Shipping skid

Abstract

A shipping skid, for shipping a shipping article that is mounted on front and rear sets of wheels, which includes a base member, elongated skid members attached to the bottom surface of the base member, a center platform attached to a top surface of the base member, and a pair of side platforms attached to the top surface of the base member so that the center platform is disposed between the side platforms. The center platform has a raised upper surface that extends higher above the base member top surface than upper surfaces of the pair of side platforms. Each of the side platforms includes a front ramp section that slopes downwardly toward the base member front end, and a back ramp section that slopes downwardly toward the base member back end. A shipping article with front and rear sets of wheels can be mounted on the skid by rolling the front set of wheels up the front ramp sections, along the top surfaces of the side platforms, and down the back ramp sections before the rear set of wheels roll up the front ramp sections, so that a bottom surface of the shipping article lowers down and engages the raised center platform. A main ramp is used to wheel the article onto the shipping skid. The main ramp supports the rear set of wheels after the front set of wheels has traversed down the rear ramp sections, so that when the main ramp is lifted and removed, the rear set of wheels are lowered to fully engage the article's bottom surface onto the raised center platform.