November 23, 2011

Intermodal Shipping Containers: The Keys to Successful World Freight

Many manufacturing and heavy industry firms in Australia have clients worldwide. To move a huge amount of bulk products to the nations of these clients, these firms will need to ship the goods out. For shipping Australia and to other nations, shipping companies utilize universal intermodal containers, often called freight, ISO, high-cube, or box containers.

An intermodal container is a reusable steel box that is used for secure, safe, and efficient storage and shipping of materials within a containerized intermodal freight system. Quite simply, no matter where the cargo goes in the world, international ports possess the facilities, vehicles, and equipment to haul, lift, carry, and transport these containers. Because there is no need to obtain special apparatus to handle intermodal containers, t ransporting them to the clients is fast, easy, hassle-free, and affordable.

Usually, an intermodal container is made out of corrugated weathering steel, which resists the harsh elements of seawater, salt air, and sunshine. At the end of each container is a pair of hinged doors. Almost all containers are around 8 feet wide and 8 feet tall. They are either 20 feet or 40 feet long. However, there are bigger units, called high-cubes, which are around 9 to 10 feet high and 48 to 53 feet long. The United States use these longer units.

Every corner of an intermodal container has castings with openings for twist-lock fasteners. Cranes use these fasteners to lift a container, and flatbed trucks use them to stabilize the container on the trailers.

Intermodal containers are structurally sound enough to carry a few more containers above them. Actually, they can hold up 6 more containers stacked above them. The capacity of each container is expressed in twenty-foot-equivalent unit rating, or TEU, a measure of capacity equal to one standard 20-by-8-foot container.

There are also “pallet” wide containers, which are 2 inches wider than standard containers. They are typically used in Europe to accommodate Euro pallets. In the same way, Australia uses RACE containers, which are also a little bit wider than standard containers, to fit Australian standard pallets.

For international removals to Australia and other countries, get in touch with Atlantis Overseas Removals.

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