Equipment skids

An equipment skid should be the unit’s footprint or a little larger, so the corners of the unit never overhang and take the hits. If the unit will be crated on the skid, the crate walls stand on the deck edges, so the skid grows by the thickness of the crate. Tell us which.

Equipment that waits in storage sits on its skid for weeks or months. A skid keeps it off a wet floor and lets air under it, and wood below 20% moisture content won’t support mold. Units stored outdoors need a deck that sheds water: leave gaps between deck boards, and say if the skid will stand on gravel or soil.

Equipment is usually strapped or bolted to its skid for the truck. Strap slots, a wider lead board to bolt through, or cleats nailed to the deck to stop the unit sliding can all be drawn in. Mark where the unit’s mounting holes or lifting points are.

If the unit gets moved often, by pallet jack or across a conveyor, a full pallet with a bottom deck may serve better than a skid. The skid vs pallet guide sets the two side by side.

Equipment that ships inside a crate sits on a skid that forms the crate’s base, and the skid must be wider than the unit by the crate wall and any blocking. Equipment that ships bare, wrapped in film, needs a skid sized flush to the unit so nothing overhangs and nothing tears the wrap. Say which, and give the unit’s footprint, height and weight; if it is top-heavy, mark where the centre of gravity sits.

Units stored on their skids for months, waiting for installation, need runners that stay straight under a constant load.

Cabinets, panels and instruments are often light for their size but sensitive to shock. A flat, even deck, padding between unit and wood, and careful lifting matter more than raw strength. Say if the unit has handling instructions printed on its carton.

Units delivered ahead of installation can wait for months in yards or warehouses. Dried lumber, runners that keep the unit off wet ground, and a deck that sheds water protect it meanwhile.

Equipment skids are often moved more than once: from the shop to the truck, from the truck to a site, and again when the unit is installed. Runners tall enough for forklift tines, chamfered ends that let it be dragged or winched, and lifting points where a crane might pick it all belong on the sheet. Tie-down points, so chains or straps can secure it on a flatbed, are worth adding too.