The Main Types and Uses Of Shipping Containers |
Posted: November 30, 2018 |
The first containers can be traced back to the United Kingdom where they were used in the transportation of coal over railway and horse-drawn carts in the early 1800s. At the time, shipping containers were just simple rectangular boxes made of timber. Later the early containers became more standardised and began incorporating a steel frame in their design, but the rest of the structure remained mostly wooden. It’s not until the latter part of the 1900s that the modern intermodal shipping container would be invented. It featured a rigid steel frame with metal walls made of aluminium sheets – these were soon replaced with corrugated steel. Sea containers – The cornerstone of global trade As the years went by, the standardised shipping container continued to grow in popularity due to the ease and convenience it brought to the shipping industry. Containers could be transferred easily from one mode of transport (i.e. road, sea or rail) to the other in any country since they all adhered to ISO (International Organization for Standardization) specifications. With the rise of globalisation and international trade, sea containers continued to gain prominence in the shipping industry and currently account for more than 60% of all seaborne trade globally. As such, the modern shipping container has, in some way, become the cornerstone of global trade. With the runaway success the shipping container had achieved in the transportation of dry goods, players in the shipping industry figured the steel-box’s form could also be used for more types of goods – even those that required some kind of special treatment during transit. The different types of containers and their uses While the dimensions of the container were somewhat set in stone, it’s form and build could be tweaked to accommodate a variety of items for transportation. This led to the introduction of different types of containers, all of which share standardised dimensions in terms of width (8 ft /2.44 m) and height (8 ft 6 in/2.59 m). High cubes are exceptions with an extra foot in height. Lengthwise container sizes vary and generally fall anywhere between 8ft and 60ft. The 20ft and 40ft variants are, however, the most popular and most widely used making up about 80% of all the containers in the world. There are 10 main types of cargo containers. These are: 1. General Purpose/Dry storage shipping containers Dry storage shipping containers are by far the most popular type of shipping containers in the industry. They are mostly available in 10, 20- and 40-feet lengths although sizes can go up to 60ft. These containers are used for the transportation of dry or general cargo that does not require special storage conditions. High cube variations are available for the 20 and 40ft dry good containers and provide an extra foot of headroom for increased cargo capacity. 2. Thermal insulated containers This type of containers are fitted with insulation materials for internal temperature regulation. The insulation enables them to be exposed to extreme temperature environments without heat being transferred into or out of the container’s interior. They are ideal for transporting temperature sensitive goods over long distances. Insulated containers are available in 20ft and 40ft lengths with high cube variants of the two sizes also available. 3. Refrigerated containers/Reefers In addition to being insulated, refrigerated shipping containers are also temperature controlled to maintain a constant internal temperature. They are available in 20ft and 40ft lengths and there’s also a 40ft high-cube variant. Because of the insulation materials and refrigeration equipment fitted to the container, the interior space of these containers is smaller when compared to a dry storage container of the same length. Reefers are used to transport perishable goods that require a specific-temperature environment such as agricultural produce and pharmaceuticals. 4. Flat racks Flat rack shipping containers are available in 20ft and 40ft lengths and, as the name suggests, can be folded flat. These containers are used to transport heavy, oversized or out-of-gauge cargo such as building supplies, construction equipment and heavy-duty machinery. 5. Open top cargo containers These resemble a general-purpose shipping container but with an open roof that’s either covered with a removable soft top or hard top. They are available in 20ft and 40ft sizes and are used in the transportation of extra tall cargo that wouldn’t fit in a regular closed top container. The extra-wide opening at the top also makes it easy to load and unload (by crane) large cargo that can’t fit through the doors. 6. Container tanks Container tanks are basically cylindrical tanks encompassed in a steel container frame. They are used in the transportation of liquids, gases and powders. Because they could be exposed to liquids, these containers are constructed using corrosion resistant materials to ensure they are not damaged by the liquid they are transporting. 7. Half height containers These are half the height of a regular shipping container but otherwise, conform to the ISO specified dimensions of a regular container. Half-height shipping containers are used to transport goods such as stones and coal that would be difficult to load into a normal-height container. Because the materials they transport are often dense and heavy, their smaller form factor limits the weight of the fully loaded unit to a reasonable amount. 8. Open side containers These are basically dry containers with a wide door along their length. The wider doorway makes it easy to load wide cargo that cannot fit through the regular doors at the ends of the shipping container. They are available in 20ft and 40ft sizes. 9. Ventilated containers These are dry storage containers that are either actively or passively ventilated. They are available in 20ft and 40ft sizes with high top variants for both sizes available. Ventilated containers are used to transport cargo that requires ventilation such as farm produce. 10. Special purpose containers These are containers customized for specialised purposes. Their sizes can either adhere to ISO standards or not while their construction materials depend on the cargo they are specifically made to handle. They can transport all sorts of special cargo such as dangerous goods, weapons and valuable items.
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