When you ship precision semiconductor tools around the world, a cracked crate can mean more than just a visual blemish – it can delay delivery, upset high-stakes production timelines, and strain customer trust. For one of the world’s leading semiconductor capital equipment manufacturers, this was a recurring problem. Crates arrived visibly compromised, especially at the top panels, which were collapsing under weight during air freight transit.
The logistics team at Dimerco didn’t just file damage reports. They rolled up their sleeves, investigated root causes, and quietly tested a fix that would go on to reduce damage rates by 95%.
Understanding the Stakes in Semiconductor Equipment Packaging
Shipping semiconductor manufacturing equipment comes with unique demands. These are large, precision-built tools that require careful handling and secure transport packaging. Because they’re often shipped directly to fabrication plants — not distribution hubs — any damage can delay installation and stall production timelines.
For manufacturers, presentation matters almost as much as protection. Crates must arrive not only intact, but clean and undamaged on the outside. Visible wear, even without internal harm, can trigger repackaging, repairs, or customer concerns.
This was the case for a semiconductor leader supplying advanced equipment used in wafer fabrication – highly specialized tools that play a key role in semiconductor production at leading chip manufacturing facilities. The company was seeing an unacceptable volume of crate damage, especially to the top panels.
Roughly one in four shipments required some level of remediation on arrival, and the problem was growing too costly to ignore.
Identifying Where Cargo Packaging Fell Short
The equipment was shipped in lightweight shell crates, trucked from Oregon to San Francisco, then flown internationally, often via Singapore, to final destinations across Asia. At multiple points in the supply chain, especially between the origin warehouse and the aircraft, the crates were subject to rough handling.
Dimerco’s team launched a months-long investigation. They analyzed damages by carrier and by lane, checking whether issues were more frequent with certain airlines or ground handlers. They found that many of the damages were occurring before the crates even made it onto the plane.
In some cases, the manufacturer’s own truckers were stacking heavy freight on top of lighter crates to maximize trailer space. At the airport, airline ground crews moved the freight across long, bumpy stretches of tarmac using tug vehicles that offered no suspension. There were too many uncontrolled variables, and the crate’s design had no way to protect against vertical compression from above.
Implementing a Cost-effective and High-impact Solution
The Dimerco team analyzed the crate structure and quickly identified the weak point. While the product inside was well-protected from side impact, the top panel lacked internal support and was vulnerable to pressure from above, especially when heavier freight was stacked on top.
To address this, the team reinforced the crates externally with wooden 2×4 beams across the top. This simple addition turned the top panel into a load-bearing surface, allowing any pressure to be distributed to the sides of the crate rather than collapsing inward onto the equipment.
Rather than presenting the fix immediately, Dimerco implemented it on its own. Over six months and more than 17,000 shipments, only one crate experienced top-panel damage – a 95% reduction that proved the approach worked.
Building Trust with Proof
When Dimerco presented the results, they brought data – detailed spreadsheets showing shipment volumes, before-and-after damage rates, and photographic documentation of crate condition.
The manufacturer’s engineering team took notice. Eventually, they redesigned their own crates to incorporate Dimerco’s solution. But Dimerco didn’t wait. They continued to provide the improved packaging support for nearly a year after identifying the solution.
This kind of proactive support is part of what sets logistics partners apart from standard freight handlers. And it reflects a larger truth in the semiconductor industry: logistics isn’t just about movement. It’s about reliability, presentation, and foresight.
For more on the specialized requirements of the semiconductor sector, Dimerco’s case study on Shipping Dangerous Goods by Air explains how air cargo safety and compliance are managed for these high-value, sensitive shipments.
Solving Damage in Domestic and International Transport Packaging
This wasn’t the only challenge Dimerco helped overcome. Damage also occurred during domestic trucking, particularly when multiple lightweight crates were shipped loose. To reduce shifting and impact during the Oregon–San Francisco leg, Dimerco recommended banding similar crates together, creating more stability.
There were also aircraft loading issues. With single crates measuring around 30 inches in height, airlines often stacked additional cargo on top since the aircraft ceiling limit was 64 inches. Dimerco solved this by pre-stacking and banding two crates, reaching 60 inches in height, effectively discouraging further stacking by narrowing the space left above.
These adjustments weren’t flashy, but they worked. And they’re part of a larger Dimerco commitment to helping electronics and semiconductor customers streamline their global supply chains, both in transit and at the planning stage.
Logistics Partnership as a Key to Semiconductor Industry Success
For logistics buyers in the semiconductor industry, cargo packaging and damage prevention aren’t secondary concerns – they’re part of the value equation. As one of the top 3PLs serving this space, Dimerco combines deep Asia-Pac capacity with hands-on problem-solving.
When this leading manufacturer needed more than just tracking numbers, they got a partner who investigated, iterated, and implemented. That’s the kind of supply chain support that doesn’t just get freight from A to B – it helps keep entire manufacturing operations on track. To discuss your need for semiconductor logistics support, contact Dimerco today to speak to a semiconductor shipping specialist.
For a broader look at how semiconductors move from blueprint to final product, and how logistics supports each step, read our guide to Navigating the Global Semiconductor Supply Chain.
