Sea containers: a fast and cheap way to ship

Sea containers: a fast and cheap way to ship. Nowadays, we have great freedom in terms of importing and exporting goods practically all over the world. Clothing, groceries, electronics, cars – in fact, these are just a few of the things that we send abroad or bring to Poland. One of the most common solutions in cargo transport is, of course, container shipments. Their popularity is certainly due to the fact that you can transport practically anything in them.

Starting from small loads, through large-size shipments, ending with specialized machines. Sea containers transport hundreds of thousands of products per month, but we will commission this type of order with us, it is worth knowing the most important issues related to this issue. For this reason, we have prepared a guide in which we describe transport sea containers.

Sea transport containers and its history

At the very beginning, for the sake of accuracy, it is worth mentioning what are shipping containers at all. Simply put: these are large metal containers in which we can fit other containers containing specific goods.

A brief return to the past

Interestingly, the use of containers in transport is a relatively new solution. It appeared at the beginning of the 20th century and immediately gained wide interest in the transport industry around the world in various branches of the economy. Although it should be mentioned that their beginnings were not so easy. In the original version, they were smaller metal crates that could not support the greater weight of the goods. Another difficulties faced by traders of the last century were issues related to the entire transport process. It was an expensive solution and extremely slow due to, for example, the need to reload goods onto ships. This situation changed dramatically in 1955 when Malcolm McLean created the world’s first container ship. This moment undoubtedly marked the beginning of a new era of shipping containers. As a result, trade became cheaper and, above all, more effective, which began to significantly affect the economy of specific countries.

Due to the progress, systematization and optimization of solutions, containers are now associated with a fast and cheap way to transport goods of various sizes from virtually every corner of the world. Today, we can distinguish several types of containers, which are divided according to the type and size of shipments. Below we present the most important information about some of them.

Sea transport containers and their most popular types

Contrary to appearances, there are many types of containers in sea transport. Several of them are dedicated to specialized shipments, so they often depend on the individual needs of customers. However, there is a large group of containers, which we can consider as commonly used and these are described below. It is also worth mentioning that the length of the containers is measured in feet, so we will stick to these markings.

Dry Containers for shipping

We can distinguish two dry containers, which have a general purpose:

- - 20 ‘container – a 20-foot container. It will fit about 10 industrial pallets and 11 euro-pallets.
  - 40 ‘container – a 40-foot container. This, in turn, can accommodate up to 21 industrial pallets and 24 euro-pallets.

High-Cube sea shipping containers

It also happens that due to the height and type of cargo, it will be necessary to choose a different type of containers. Among them we can indicate:

- - 20 ‘RF container – a 20-foot container dedicated to the transport of goods at a controlled temperature.
  - Container 40 ′ RF – a 40-foot container, enables the transport of goods in the temperature range from -35 to 30 degrees C.
- - 20 ′ OT Container – A 20-foot container that has an opening roof.
  - 40 ′ OT container – a 40 ft container, also with an opening roof. It is perfect for loading with a crane.
- - 20 ′ FTR Container – A 20-foot container that, in addition to an opening roof, also has an opening side door.
  - 40 ′ FTR Container – a 40-foot container that only differs in size from the previous one. The purpose and construction are the same.
  - 20 ‘Platform Container – a container which is a 20-foot platform.
  - 40 ‘platform container – also a platform, but slightly larger, because it is 40 feet long.

Of course, these are not all types of containers. The number of them can be much larger, but we have indicated above the ones that are used most often. From the days of makeshift containers from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day, sea transport has developed enormously and is now one of the best and cheapest ways to transport a large number of goods, even of non-standard dimensions, in a short time. There are also companies that advise on what container is best for specific shipments, so if in doubt, use their support.