August 22, 2023

Do You Have a Road Case Strategy?

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Kangaroo Cases
At Kangaroo Cases, we create the toughest custom ATA cases, standard cases, and footlockers to protect your valuable assets. Based in Dallas, Texas, we're passionate about delivering the best quality products and being your go-to case heroes that protect like a mother.

A high-quality road case can change your entire workflow for the better. The right case makes it easier to store and transport sensitive equipment, and even improves safety and efficiency on the road.

But a quality case is just one piece of the puzzle. To truly optimize your operation, you need a solid road case strategy, too.

Don’t learn the hard way — keep reading to find out everything you need to know for creating the best road case strategy.

What Is a Road Case Strategy?

A road case strategy is an efficient plan that manages every step of the work you do with road cases. The right strategy ensures that your cases pack, transport, and store easily from warehouse to truck to venue.

It’s not just a plan of action, though. If you want your cases to do their job well, your strategy has to begin in the case design stage. The size, shape, and weight of your cases all play a role in the overall strategy.

Your strategy will answer questions like:

  • How will the cases fit when packing trailers?
  • Will the sizes of the cases be consistent?
  • Do the cases need to be custom built to better fit the assets inside?
  • How will you move the cases?
  • Will there be size or weight restrictions at any point?
  • Will you expand the fleet in the future?

At its core, a road case strategy is simply an understanding of the greater purpose of your cases, their specific applications, and how they work together with the rest of your equipment. Locking down these answers smooths all the bumps on the road ahead.

 

Infographic: Do You Have a Road Case Strategy?

Common Road Case Strategies

The type of case you use is the determining factor in your road case strategy. Typically, the most common strategies revolve around either truck pack cases or custom-built cases.

Truck Packs

Truck pack cases are all sized to fit efficiently inside a standard trailer. With a combination of half packs, quarter packs, and third packs, you can fit your cases together like Tetris tiles.

Most standard cases have two different widths. They may be quarter pack on one side and half pack on the other. This gives you some leeway with weight distribution, which is helpful if you cross state lines, as the regulations about how much weight you can put on an axle vary from state to state.

If you need every last inch of space, this may be the best strategy for you. In fact, this is the strategy large entities employ most often so they can utilize a full trailer. It’s also the easiest strategy for growth; with standard sizes, the math for adding a new case to the fleet is much simpler.

Custom Cases

Custom cases require custom strategies. They may not be as straightforward as other plans, but what you lose in space efficiency, you make up for in safety. Custom cases often do a better job of protecting delicate equipment.

You might choose this strategy if keeping assets safe is your top priority. However, you still have to remain cognizant of size and weight restrictions.

Building an effective custom strategy relies on a balance of form and function. It may take some thought to make everything fit together, but you don’t have to sacrifice either one.

Blended Strategy

Looking for the best of both worlds? You can combine standard and custom strategies to meet your specific needs. Even if most of your equipment can fit in standard cases, there’s almost always a need for a custom case.

In action, a blended strategy might look like a layer of standard truck pack cases on the bottom of the trailer with custom cases secured on top. You can also use different trailers for different styles of cases. Your options are limitless!

Finding the Right Road Case Strategy

Road case strategies are created on a case-by-case basis, but there are a few rules of thumb you can follow.

For example, if your operation is growing, we encourage you to use standardized cases so you can add on more assets without solving a jigsaw puzzle. On the other hand, if you’re a single-case operation, it’s probably better to lean toward a custom strategy to ensure your case truly protects like a mother.

Keep in mind that the most important part of your road case strategy is how it functions on-site. It doesn’t matter how well your cases fit in your trailer if they get stuck in a small doorway. Think ahead to every step of your journey as you determine your strategy.

If you haven’t built your road case strategy, we can help you figure out what’s best for you and your assets. Contact us today to get started!