Shipping containers are versatile, durable, standardized, efficient, and cost-effective units for intermodal shipping, storage, and more. In addition to shipping and storage, people have used shipping containers for many other purposes. One of the most common uses is a shipping container retrofitted to serve as an office. There have even been shipping containers retrofitted to serve as bars and restaurant counters.
Regardless of the shipping container’s intended use, one of the most critical choices you will make in its selection is the size. They come in a wide range of sizes and are even customizable for particular uses. One typical size difference is that between the 40-foot standard container and the 40-foot high cube container. It’s a matter of a foot of height difference, but that difference can mean the world under certain circumstances. Read on to discover the criteria for choosing between a standard and high cube container.
Related: Freight Forwarding
Characteristics and Advantages of Shipping Containers
Before moving into the specifics of container selection, it’s a good idea to become familiar with shipping containers’ characteristics and advantages in general. Engineers designed shipping containers, or intermodal containers, to be a standardized option for intermodal transportation. That means that they possess factors considered explicitly for using the same container as the cargo moves from a ship to a truck to a train without unloading and reloading. Manufacturers standardize sizes to fit on a truck bed or train car and pack neatly and tightly on a ship or shipyard.
In addition to standardized sizes, intermodal containers possess characteristics that make it possible for them to stack securely. Stackability allows them to provide a smaller footprint in terms of floor space, as the units can be packed up instead of out. Original shipping specifications referred to stacks of containers up to 9 units high. However, in modern practice, many ships and shipyards stack them up to 21 units high.
The creators of the shipping container also engineered them to be extremely durable to withstand the transfer between modes of transportation and heavy cargo. Durability methods include corrugated siding and reinforced steel frames. Note that the corrugated siding, while it provides structural support, creates aerodynamic drag, which reduces fuel efficiency while in transit.
Finally, containers possess several characteristics that allow machinery to relocate them easily. These include twist lock castings at each of the eight corners of each unit. The castings will enable them to be attached to cranes or other machinery readily.
These characteristics make them an efficient, practical storage and shipping solution.
Are you looking for a one-stop logistics solution? Check out Alba Wheels Up to discover the answer!
Choosing Between Standard and High Cube Containers
There are two primary differences between a standard and high cube 40-foot shipping container. The first is height. Standard containers are 8 feet, 6 inches high on the outside, with a corresponding interior dimension of 7 feet, 10 inches. A high cube container is one foot taller, so it has an exterior height of 9 feet, 6 inches, and an interior dimension of 8 feet, 10 inches. The height difference provides an additional 344 cubic feet of capacity. Also, high cube containers weigh 775 pounds more than standard containers. A black and yellow striped label at the top of the unit helps demarcate high cube containers.
There four primary criteria to use when selecting shipping container size. These apply whether choosing between a 20-foot container and a 40-foot container as well as between a standard and high cube container. The four criteria are purpose, dimension, budget, and weight. Taken a step at a time, consideration of these elements makes size selection simple.
Purpose
The first element to consider when making this choice is the purpose of the container. Will it be used for shipping, long-term storage, or something else? Suppose it’s going to be used for human occupancy. In that case, it’s possible that the greater ceiling height of the high cube container will make it more comfortable as an office space or other human-occupied place of business. There are also building codes and ordinances to consider.
Dimensions
The next element to consider is the cargo’s dimensions to be stored or shipped in the container. The first question to consider is overall cargo volume. How many cubic feet will the stored items require? If that number is greater than the standard container’s capacity (2,350 cubic feet), but less than 2,694 cubic feet, you will need a high cube container.
The consideration when it comes to dimensions is the individual height of each unit to be shipped. It’s possible that the cargo units are each taller than 7 feet, 10 inches, but less than 8 feet, 10 inches. In these cases, a high cube container may be required.
Budget
There is a price difference between standard and high cube containers. Depending on the budget, the difference may be negligible. However, if the budget is tight, it may be best to opt for the smaller container.
Weight
High cube containers weigh 775 more pounds than standard containers. Depending on the mode of transportation, this may make a difference as to how many containers can be moved and how much it costs to move each container. If the container is to be used for long term storage, the weight difference may matter when it comes to the substrate at the storage location.
Related: Traffic Management
Other Sizes and Variations of Shipping Containers
It’s possible that after considering these criteria, a 40-foot container isn’t the answer to the challenge at all. In that case, there are many other sizes to choose from. They range from 20 to 53 feet and can also be custom-built.
There is also a variety of possible modifications depending on the specific use. Open-top containers can be used for liquids or grains. Side-loading containers offer easy access when loading large pieces of machinery. They can have cargo doors or roller doors. They can even be customized with windows or standard man doors.
Related: Core Expertise
Conclusion
The process of choosing between a standard or high cube container can seem daunting at first. However, using step by step criteria, the process can be made simple. After considering the four elements above, it will be possible to move forward rapidly by making a selection for your shipping needs.
Do you need answers to your logistics questions? Head to Alba Wheels Up for the answers!
