PPS Crate Hire Sponsors BAR North West AGM

Thursday 22nd January saw the night of the British Association of Removers North West area AGM.

PPS Crate Hire were honoured to sponsor the event which was held at Knutsford Golf Club.

The night included a three course meal and drinks followed by committee reports and guest speakers. Stephen Vickers (Director General of the British Association of Removers) provided an informative presentation on the introduction of the Primary Authority partnership with Hertfordshire Trading Standards, giving the removal companies the benefit of new and enhanced terms and conditions.

This is a huge benefit to members and a fantastic marketing tool. Joanne Moss reported “Lucy and I were pleased to be able to represent PPS Crate Hire at the event and would like to thank Annette Harris (Area Secretary) for arranging a successful evening and securing such a great turnout.

Having already established a hub in Manchester it is important for PPS to develop relationships within the region and expand the already prosperous service that we provide to the removals industry.

We look forward to meeting many new faces at future BAR events.”

Crate Hire from PPS

Renting crates for your office move or refurbishment couldn’t be simpler with PPS Crate Hire.  Our experienced customer service team will help you throughout the process from advising you on how many crates to hire to arranging collections to fit in with your business needs.

Here are some steps to follow when arranging crate hire:

1.    Which Crates? – PPS offers a large range of crates to our customers conducting office moves and refurbishments.  We provide computer crates which are specifically designed to hold a computer and all the related equipment such as keyboards.  We have metre long crates which are ideal for moving books and the contents of filing cabinets.  We also have standard crates which are designed as one crate per person for all their desk top belongings.

2.    How Many Crates? – The general rule is one standard crate per person and one computer crate per PC.  It is also important to consider the contents of filing cabinets and folders when calculating how many crates you need.  Our customer service team will be happy to advise you on crate quantities and extra crates can always be hired if required.

3.    Do you need any packaging? – Will you want labels to identify the contents of each crate, bubble wrap to protect the contents?  Security seals are available to lock crates to protect high value goods or sensitive files. 

4.    How are you going to transport the crates? – When the crates are full they can be heavy.  Skates or sack barrows can be hired for safer and easier handling.

5.    How long do you need them for? – You will have a plan of how long your move will take and it is a good idea to hire the crates for a few extra days either side of the move to allow staff to pack and unpack their crates.  Don’t worry if your move takes a bit longer than expected rental periods can always be extended.

It can seem daunting having to make all these decisions which is why our customer service team is always available to discuss your individual move.  We understand that all moves are different so we tailor our service to suit you. 

Once you have ordered your crates all have to do is sit back and wait for them to arrive. 

Automotive RTP boxes, crates and washing services

The automotive industry in the UK has taken a beating over the last 2 decades, losing out to cheaper foreign production and labour rates, however with investment increasing in UK manufacturing and a higher than expected new vehicle registrations in March are we seeing a turn round for vehicle sales and manufacturing in the UK.

Emerging markets in China and India are seeing a large demand for British Marquees, like Bentley, Jaguar, Range Rover and Rolls Royce.

With an increase in production volume, comes an increase in the reliance on parts supply and the use of packaging materials.

Playing your part within this complex supply chain means you have to think carefully about generating waste for your customer, that’s where PPS Midlands can help.

As a business, PPS midlands has been involved with RTP (Returnable Transit Packaging) for over ten years, providing bespoke RTP solutions to all forms of industry including Food, Meat, Automotive and Electronics industries.

Our standard range of products are in regular use within the food industry, along with bespoke tailored solutions for both the automotive and electronics industries, catering for specialist needs such as ESD (Electro Static Discharge)

Specialist plastic crates, boxes and larger collapsible pallet boxes can all be controlled and managed from site to site by using our simple on-line tracking software “ENABLE”, which has be designed by PPS from the ground up to offer a simple and effective way of managing RTP.

PPS Midlands is seeing a steady growth with component manufacturers looking to take a greater responsibility for packaging waste and environmental issues created by using disposable packaging materials. Many manufacturers are still reliant on the use of cardboard to supply their customers and this in turn has an impact on the receiver of the components.

Attention to details can make the change to RTP simple, e.g. when approached by a manufacturer of component parts of electrical motors we discussed the ratio of one component to another to establish the best configuration for shipping, this ratio was 12:1. Then taking into account the weight of each of the components calculating the maximum permissible lifting weight under the health and safety guidelines for manual handling laid down by the supplier, we set about looking for the right sized RTP. As with most solutions it is best to keep it simple, understanding the weight limits, and the parts ratios, we are able to provide a solution that not only satisfies the requirements for the supplier it also reduces the costs associated with packaging, simply one box caters for both elements.

With so many suppliers manufacturing parts and components to the automotive industry, the use of disposable packaging materials needs to be reduced to aid the green credentials and reduce the CO2 attributed to production of finished vehicles.

The key question is; what is your business doing about it?

If your need is large or small, if you need a complete start to finish solution or just need help to manage or wash your existing RTP, contact Jonathan at PPS Midlands on 01530 515333 or 07896 430047 or email Jonathan here

PPS Midlands “RETURNABLE TRANSIT PACKAGING SOLUTIONS” an alternative to packaging waste

Halal Chicken producers favour returnable transit packaging (RTP)

As the Muslim population within the UK rises, the demand for Halal slaughtered chicken is increasing. Cardboard for many years has been used to package whole birds, filleted portions and other cuts to the wholesale meat trade, but the use of Plastic Returnable Transit Packaging is becoming the choice for many leading businesses within the sector.

Recent changes within the supply chain influenced Iqbal Brothers Poultry of Bradford to look at other options to their existing use of a mixture of cardboard and their own self-managed plastic crates.

Having looked at all aspects of using plastic crates, Iqbal Brothers decided that the best option is to work with PPS Midlands and develop a pooling solution using PPS Midlands standard RTP consisting of plastic trays and plastic pallets to service their larger customers predominately sited within the East and West Midlands.

Initially the process would start with 2 customers using approximately 5000 trays and 125 pallets per week, however due to the demand for the high quality chicken produced by Iqbal Brothers, the use of PPS equipment has more than doubled over the first 2 months of the operation.

The required levels of equipment by Iqbal brothers have been seamlessly increased as the market continues to grow, PPS midlands are able to cater for the growing demand.

Acceptance within the market has been excellent, with a number of receiver’s of equipment asking PPS Midlands to contact others suppliers to provide a similar service to them.

How Pooling Works? 

In simple terms, it starts with clean equipment delivered to our customer, they load their product into the RTP supplied, and ship to their customer, informing PPS Midlands via our online tracking service “ENABLE” of the volumes of plastic crates/trays and pallets for each of its customers, once the equipment becomes empty collection is arranged. Our Full Service Pooling solution is simple in terms of operation and costs with all equipment charged at an agreed single fee at the point of despatch.

All equipment that is delivered to the receiving locations is collected by a dedicated 3rd party logistics company that have been working with PPS for many years, ensuring that trays/crates and pallets are returned to PPS midlands to undergo the rigorous washing and condition service that all our equipment goes through, once cleaned the equipment is then ready to start the cycle again.

According to an in depth report completed by WRAP, available from http://www.ppsequipment.co.uk/environmental/wrap-report CO2 savings when compared to cardboard use; see a reduction of over 50% over a 5 year period. Indeed in most cases not only are there environmental benefits, there are financial ones when compared to cardboard boxes.

PPS Midlands are offering the opportunity to have a free, no obligation survey of your supply chain completed, to see if your business would benefit from using  RTP supplied by PPSMidlands, contact Jonathan Issatt on 07896 430047 or email me here

Benefits of Crate Hire

Crate Hire from PPS

There are lots of things that need to be considered when planning a commercial relocation.  Fundamentally it needs to cause as little disruption to customers and staff as possible.  For this to succeed the move needs to be as efficient as possible.

The rental of plastic removal crates provides those companies embarking on a commercial relocation with an efficient and flexible solution.

Here are just some of the Benefits of Crate Hire:

•    They are reusable making them more environmentally friendly
•    Plastic crates are much more durable and stronger than cardboard boxes providing greater protection for your goods, allowing a wider variety of items to be transported.
•    They are weatherproof providing greater protection.
•    Plastic crates are stackable when full making them easy to transport.
•    PPS provides moving equipment to be used alongside the plastic crates such as sack barrows to encourage safe handling and easy transportation.
•    The plastic crates are nestable when empty saving on valuable storage space.
•    The economic rental costs make them a perfect option, you only pay for the crates when you need them.

When conducting a move not everything always goes to plan but you can always rely on professional service and support from the commercial moves team at PPS.

Please contact PPS for more information on our crate rental service.

Crate Hire for School or College Refurbishments

School or College Refurbishment and looking for storage crates?

Crate hire from PPS.

Now that autumn is here summer seems long gone and all the children are back at school and college some of our rental crates are starting to return. 

Over the summer holiday period schools and colleges often undergo refurbishments whilst the students are out of the way.  Whilst the work is taking place they need somewhere safe to store all their equipment and files to protect them from damage.  This is where crate hire from PPS comes in.

PPS Crate Hire ideal for School or College Storage
of files or equipment

Our plastic crates are strong and durable with attached lids to protect the contents.  This makes them perfect for a school/college refurbishment.

We always experience increased demand for crate hire over the summer period.  Businesses also tend to be quieter at this time making it an ideal time to plan a move and create as little disruption as possible. 

Professional and commercial moves require crate hire to transport all the equipment and paperwork securely from the old premises to the new one. 

PPS hires crates for this use alongside removal equipment such as sack trucks and dollies for safe handling and bubble wrap for extra protection.   

We also hire specially designed computer crates to keep all the IT equipment together.

"Crate hire sure to be a busy time at PPS"

Therefore although the summer period is quiet for many industries it is a very busy time for the crate hire department at PPS. 

Now that our summer rentals are starting to return we are washing the rental crates and sending them straight out to new customers.  It looks like it’s going to be a busy autumn/winter for crate hire at PPS!



PPS Midlands Limited and PPS East Limited are returnable transit packaging specialists. Contact us with regards to reusable equipment services including pallet pooling, crate rental, tray rental, tray washing, plastic pallet washing, reusable fish boxes, pallet boxes and returnable transit equipment repairs

Crate Hire - The Key to crate rental and hire

Good quality equipment and a professional service is the key to crate hire

PPS Make Office Moves Easy keeping
the customers satisfied and happy

When professional companies, local authorities, schools and hospitals embark on a location move they need it all to go without a hitch.  They cannot let their customers, patients or students down.

Directors, mangers and all key members of staff spend great time and money organising their move, sometimes years of planning can go into the larger scale relocations.  They will have a schedule in place and they will require a professional service from all their contract providers from the packers, to the transport right through to the all-important crate hire.

This is where PPS comes in; we pride ourselves in offering the best service to our customers.  The crate hire will be one part of the whole removal process but it is vital it goes to plan.  Without our rental crates there would be nothing to pack all the equipment in!  The hire crates and equipment will all arrive on time at the agreed location ready for use.  We can even offer next day and timed delivery slots if required.

Our expert commercial moves team will guide you throughout the process by advising on how many crates you will need to hire.  They will also let you know about all the other equipment on offer from our specially designed computer crates, sack barrows for safe handling right through to bubble wrap for added protection and crate labels for identification.  The commercial moves team will be available throughout your move and they can arrange for rental periods to be extended and extra crates can be hired.

crate hire & rental

The quality of the equipment that we hire out is second to none.   Our rental crates are strong and durable, ideal for transporting all your important equipment and documents securely.  The crates are also washed after every use to ensure that they are clean and ready for use when they arrive at each new customer.

Joanne Moss, Commercial moves manager at PPS Midlands said ‘we believe that it is the professional and quality service provided by PPS that ensures that our customers return to us for all their removal and storage requirements’

Contact us for more information on crate hire from PPS



PPS Midlands Limited and PPS East Limited are returnable transit packaging specialists. Contact us with regards to crate hire requirements for office moves or business relocations

Crate Hire – Moving Offices or Premises

Plastic crates ready to go out to customers for transporting of files, documents or equipment

Over the last few weeks our store room has almost reached bursting point as we prepare to launch our new crate hire service. After much planning and preparation we are now ready to go with our first rentals being sent out this week.

At PPS we now offer crate rental to our customers who are moving offices or refurbishing their existing spaces. We have invested in a large pool of lidded plastic crates that can be used to store all your files, documents and equipment.

With over 10 years of experience in the rental of returnable equipment crate hire for the removal and storage industry seemed like the perfect next step. We are bringing the vast knowledge we have gained renting out returnable boxes and providing a professional and reliable service to removals industry. One added advantage that we have over our competitors is an onsite wash plant where our removal crates will be washed and dried after each use, our rental crates will arrive customers on the agreed date clean and ready to use.

Surrounded by Bubble Wrap

Moving is a stressful time so we have made our service as easy to use as possible. All our equipment can be ordered online or by phone and our sales team can offer advice on the number of crates that you will need to hire. We can also be very flexible by extending your rental period if necessary and increasing the number of crates that you have on hire. Moving doesn’t always go to plan!

When we were investigating this new crate rental service we decided that we should offer a full range of removal equipment to complement our rental crates including dollies and sack barrows for safe handling and bubble wrap to protect the contents. We also have labels to help you identify the contents and security seals for added protection. Our store room is now so full with all our equipment I have boxes of labels under my desk!

After all the time and planning that has gone into our crate hire service it is really exciting to see all the orders coming in and the crates going out on rental. Before we know it our store room will be half empty!


PPS Midlands Limited and PPS East Limited are returnable transit packaging specialists. Contact us with regards to reusable equipment services including pallet pooling, crate rental, tray rental, tray washing, plastic pallet washing, reusable fish boxes, pallet boxes and returnable transit equipment repairs

Returnable Packaging Equipment Company PPS Supports London Olympics and Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

PPS has been very active in recent months putting together equipment rental and washing packages to support a number of contractors that are preparing the Olympic venues for the start of the Games at the end of July.

PPS has long been really active in recent months compiling equipment rental and equipment washing packages which includes plastic trays, plastic pallets, plastic crates and plastic pallet boxes to support a number of contractors that are preparing the Olympic venues for the start of the Games at the end of July.

We have supplied a considerable pool of our collapsible pallet boxes to a company engaged in the construction of temporary seating arenas at a number of sporting venues across the London area.

We have also supplied a pool of solid pallet boxes to be used for the storing of nautical equipment for the Sailing event to be held on the south coast. We are at present in discussions with a range of other suppliers to the Olympics as diverse as the supply of our plastic pallets for the transportation of hay at the equestrian events to the supply of our plastic food trays for a business involved in catering for the thousands of athletes that will be competing at the Games.

PPS also supplied a pool of collapsible pallet boxes for the transportation of equipment used for the erection of the stage and temporary arena for the concert in front of Buckingham Palace as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Once the Olympic games are finished we at PPS are expecting to be extremely busy at our wash plants when the trays, pallets, crates and pallet boxes are returned to our pool for washing at one of our wash plants to be made ready for the next rental assignment.

PPS prides itself on our adaptable and responsive approach to customers and we are very confident in our capability to provide all tray hire and pallet rental requirements together with tray washing or pallet washing services for both customers who own crates and pallets as well as our own crate and pallet pools. PPS offer the most comprehensive range of crates, trays, pallets and pallet boxes in the industry and we can supply both rental and equipment washing services for both small volumes on an ad hoc basis or high volume crates on a longer term basis.

With an rising trend towards environmentally friendly packaging returnable transit packaging (RTP) is replacing single trip packaging such as polystyrene and cardboard boxes for the transportation of food products.  PPS’s trays, pallets, crates and pallet boxes are manufactured from durable plastic and are especially designed for several trips over a protracted life which ensures that in the vast majority of applications we can offer a lower cost per trip in comparison with single trip packaging products. PPS manage pools of equipment and part of that equipment management is the hygienic washing of all used packaging.

PPS Midlands Limited and PPS East Limited are returnable transit packaging specialists. If you are interested in reducing your costs, waste and environmental footprint, then you should contact us with regards to reusable equipment and pallet pooling, plastic crates, plastic pallet boxes, container rental and supply, product repairs and equipment washing.