Different types of Shipping Containers you need to know about
BOXXPORT.com
World’s Trusted online container marketplace to buy, sell and buy back shipping containers with real-time information
Shipping containers are considered to be one of the most important inventions of the 20th century as they completely revolutionized the entire logistics industry worldwide. Shipping containers are extremely profitable for world trade, because since their invention, revenues have increased due to the import and export of goods from countries all over the world. There are many types of shipping containers to meet the different requirements of shippers.?
Every single day, tons of cargo is transported via freight containers using various means of transportation in millions of metal shipping containers which has made freight shipping very simple for both importers and exporters.?
When you come across a steel shipping container, all you see is a large box made of steel and painted from the outside where cargo is stored. But there is more to a cargo container than that, and when the need arises for you to buy shipping containers online then you will come to see that there is a different type of container for every category of cargo.?
Here are the most commonly preferred types of cargo containers that are used by shippers all over the world and the dimensions they are mostly available in:?
Dry Van Shipping Container?
A dry van container, also referred to as a standard shipping container, is generally constructed from steel or aluminium and is used for the transportation of dry cargo. This particular category of cargo units is fully enclosed, wind-and watertight, and come with a steady roof and flooring.?
Dry van cargo units are suitable for both storage and shipping of cargo as they are most widely used. They can carry all sorts of dry cargo that does not require any special measures. They are extremely durable and are also used to carry a majority of the world’s dry cargo that is packed into boxes, pallets, bags, etc.?
Dry van containers generally come in four different sizes:
20 feet?
40 feet?
40 feet high cube?
45 feet high cube?
Pallet Wide Shipping Container?
Pallet-wide containers are comparatively less commonly used for the transportation of cargo as compared to their standard counterparts. As their name suggests, they store and transport Euro-pallets, and are thus prevalent in the European continent. Euro-pallets are large, sturdy structures that are placed at the bottom of the unit on which the cargo is then placed for transfer.?
As compared to a standard shipping container, a pallet-wide can carry three to six more pallets. Heavy cargo is placed at the top of these pallets in order to facilitate easier movements and transportation with forklifts.?
Based on its size, it is further classified into four different categories:?
20 feet?
Inner Dimension: 19’4×7’11×7’10 ft.
Outer Dimension: 19’10×8’15×8’6 ft.
? Maximum Gross Weight: 67200 lbs.
? Door Opening: 7’8×7’6 ft.
? Capacity: 1215 cu ft.
40 feet?
? Inner Dimension: 39’5×7’11×7’10 ft.
? Outer Dimension: 40×8’15×8’6 ft.
? Maximum Gross Weight: 67200 lbs.
? Door Opening: 7’8×7’6 ft.
? Capacity: 2480 cu ft.
40 feet high cube?
? Inner Dimension: 39’5×7’11×8’10 ft.
? Outer Dimension: 40×8’15×9’6 ft.
? Maximum Gross Weight: 71650 lbs.
? Door Opening: 7’8×8’5 ft.
? Capacity: 2770 cu ft.
45 feet high cube?
Double Door Shipping Container?
As they have doors to entire ends, the double-door container is also referred to as a tunnel container. They are a modified version of the standard variant and are built from aluminum or steel. This tunnel function makes it easier to load and unload the cargo and is particularly advantageous when you have to load or unload the cargo from both ends at the same time.?
Double door units are a suitable choice for those shippers who want to ships different types of goods in the same box so that they can be accessed from both ends at the same moment. It can also be converted into a dry-van container by permanently closing one door of the unit.?
They are used to transport general dry goods, bulk cargo, social cargo, etc. They are also specifically used to transfer motorbikes, automobiles, etc., and also come in handy when one has to move houses.?
A general classification of double door containers includes three different types:?
20 feet?
40 feet?
20 feet high cube?
Side Door Shipping Container?
Side door cargo boxes are a type of shipping container that have doors on the longer side of the unit. They are considered to be a more convenient version of their standard version as they can open from?
the sides. They are also known to facilitate the loading and unloading of cargo with the assistance of forklifts.?
Side door cargo units are preferably used for the storage and transportation of bulky and oversized cargo. Their doors are manufactured from steel and or tarpaulin and help them to have the added feature of tensile strength. They can be fully or partially opened to get access to the interiors of the unit.?
They come in the following dimensions:?
20 feet?
Open top Shipping Container?
Open top containers have a unique structure and are used to store and transport cargo with structures that cannot be transported through any other category of metal shipping containers. They are mostly manufactured from steel to provide tensile strength and have a wooden floor.?
They are not very commonly used by shippers all over the world but they have a larger capacity than standard containers because they do not have a roof. Many kinds of cargo be shipped in an open-top container like ore and raw mining materials, pipes of varying shapes and sizes, tall and awkward cargo and many other oddly shaped items.?
Generally, it is manufactured in two different types:?
20 feet?
40 feet?
Hard Top Open Top Shipping Container?
Hard top containers are very similar to open-top containers with the difference being a detachable steel roof instead of a tarpaulin sheet. The roof of a hard top container has points through which a forklift can lift the roof. As seen with the previous boxes, this design allows for easy loading/unloading of specific types of cargo.?
They are majorly used for shipping heavy to very heavy cargo which needs to be loaded through roof opening or door side. It can be used as a general cargo container, as well as an open-top container. The best advantage of hard top cargo units is that the height of cargo is more than the container height.?
Freight forwarders and exporters-importers prefer to buy hard top containers as they can be transformed into an open-top or general-purpose box depending upon particular requirements. They also have lashing rings installed in them for cargo safety on both upper and lower rails as well as corner posts.?
These are classified into three different categories?
20 feet?
40 feet?
40 feet high cube?
Flat Rack Shipping Container?
A flat rack cargo unit is a specific category of cargo unit that is ideal for large, bulky, and heavy loads that need to be loaded from the side or top. They are installed with collapsible sidewalls and the walls on the end are strong to carry the weight of the heavy loads of cargo.?
They are built with steel to ensure that the box is durable and rigid. It can also be covered on all sides by a tarpaulin cover to avoid any damage to the goods while in transit. They comprise lashing rings and clamp locks in order to fully secure the cover.?
This shipping container type is perfect to transfer the different types of cargo that cannot be yielded onto other types of cargo unit. They are suitable to transfer oversized cargo like heavy machinery, vehicles on tracks, and construction materials.?
To provide it rigidity and toughness, these are manufactured from steel and come in two different types-?
20 feet?
40 feet?
Platform Container?
A platform cargo unit is a simple floor structure without any walls or doors. They are meant for certain unique types of cargo that cannot be transported into any other cargo box. Their frame is made from steel, sport a wooden floor and they have a very large loading capacity for all sorts of a bulky cargo.?
They come in handy when shippers need to transport products that are heavyweight but need a smaller base. They are also used to transfer heavy and large machinery, oil and gas hardware, and all those hefty loads that exceed the standard specifications. They also offer an added feature where one can join platform containers to create one larger base if they have a large shipment.?
They come in two different sizes:?
20 feet?
40 feet?
Insulated Shipping Container?
Perishable goods need to be transported with utmost care and safety while keeping in mind that they require temperature control while they are being transported. Insulated containers come in handy while transferring cargo like pharmaceuticals, fresh produces, frozen foods, beverages, and chemicals, etc. that need to be stored at a particular temperature for their safety so that they do not get ruined. They require a filtered airflow to keep the cargo unit completely sealed and ensure a fixed condition is maintained.?
Insulated containers help in retaining the same temperature inside the cargo unit, irrespective of the outside temperature. They come with a double wall that is vacuumed, thus preventing the transfer of heat or cold. Their interiors are fully sealed to prevent moisture from entering the cargo box.?
They come in the following dimension variants:?
20 feet?
40 feet?
40 feet high cube?
Reefer Container?
Reefer containers are also commonly known as refrigerated containers and can be used for both shipping and storage purposes. It is basically a large-sized fridge where cargo needs to be in a temperature-controlled environment while being transported. The types of goods that require a reefer cargo unit can be perishable items like fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meat, seafood, etc.?
These shipping units help to maintain a particular temperature while the goods are in transit and have an inbuilt refrigeration unit that allows for the maintenance of temperature, regardless of the temperature outside. They can easily maintain temperatures that range from -35°C to +35°C.?
They are available in the following dimensions:?
20 feet?
40 feet high cube?
Bulker Shipping Container?
Bulker containers are largely used for the transportation of dry cargo like grains, sugar, and salt, coffee, fertilizers, etc. They come with specific fittings of opening roof hatches and on the doors and front panels for the easy loading and unloading of cargo.?
In many cases, a standard container can be used as a bulker if one can fit them with liner bags or inlets.?
They are available in the following dimensions:?
20 feet?
Tank Container?
A tank container is a cylindrical vessel constructed from anti-corrosive materials like steel. It is used to transfer hazardous and non-hazardous freight like fruit juices, chemicals, wines and spirits, sweet oils, toxic substances, gases, etc. that is usually challenging to transport and store in any other form of cargo unit.?
There are storage vessels inserted inside a tanker, made from stainless steel that are surrounded by insulation and come with an outer layer made of aluminium or polyurethane. A tank has a capacity ranging from 17,500 to 26,000 l and sports a manhole on the top with a valve along the top and bottom of the tanker.?
Their dimensions are as follows:?
We hope that this blog helps you get all the insights you should know about shipping containers and you won’t have to ask the question of how to choose a shipping container anymore. BOXXPORT is an online container trading platform where anyone can buy and sell shipping containers in USA, or any other part of the world in just the span of a single click on your laptop or smartphone?
#ShippingContainersTypes #LogisticServices #FreightContainer #ContainersServices #ContainersToBuy #ContainerTrading #SellContainersOnline #B2bMarketing #Japan #Germany #Greece #China #Vietnam #Malaysia #Thailand #Indonesia #Worldwide #BOXXPORT