Rolling folding plastic crate

Inexpensive rolling, folding, plastic crates have been used by our booktalking staff for the past ten years.

Easy to pack and roll, these versatile carriers are now widely used throughout the library by outreach workers, branch librarians and administrators. In schools they haul files and art supplies and around town they become improvised shopping carts.

Widely available and very affordable, the most useful feature on this rolling crate is its ability to be folded flat for storage. It fits perfectly in a car, beneath a desk or can be stacked on a shelf.

Description:	Rolling folding plastic crate
Design:	Folding plastic crate with telescoping metal handle. Crate has built-in hand-holds on front and sides. 2 fixed plastic & rubber wheels on back.
Brand names:	EZ Crate, Pack 'n Roll, Stow-Away Crate, Go Cart
Price:	Affordable $18-36
Availability:	Excellent. Readily available at office supply and hardware stores. Discounted online.
Capacity:	Easily holds 2 large grocery sacks
Stability:	Solid. Does not tip when upright.
Handling on the roll:	Rolls well on hard surfaces. Difficult to manage in gravel parking lots. Easy to steer, but can become heavy to roll if the cart is overloaded. Unevenly loaded carts may tip when traveling diagonally across a slope or while being rolled over cracked pavement.
Ease of transport in car:	Very easy. The handle telescopes down and the entire crate folds flat. Lightweight.
Weather ready?	Some models include a hard plastic lid which limits how much you can fill the crate but may keep contents safe from a light rain. Small openings on sides and gaps in bottom make this a poor choice for use in heavy rain or snow.
Sturdiness:	Generally good, but if you continually overload this cart and try to haul it up and down curbs and stairs, you'll soon have a broken cart. Be sure to use the side stabilizers that are included. Frequent issues include metal fastening pins dropping out of the corners and weakening the whole crate, and split plastic on the lower portion of the front panel.
Flexibility:	Very good. You can use this cart for hauling all kinds of materials. I've used it for toting books, conference handouts, and with a picnic cooler.
"Cool" factor:	Look around and you can find these rolling crates in many different color combinations. Most stores sell the black model, but some retailers also stock black & gray, black & yellow, pink, purple & green, and other combinations.
Fixability:	Limited. Missing metal pins can often be replaced with heavy-duty paper clips.Fractured plastic panels can be fixed with duct tape. Damaged wheels or a broken handle mechanism can quickly render the cart unusable.
Notes:	Good all-around cart and the easiest to transport in a car.

Folds flat for easy storage.

Small wheels do not roll well on gravel surfaces.