If you want to transport goods long distances, shipping containers are your best option. Understanding the various measurements associated with these cargo carriers is crucial for ensuring your items arrive at their destination intact and in good condition. This article will explore everything you need about container sizes and types.
Length
The length of a container is an essential factor to consider when selecting suitable cargo containers for sale for your application. The most popular standard sizes for shipping containers are 20 and 40 feet long. These are TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and FEUs (forty-foot equivalent units). While standardized container lengths are great for international shipping, overland applications require more flexibility with the container length.
Many depots stock smaller containers like 10- or 40-foot units for overland transportation. High-cube containers are also available at 9.5ft in height for applications requiring more space for taller products or equipment.
Refrigerated containers are about two feet long and dedicated to holding the refrigeration equipment that keeps them cold. These units are also shorter than standard ISO containers because the door header is a structural part of the container.
Width
Regardless of what kind of cargo container you choose, its dimensions will affect everything from what you can store inside it to how much it can safely weigh. Shipping containers are generally standardized to have an 8-foot width, and high cube models add an extra foot of height.
A cargo container’s width is determined by its ISO code, stenciled below the container identification number. The first letter in the code denotes the container owner (registered with the BIC), and the rest of the code is a sequence of six numerical digits.
Cargo container dimensions are held to strict standards so they can be stacked together and locked onto cargo ships and chassis trailers. Intermodal units need to switch between ocean and rail transport. Coastal depots are usually well-stocked with different sizes and types of shipping containers. However, you may have more limited options if you’re shopping for containers in an inland location.
Capacity
The cargo capacity of a storage container varies according to its size and type. Standard shipping containers measure 20ft or 40ft long and 8ft wide, giving them a maximum cargo volume of 2,250 cubic feet or 10,820 pounds. They are TEUs, or Twenty-foot Equivalent Units, accounting for most of the total cargo-carrying capacity on the world’s biggest shippers — the equivalent of sixteen to seventeen pre-World War II freighter ships combined.
In addition to standard units, specialty containers meet specific needs. For example, refrigerated units can keep food and beverages cold while shipped across the ocean. Other types include flat rack containers (which don’t have side walls) and specialty containers for hazardous materials or large machinery.
These units all require a valid safety approval plate. The tare weight of an empty shipping container and its maximum payload capacity are fixed by ISO standards, but internal dimensions and other measures will vary from model to model.
Height
Shipping containers, also known as sea cargo containers, are large metal boxes for storing goods and materials that must be transported long distances by train or globally by ship. These standardized containers have become essential to international shipping and trade, with millions circulating worldwide. Standard containers are available in 20 feet and 40 feet lengths, with a height of 8 feet 6 inches. These are the so-called TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) and FEU (forty-foot equivalent unit).
Refrigerated containers have two feet of their length dedicated to their refrigeration equipment. Containers with yellow decals on their frames are High Cube units one foot taller than the standard containers. They may be marked with a Convention for Safe Containers plate, which includes information on the date and location of manufacture. Coastal depots are typically well stocked with all sizes and types of containers. Those in inland areas usually have limited availability.
