Chapter 2: Types and Specification for the most used Container

Objectives
 The learner should identify main types of containers, and for
which cargo they are designed for.
 The student should explain ISO Standard containers, their
loading capacities and their purpose.
 The student should describe the contents and the objective of the
identification code of a container.
 The learner should describe the main parameters of a container
and its handling requirements.
Contents
 The types of containers mostly used
 Dimensions (ISO Containers)
 Length Width Height
 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit)
 Maximum weight allowed (Payload)
 Identification codes of containers
 Loading gauge at departure and at destination
Types of container
Closed container
Open top container
Ventilated container
Refrigerated container
Platform
Flat Track
Tank container
Dry bulk container
Open Side Container
Tunnel container
Half-height container
Standard Box
 Box 20´
 Dimensions inside 590 x 234 x 239 cm
 Box 40´
 Dimensions inside 1203 x 234 x 239 cm
 Box High Cube (40)´
 Dimensions inside 1203 x 234 x 271 cm
Box 45’
Dimensions Inside 1356 x 235 x 270 cm
Open Top Container
 Open Top Container 20´
• Dimensions inside 590 x 233 x 236 cm
• Payload capacity: 18,2 to
 Open Top Container 40´
• Dimensions inside 1202 x 232 x 233 cm
• Payload capacity: 26,3 to
Refrigerated Container
 20´and 40´ also High Cube (40)´
• Electrically operated heating/cooling aggregate
• Needs board or landside electric connection or
“clip-on” diesel aggregate during land transport
• For all temperature controlled cargo
Platform
 20´and 40´
• For heavy lift or oversized cargo
• not for land transport
Flat Rack
 20´and 40´
 Special Open Platform Container which is not
closed on the top or eventually at the sides
Open Side Container
 Special container which is open at the sides
 Useful for cargo which should be loaded and unloaded from the side,
e.g. paper rolls.
Tank Container
 20´
 Payload: 32,50MTS / 24,000L
 For the transport of liquid foodstuff cargo, e.g
• alcohol
• fruit juice
• sweet oil
Tank Container
 10´ 20´ 30´ 40´
 Under ISO 668 it would be possible to include a 45´ long unit to the
list.
 In the international tank industry approximately 95% of all tanks built
are 20´ long.
• Height: 8´; 8´6” ; 4´ ; 4´3”
• Volume: 9,000 to 27,000 litres
Length -Width - Height
 Containers are always marked with their Tare and Gross weights on the
doors
 Common size of container:
• Length: 20’(6.05m); 30’(9.12m); 40’(12.19m); 45’(13.71m)
• Width: 8’(2.44m) for all container types
• Height: 8’(2.44m) almost phased out; 8’6”(2.6m); 9’6”(2.9m)
Container Length Width Height Remark
20’ 20’ 8’ 8’6’’ Standard
40’ 40’ 8’ 8’6’’ Standard
40’ 40’ 8’ 9’6’’ High cube
45’ 45’ 8’ 9’6’’ High cube

 Dimensions are bound to change: 30’ account for 1% of the fleet,

while 45’ continues to develop (increasing in USA)
TEU
 TEU = 20’ ISO Standard Container
 TEU: Twenty-foot Equivalent Units
 FEU: Forty-foot Equivalent Units
 1 FEU = 2 TEUs
 1 x 40’GP = 2 TEUs
 A container truck can carry 2 TEUs, that is: 2x20’container or 1x40’
container.
 A train can carry 30 - 60 TEUs
 Container ships carry 1,500 - 4,000 - 6,600 TEUs
 The largest container ship can carry 18,000 TEUs (Maersk Triple-E)
TEU Factor
 TEU Factor = TEU / Box = Numbers of TEU / Numbers of Container
 Eg:
• 100 Containers: 40 x 40’GP + 60 x 20’GP
• Numbers of TEUs = (40x2) + (60x1) = 140TEUs
 TEU factor = 140 / 100 = 1.4

Volume of Loadable Volume

Container
20’ 33.1 m3 25 m3
40’ 67.5 m3 55 m3
40’ HC 75.3 m3 65 m3
45’ 86.1 m3 75 m3

Identification Codes of Containers

ISO Numbering System
 ISO standards require each container to have a series of
Identification Marks and Safety Certification Details.
CSC PLATE
 CSC Plate: Safety Approval Plate
 CSC = Conventions for Safe Container 1972
 www.tis-gdv.de (Transport - Information - Service website, it
provides users with specialist information from German marine
underwriters on various aspects of the transport sector)
CSC PLATE
1. Country, number and year of approval
2. Date of manufacture
3. Manufacturer Container identification number
4. Maximum gross weight
5. Allowable stacking weight
6. Racking test load value
7. Date of (re)examination
IDENTIFICATION MARKS
The Identification Marks are fixed to the top and to each side of
the container
 ISO marking
 ISO mark locations
 Identification code
 Country / Size / Type code
 Operational specification
ISO MARK LOCATIONS

IDENTIFICATION CODE

1) Owner Code (prefix):

• 3 first numbers: Owner ID
• 4th number: Always “U”
2) Container Serial Number: Six (6) next digits
• Free of choice
• Owner code (prefix) and Serial number: registered at BIC (at a
fee)
3) Check Digit: Be validated by a mathematical process
COUNTRY / SIZE / TYPE CODE

 DE: Country Code (before 1984: 3 letters)

 22: Size Code (length and height)
 00: Type Code (indicating characteristics of the unit)
Example Country Code:
Japan JP JXX
Brazil BR BRX
Korea KP ROK

 2000: 20 - indicates a 20 foot long, 8 foot high container; 00 -

indicates a standard dry van container with opening(s) at one
or both ends.
 4332: 40 foot long, 8.5 foot high, thermal container that can be
heated or refrigerated.
 3277: 30 foot long, 8.25-foot high, tank container for dangerous
gasses maximum tested pressure 22 bar.
HOW TO CALCULATE A CHECK DIGIT?
Calculation Step 1: An equivalent numerical value is assigned to
each letter of the alphabet, beginning with 10 for the letter A (11
and multiples thereof are omitted). The individual digits of the
serial number keep their numeric value
Calculation Step 2: Each of the numbers calculated in step 1 is
multiplied by 2 position, where position is the exponent to basis 2.
Position starts at 0, from left to right.
Calculation Step 3:
a) Sum up all results of step 2
b) Divide them by 11
c) Remainder is Check digit
Examples of Owner’s Code
 MAEU : Maersk
 APLU : American President Line
 NOLU : Neptune Orient Line
 TRIU : Transamerica Leasing
 OCLU : Oriental Shipping
 GSTU : Genstar Leasing
 KNLU : P&O / Nedlloyd
 SEAU : Sealand

Loading Gauge at Departure and at Destination

Objectives
 The learner should describe what a loading gauge is.
 The learner should be able to consider different gauges in
international transport when transporting containers or
oversized cargo.
Loading gauge:
 Series of height and width profiles governing the physical
dimensions of vehicle and its load.
 Vary by route It’s important to respect the different loading
gauges alongside the route and plan accordingly.
• PPI – the predecessor of the UIC gauges had the maximum
dimensions 3.15m x 4.28m with an almost round roof top.
• UIC A (GA): The smallest (slightly larger than PPI gauge) 
Maximum dimensions 3.15m x 4.32 m.
• UIC B: Most of the high-speed TGV tracks in France are built to
UIC B.
Maximum dimensions 3.15m x 4.32m.
• UIC B+: New structures in France are being built to UIC B+. Up
to 4.28 m it features a width of 2.50 m to accommodate ISO
containers.
• UIC C: The Central European gauge. In Germany and other
central European countries, the railway systems are built to UIC C
gauges, sometimes with an increment in the width, allowing
Scandinavian trains to reach German stations directly, originally
built for Soviet freight cars.
Maximum dimensions 3.15m x 4.65 m
 The physical dimensions of a vehicle and its load are governed
by a series of height and width profiles, known as loading gauges.
These are applied to a given route, to ensure that a vehicle ill not
collide with a lineside or over line structure, such as station
platforms, canopies, overhead power supplies, overpasses or
tunnels.
 Loading gauge profiles vary by route, reflecting the constraints
on rail vehicle size caused by lineside and overline structures.