The Different Types Of Containers And Their Uses

For those who are familiar with out of gauge shipments, there will be knowledge of a variation of containers used when shipping cargo. But, for those who are used to the traditional means of shipping, for example, with dry materials, may not be as aware.

The sea container was invented by Malcom Mclean and since his creation, the types and styles of containers have evolved to ship a wide range of cargo, from dry materials to liquids to perishable goods. If there was solely the regular dry storage container, there would be major inefficiencies in international trade.

Here we will recognise the different types of containers and their different purposes that enable the global supply chain to run smoothly.

There are also different ways of occupying a container:

• FCL (full container-load) – this means goods from a single shipper occupy the entire container.
• LCL (less container-load) – this is used when a single shipper’s goods do not completely fill an entire container. So, to fill the container, space in it is split between orders and/or shippers.

Here is just a selection of the wide variety of containers that aid your supply chain:

Dry storage container – these are used for shipping dry materials and come in several different dimensions: 10ft, 20ft, 40ft and 45ft.

Flat rack container – these are used for a wide variety of goods, especially for cargo bigger in size. They have collapsible sides, so there is more flexibility with the sizing of the products.

Open top container – these have convertible tops that can be removed so that products of any size can be shipped quickly.

Tunnel container – These have doors on both ends of the unit, so that cargo can be loaded and unloaded quickly.

Open side container – These have doors than can change into open sides, so that wider materials can fit in sideways.

Double doors container – These make a wider room for loading and unloading materials. Construction materials include steel, iron etc., in standardized sizes of 20ft and 40ft.

Refrigerated/reefer container – These are temperature regulated containers that always have a low temperature. They are used for the transportation of perishable substances, such as foods, over a long period of time.

Tanks – These are responsible for the shipment of liquids, chemicals, and gases. They can do this as they are made with anti-corrosive materials or strong steel. These offer the best protection to the materials stored in them.

Bulk bags – These are used to transport substances such as sand, cement, and soil etc.

Although there are endless options of containers, after Covid 19 production declined. Many ships were stranded at ports due to international complications. So, global trade was affected, including commodity demand and supply.

There was also an increase of empty containers at ports, resulting in a shortage of containers. This led to issues like port congestion, labour shortages and increasing operating costs.

This is where we come in. At Cardinal, we can help advise you on the best suited containers, how to manage your cargo at ports to avoid demurrage and rent charges as well as offer solutions, such as the use of Logiport to ease the shipment of your products.