What types of freight container or equipment can I use to ship my cargo?
There are many different types of containers and equipment available for shipping your cargo. Because different types of cargo have different needs and with that, they also require different containers:
1. Dry containers: They are called ‘dry’ because they don’t have any temperature controls – basic containers for cargo such as toys and clothes. Dry containers (DC) are the most used type of container in the world: 90% of goods shipped by sea are loaded in dry containers. They come in different sizes and variants:
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20-foot Container or 1 TEU: The standard 20-foot container or “dry van” is one of the most commonly-used containers for the shipment of goods in ocean freight along with the 40-foot container. 20-foot containers are designed to carry more weight than voluminous cargo. This includes heavy cargoes such as minerals, metal, machinery, sugar, paper, cement, steel coils.
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40-foot Container or 1 FFE: This type of container is by far the most common type of container, and as such it is used to load most types of normal cargo. 40-foot dry containers are designed to carry voluminous cargo rather than heavy cargo, for example, furniture, steel pipes, paper scrap or cotton.
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40 High Cube Container (40HC): They are made for even less heavy cargo. 40HC are taller (you can fit in more cargo) but due to weight limitations per container, you cannot fill in heavy commodity types.
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Controlled Atmosphere (CA Container): This type of container is meant for offering the right conditions inside the container to help to slow down ripening, preserving perishable produce and vastly improving its shelf life especially during long-distance trips.
2. Refrigerated containers: These are containers, being able to control temperature. They are perfect for transporting perishables such as flowers or food that need to be kept cold across long distances.
3. Special Dimensioned containers: There are many others for more specific cargo:
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Open Top Container: Suitable for cargo that is over-height and cannot be easily loaded through the door.
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Flat Rack: Ideal for shipping goods that are oversized, such as heavy machinery, yachts and construction materials.
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Platform: Used for odd-sized cargo which does not fit on or in any other type of container.
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Transportable tank: Made of strong steel or other anti-corrosive materials for the transportation and long-life protection of liquid materials.
If you want to book temperature-controlled cargo, dangerous cargo or LCL (less than container load) and out of gauge shipments, please reach out to the experts at Maersk. As we are supercharged by industry leader Maersk, you can book this specific kind of cargo with them. Just check out their services for fresh and frozen cargo as well as for dangerous cargo or LCL.
For some types of cargo, you might need additional documentation. Are you in doubt about which documentation is required when shipping for the first time? We have gathered the most important shipping documentation for your shipments on our knowledge hub.