The Shipping Container¶
An Intermodal Shipping Container is one that complies with a particular standard: ISO 6346. The standard specifies sizing, coding, identification and marking of these containers.
Standard containers are 8 feet (2.43m) wide, 8.5 feet (2.59m) tall and are either 20 (6.06m) or 40 (12.2m) feet long. There are other lengths, but they are less amenable to standardised handling, and 20/40 feet represents around 90% of the world’s shipping containers.
Shipping Container Types¶
Within the standardised dimensions there are a number of different types of shipping containers for different types of cargo.
General Purpose Shipping Container
Dangerous Goods Shipping Container
Refrigerated Shipping Container
Insulated Shipping Container
Open Top Shipping Container
Side Opening Shipping Container
Flat Rack Shipping Container
Bolster Shipping Container
Double Door Shipping Container
Pallet Wide Shipping Container
Container Safety Convention¶
Shipping containers must be certified as safe for usage. Consider the ramifications of weak container in a stack, its collapse could lead to the loss and destruction of many more containers than just the one that failed.
Safety Approval Plate¶
An approved container will have a Safety Approval Plate affixed to it, which delineates key information including:
Maximum Operating Gross Mass: the maximum weight of the container and its contents.
Allowable Stacking Weight at 1.8G: the maximum allowed weight to be stacked on top of the container.
Racking Test Load Value: the amount of transverse and longitudinal weight that the container has been tested for being able to resist racking.
Tare, Weight, and Goods Markings¶
In addition to the Safety Approval Plate, the container will be marked with it’s Tare (weight of container), Max Payload (weight of cargo), and Max Gross (combined weight).
Dangerous Goods placards will also be placed if relevant to the container.