needs to be handled.
- Heavy-duty industrial crates — reinforced timber construction engineered for machinery weighing 30+ tonnes, crane-lift compatible and forklift accessible.
- Export-compliant cases — ISPM15 certified, heat-treated timber built in as standard, with official stamps and documentation applied on-site.
- Internal bracing systems — custom timber framework preventing load shift during transit, protecting vulnerable components like spindles, control panels and precision parts.
- Foam padding and protection — high-density foam cut to the equipment’s contours for shock absorption and vibration dampening.
- Moisture and corrosion barriers — shrink wrap for a weatherproof seal, combined with VCI barrier film to prevent rust on metal surfaces during ocean freight.
For container-bound export shipments, we also use space-planning software to maximise container utilisation before packing begins — fitting more into every container without compromising bracing or protection, which keeps freight costs down on multi-item export jobs. See our full container packing service for how this integrates with the on-site build.
On-Site Packing vs In-house Packing
| Factor | On-Site Packing | In-House Packing |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Heavy, bolted-down, pre-aligned, or hard-to-access equipment | Equipment that’s easy and cost-effective to transport |
| Transport risk | None before packing — item doesn’t move until protected | Item travels unprotected to the facility first |
| Cost factors | Saves on pre-packing transport, crane hire and rigging | May be more cost-effective for small, easily moved items |
| Scheduling | Fits around your production shutdown, after-hours or weekend | Fits around facility booking schedule |
| Typical use case | CNC machines, production lines, mining equipment, factory relocations | Smaller machinery, palletised goods, standard crates |
Both options are available through us — whichever suits the specific job better, and we’ll advise honestly on which makes more sense rather than defaulting to the option that’s easier for us. If you’re trying to decide between onsite packing and in-house packing, speak to our team and let’s assess your requirements and capabilities together.
Areas We Cover
Our dedicated, mobile team packing team regulary travels throughout Melbourne metro, the South East suburbs, Dandenong, Frankston, Geelong, the Mornington Peninsula, and regional Victoria within a 150km radius of our Dandenong South base. For significant machinery relocations, interstate projects are also available.
Wherever your heavy machinery or fragile equipment is sitting, the same custom-build process applies.
Our On-Site Process
- Enquiry and initial details. Send equipment dimensions, weight, photos, location and your required packing date to sales@cratenpacksolutions.com or call (03) 8759 1696.
- Free site visit and measure-up. For jobs of reasonable size across Melbourne metro, our site manager visits at no cost, with no obligation and no sales pressure.
- Fixed-price quote. Typically provided within one working day of the site visit or submitted details.
- Scheduled pack. We build to your timeline — including shutdowns, after-hours or weekend work — so the pack doesn’t cost you production time.
- Build, brace and protect. Custom crate or case construction, internal bracing, foam padding, and moisture/corrosion protection applied on-site.
- Export compliance where required. ISPM15 heat-treated timber, stamped and certified on-site, with documentation ready for customs.
- Container loading and freight coordination. Where needed, we coordinate directly with your freight forwarder or arrange shipping through our own network — one team managing the whole process end to end.
The Range of Equipment We’ve Packed On-Site
Real jobs, not hypotheticals: CNC machines and production equipment, printing presses, medical and scientific instruments, mining components, brewery and dairy processing equipment, aerospace and defence components, complete production lines during factory relocations — and, on one memorable job, a space capsule being prepared for launch. If it’s heavy, sensitive, or genuinely difficult to move, there’s a good chance we’ve already packed something like it.
We’ve also applied the same on-site precision to a custom timber cradle for a Formula 1 race car — proof that the process scales from routine machinery to genuinely one-of-a-kind assets without cutting corners on precision.
Why Melbourne Businesses Choose Us for On-Site Packing
- 25+ years and 3,000+ completed jobs since 1999 — a track record built specifically on on-site, mobile packing capability, not just factory-based crate building.
- 10kg to 30+ tonnes — genuinely no practical size limitation on what our mobile team can pack at your location.
- 2-5 day lead times, with rush service available for urgent deadlines.
- ISPM15/AWPCS certified — export compliance built into every job as standard, stamped and documented on-site.
- Price-match guarantee and volume discounts for multi-item projects, with detailed quotes provided after a free assessment.
- Single dedicated Dandenong South team — the people who quote your job are the same people who show up and build it.
If your equipment can travel cost-effectively, our team can also pack it at our Dandenong South facility — see our industrial packing services overview for both options side by side. For export-specific requirements, our ISPM15 Export Compliance Guide covers exactly what’s required before goods leave Australia, and our guide on crates vs cases can help you decide which container type suits your equipment before we arrive.
Who Actually Shows Up to Pack Your Equipment
When a mobile packing team arrives at your site, the people doing the work matter more than the materials they bring.
It’s common in this industry – for on-site packing jobs to be handled by general pallet or crate-building staff, and we have seen labour hire workers brought in for the day with no prior experience on your specific equipment.
That’s not how we operate at Crate n Pack Solutions.
At Crate n Pack Solutions, our dedicated onsite packing team are not only dedicated packers – meaning our packing team pack heavy machinery and our pallet and crate builders build the pallets and crates. Our packing team receive weekly in-house training specifically on machinery packing, on top of their pallet, crate and case-building skills — and every on-site job has Chris, our dedicated project manager and one of Melbourne’s most experienced heavy machinery packers, on-site personally.
Most importantly, at Crate n Pack Solutions – We send a trained and dedicated packing team. Not just workers.
FAQ: On-Site Packing Services
What are on-site packing services and how do they work? Our mobile packing team travels to your business site or item location, pwith everything needed to crate and pack equipment on location — pre-built crates and cases, shrink wrap, VCI barrier bags, foam and the tools to handle equipment up to 30+ tonnes. It’s the right option when equipment is too big, too sensitive, or too impractical to move to a packing facility before crating.
What is on-site crating and when is it the right option? On-site crating means we build and assemble the crate around your equipment where it stands — the right call for permanently installed machinery, multi-tonne assets, or factory relocations scheduled around a production shutdown. For equipment that can travel to our Dandenong South facility cost-effectively, facility-based packing is often faster and cheaper instead.
What Melbourne and Victoria areas do you cover? All metropolitan Melbourne suburbs, the South East, Dandenong, Frankston, Geelong and the Mornington Peninsula, plus regional Victoria within roughly 150km. Interstate coverage is available for larger relocation projects — get in touch with your location and we’ll confirm scheduling.
Is there a weight or size limit for on-site packing? No practical limit — we’ve packed items from 10kg electronics through to machinery exceeding 30 tonnes on-site. If it’s too big or heavy to move safely, that’s usually exactly why on-site packing is the right call.
Can you handle export compliance as part of an on-site pack? Yes. ISPM15 heat-treated, IPPC-stamped timber is built in as standard for any export shipment, with certification and stamps applied on-site and documentation ready for customs.
Do you work around our production schedule? Yes. We regularly schedule on-site packing around shutdowns, after-hours or weekend windows specifically to avoid disrupting production.
How do I book an on-site packing service? Call (03) 8759 1696 or send equipment dimensions, photos, location and your required date to sales@cratenpacksolutions.com. Free site visits are available for jobs of reasonable size in Melbourne metro, with a fixed-price quote typically provided within one working day.
Can you coordinate freight and shipping as well as the packing itself? Yes. We coordinate directly with your freight forwarder, or arrange shipping ourselves, so one team manages assessment, crating, packing, documentation and freight from start to finish.
Summary
On-site packing solves the one problem no amount of good packaging can fix after the fact: moving heavy or sensitive equipment before it’s protected. By bringing the entire capability to wherever your equipment sits — anywhere across Melbourne and regional Victoria — we remove that risk completely, on a schedule built around your production, not ours.
