It is crucial to choose the type and mode of transport according to the goods to be transported, the destination, the means of transport. There are even times when the same load has to travel hundreds of kilometers in different means of transport. For example, transportation to reach your destination.
It is especially in this case that an alternative means to the truck or trailer customarily used should be considered. This is where freight containers come into play.
What is a freight container?
It is a closed compartment, easy to fill and empty, conceived to facilitate the transport of the merchandise without breaking or intermediate handling of the load. Its constitution allows its repeated use and easy handling. However, it is not suitable for driving alone, but must be transported.
There are several types of freight transport containers, and their use depends on the type of merchandise to be transported and on the means of transport (truck, train, ship, plane).
The Container Safety Convention (CSC) authorized all of them, which establishes the tests to which containers are subjected for their homologation according to ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards.
In the first place, for a freight transport container to be considered according to the regulations, it must have a minimum area of 7 m2 if it has upper corners and 14 m2 if it does not. Furthermore, the minimum size of a container is 1 m3.
Dainton has a range of storage and hire shipping container including 6ft, 8ft, 10ft, 20ft and 40ft. The most common size hired is a 20’ x 8’ and we can supply them with anti-condensation treatment depending on what you will be storing in the container.
Classification of freight containers
The first level of classification of the containers would be according to the origin and destination of the trip. Therefore, we can distinguish two categories:
- Series 1: used for intercontinental transport.
- Series 2: used for transport within the same continent.
Second, we can also distinguish according to the type of service;
- FLC(Full container Load) means that the container has merchandise to take to a single consignee. It would be equivalent to full charge service.
- LCL(Less Than Container load) indicates that the merchandise in the container is for several consignments. It would be equivalent to a groupage or fractional load service.
Types of freight containers
Among all the varieties of freight transport containers that exist, the following are some of the most used containers in transport. Do you know them all?
- Ventilated container: it has grids to facilitate air circulation.
- Refrigerated container: it has a non-autonomous refrigeration and temperature control system installed.
- Reefer container integrates: uses an autonomous cooling unit.
- The tanks for powders, liquids, or gases are also containers.
- IMO-IMDG containers: they are used in the maritime transport of dangerous goods, corrosive, flammable, toxic, or harmful liquids.
- A swap body is a semi-trailer without a chassis, which cannot be stacked.
- Half-height: it is a half-height container
- IGLOO container: it is characteristic of air transport, and its shape is adaptable to the fuselage.
- Open top container: it is a container with a removable roof.
How does road transport freight containers?
At MH United, we have what is called a “smooth platform”. It is a trailer without walls, canvas, or roof, specially designed to transport containers and any merchandise that does not need to be covered, constantly transporting it well secured and secured.
Thanks to it, we can deliver goods safely and without cargo breaking to airports, railway stations and seaports. Therefore, if it had to be categorized according to the type of vehicle in our fleet, it would correspond to the category of the trailer.
At MH United, we like to innovate and keep up to date with all transportation possibilities to provide professional freight solutions to clients. So, if you need information on how to hire a container transport service, do not hesitate to ask us, we are at your entire disposal.
