4 Major types of shipping containers for International Shippers

Have you recently shifted to a new country and are planning to ship your belongings from your old place to the new one? Well, opting for sea freight services is the best option for you. But it is also better to have good knowledge about the services you are opting for.

According to a study, the global Deep Sea Freight market is expected to grow by USD 62 billion as we reach 2021. This is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020.

Let us know more about the shipping freight services, beginning from its benefits to the types of shipping containers that are used to ship your belongings. Before we begin, if you are seeking sea friend services, make sure you invest in trusted brokers like https://www.freightpeople.com.au/.

Benefits of Sea Freight Services

1. Affordable Costs

Shifting your household belongings from one place to another, using sea freight services, is generally cheaper than air freight services. Though it takes a bit more time than air freight services, it offers companies to ship the goods in bigger quantities. And obviously, they have lower land costs making them highly economical.

2. Freedom of Space

Unlike air freight services that have strict policies about weight, measurements, and dimensions of goods and obviously restrictions on certain items, sea freight services are very flexible in this regard. The cargo ships can accommodate nearly anything irrespective of their weight or dimensions.

3. Eco-friendly

The world today is now concerned about environmental issues. We are expected to be using eco-friendly measures for everything. Hence, opting for sea freight services helps in the release of a lesser amount of greenhouse gas. Involving in such environmental-friendly practices is one step towards a greener society.

Now coming to the most important part of the freight services here, that is, what are the types of containers used to ship goods. Well, different types of containers are used for different types of goods ranging from dry to liquid goods. Cargo ships have the ability to ship anything without any restrictions.

4 Major Types of Shipping Containers

1. Dry Storage Container

These types of containers vary in dimensions as standardized by ISO. Generally used for shipping dry goods and they come in the size of 10ft, 20ft, and 40ft. Benefits of using dry storage containers:

  • Highly affordable storage option irrespective of what needs to be stored or where it needs to be stored.
  • No complex or time-consuming build-out.
  • Highly secure and resistant to rodents.

2. Flat Rack Container

These containers can ship a wide variety of goods. Flat rack containers are designed in a way that the sides of the containers can be folded so as to make a flat rack. Benefits of using flat rack containers:

  • Highly convenient when it comes to loading and unloading of goods. Unlike ordinary containers that are usually sealed from all sides thus making it difficult for loading and unloading, flat rack containers have sides that can be folded.
  • The weight is high as these containers use the world’s leading new steel, which can reach 2.3 times the weight of ordinary steel. Thus, it can load more goods than ordinary containers.
  • There is sufficient ventilation and convenient storage for goods. The non-sealing property of these containers offers the goods placed inside with sufficient ventilation; thus, these containers are highly suitable for oxygen-dependent goods.

3. Open Top Container

These types of containers have a convertible top that can be completely removed to make an open-top so that the goods of large heights can be shipped easily. Benefits of open-top containers:

  • The major benefit of these containers is that oversized equipment fits easily in this.
  • These containers have the ability to use their available space to its maximum.
  • Sorting of goods is easily done without even offloading all items from the container.

4. Refrigerated ISO Containers

These containers are specially used for shipping perishable substances like fruits and vegetables. These are temperature regulated containers to have a controlled low temperature inside. Benefits of refrigerated ISO containers:

  • Highly strong and durable as their structure is well designed enough to withstand harsh conditions, strong water currents, and dangerous climatic conditions.
  • These are cost-effective as well as they can ship different types of products whether chilled or frozen at the same time.
  • It has a variety of sizes and dimensions thus making it durable for multi-mode transportation.

Over to you…

Well, now that you know everything there is to know about sea freight services, make sure you make an informed decision.

Chung Nguyen
 

Chung is a seasoned business journalist with a focus on sustainability and corporate social responsibility. With over 15 years of experience covering the world of finance and economics, Rachel has established herself as a respected authority on responsible business practices. Throughout her career, Chung has interviewed some of the most influential leaders in the corporate world and has covered major business events such as the World Economic Forum and the United Nations Climate Change Conference. She is also a regular contributor to leading business publications and has won several awards for her work. Chung's passion for promoting sustainable business practices has also led her to author a book on the topic.