A shipping container is a steel vessel, that can be used repeatedly in the safe, efficient movement of products within an intermodal freight transport system.
There are a multitude of different sizes and options when it comes to container shipping, including specialist choices such as hanging garment containers, half height containers, bulk shift containers and tanks.
Whilst these all have their uses, they are very niche and best served by another article, so for now we will concentrate on GP (general purpose) container shipping, and the more common special equipment such as reefer containers, Open Top containers and Flat Rack containers. Shipping container dimensions can be found below.
The history of shipping containers
The use of a shipping container in modern container shipping has been around for over 50 years. Pretty much from the first voyage, usage grew steadily, moving containers became accepted and in just five short decades container ships would carry well over 50% of the cargo shipped via ocean freight.
Whilst packing and moving things in boxes or containers was not particularly new, It wasn’t until Malcolm P. McLean and Keith Tantlinger developed the modern intermodal container, when having realised it would be much simpler and quicker to have one container that could be lifted from a vehicle directly on to a ship without first having to unload its contents. Containers could then be moved smoothly between trucks, trains & ships, making the whole logistics process a lot more efficient.
Shipping container dimensions table
|
TYPE |
CAPACITY |
INSIDE LENGTH |
INSIDE WIDTH |
INSIDE HEIGHT |
DOOR WIDTH |
DOOR HEIGHT |
MAX LOAD WEIGHT |
WEIGHT |
|
20ft STANDARD |
33 cu / m |
5.895 m |
2.350 m |
2.392 m |
2.340 m |
2.292 m |
28230 Kgs |
2230 Kgs |
|
40ft STANDARD |
67 cu / m |
12.029 m |
2.350 m |
2.392 m |
2.340 m |
2.292 m |
26700 Kgs |
3780 Kgs |
|
40ft HIGH-CUBE |
76 cu / m |
12.024 m |
2.350 m |
2.697 m |
2.340 m |
2.597 m |
26460 Kgs |
4020 Kgs |
|
20ft OPEN TOP |
32 cu / m |
5.888 m |
2.345 m |
2.315 m |
2.286 m |
2.184 m |
30480 Kgs |
2250 Kgs |
|
40ft OPEN TOP |
65 cu / m |
12.029 m |
2.342 m |
2.326 m |
2.342 m |
2.274 m |
26670 Kgs |
3810 Kgs |
|
20ft REFRIGERATED |
26 cu / m |
5.724 m |
2.286 m |
2.014 m |
2.286 m |
2.067 m |
21450 Kgs |
2550 Kgs |
|
40ft REFRIGERATED |
60 cu / m |
11.840 m |
2.286 m |
2.120 m |
2.286 m |
2.195 m |
26630 Kgs |
3850 Kgs |
|
20ft FLATRACK |
Open |
5.698 m |
2.230 m |
2.255 m |
No Door |
No Door |
21500 Kgs |
2500 Kgs |
|
40ft FLATRACK |
Open |
11.832 m |
2.228 m |
1.982 m |
No Door |
No Door |
40800 Kgs |
4200 Kgs |
|
20ft PLATFORM |
Open |
6.058 m |
2.438 m |
0.370 m |
No Door |
No Door |
27960 Kgs |
2520 Kgs |
|
40ft PLATFORM |
Open |
12.192 m |
2.245 m |
0.648 m |
No Door |
No Door |
39300 Kgs |
5700 Kgs |
|
20ft TANK |
NA |
6.058 m |
2.438 m |
2.438 m |
No Door |
No Door |
26290 Kgs |
4190 Kgs |
Benefits of container shipping
There are numerous benefits to container shipping, one of the key ones being increased efficiency.
A large container ship could carry over 200,000 sea containers in a single year, and around 8000 on a single voyage. It would take hundreds of aircraft and fleets of trucks to get anywhere near moving the same amount of freight.
This is also why Ocean Container shipping is the most environmentally friendly method of transportation. Producing less exhaust gas emissions than rail freight, road freight or air freight.
Vetting agency RightShip has developed an online “GHG Emissions Rating” as a systemised way for the industry to compare a ship’s CO2 emissions to similar sized vessels. The use of higher rated ships can deliver significantly lower CO2 emissions across the voyage length.
Our warehousing
Our warehouse is located within easy reach of Royal Seaforth Container Terminal.
Fact : more businesses in the UK can be reached from Liverpool within the statutory truck-driving day than any other major UK port. Liverpool is re-emerging as the fastest growing major port in the UK with TEU movement forecast to grow from 5.5 M in 2005 to 9 M in 2020
Secure facility with full CCTV coverage
Four acres of hard standing outside storage suitable for vehicles, containers, caravans and boats.
Wide range of handling equipment including Lancer Boss G42 (container Handler)
Accreditations
