If you are moving cross country or to another country, there are many benefits to hiring a custom relocation service. They can help you find housing, enroll your children in new schools and arrange for the transport of your belongings from your old home to your new one. There are many factors that must be considered when selecting a custom relocation service. However, one of the most overlooked factors is what type of moving crates they use. Moving crates go by many names, including shipping containers, moving pods and shipping crates. But regardless of what they are called, there are two main types used by relocation services. These are metal and wood. There are pros and cons to each type of crate and learning about these will help you select the crate type that is ideal for your move. From there, you will know to look for a custom relocation service that offers the type of crate you desire for your move.

Metal Moving Crates

Metal moving crates are currently the most commonly used type of moving crate. They are most often made from steel, which is a strong and durable material.

The benefit to metal moving crates is that they are strong. This helps them to hold more weight than wood crates. If you are moving extremely heavy items, you may need a metal container. The other benefit to them being strong is that it helps to protect your belongings, as they are harder to break into. Metal containers are hard to cut open, pry open or break into, which ultimately offers your belongings a level of protection that isn't present with wood and plastic.

One of the downsides to metal moving crates is that they rust. As such, they must be inspected before each move to ensure they don't have holes. If holes are present, water can leak into the container, causing damage to your belongings. The other downside to metal moving crates is that they are expensive. Because they are costly for shipping companies to purchase, they generally cost more to rent. Because of this, you may find yourself spending slightly more to rent a metal moving crate than if you selected wooden moving crates.

Wood Moving Crates

Wood moving crates are another commonly used type of moving crate. They are made from a variety of different wood types and thicknesses, depending on how far the crate is going and how long the crate is designed to last.

One of the major benefits to wood moving crates is that they are affordable. This makes them an option for people who need a crate for a uniquely-shaped object, such as a piano. You can have a crate custom built from wood to accommodate your uniquely-shaped or fragile items without breaking the budget. The other benefit to wood shipping containers being affordable is that they generally cost less to rent than metal ones if you are selecting standard-sized crates rather than custom built ones.

One of the cons to wood moving crates is that they can be damaged by water. This means that they either need to be covered with plastic tarps when traveling through rainy or wet conditions, or you may want to opt for another type of moving container. The other downside is that wood-eating pests love to munch on wood moving containers. As such, the containers have to be sprayed with pesticides often. Some people don't like the smell of pesticides and would prefer their belongings not be in contact with these items. If you are one of these people, wood moving crates may not be ideal for you.  

Some custom relocation services have access to both metal and wood moving crates. Other companies only have access to one type of crate or the other. Learning about these different moving materials will help you determine which type of crate makes the most sense for your move. Once you know what type of moving container is right for you, you can find a custom relocation service that offers the type of container you prefer.