In terms of the type of cargo for which the containers are mainly intended, they are classified as follows:
- General Cargo Container
- Specific Cargo Container
General Cargo Container
The general cargo containers are further classified as:
- Dry Cargo Container
- Special Dry Cargo Containers
Dry Cargo Containers: The most commonly used shipping containers are general cargo boxes. These are the steel containers that are visible in virtually every seaport around the world. They are fully enclosed with strong, rigid walls, a roof and floor and resistant to the elements as well as animals, birds and vermin.
One of the wall is usually adapted to create an aperture for a door opening. End loaders have a door at one of the ends on the shortest side, while some containers are fitted with side wall doors for convenient “side loading”. 20 foot shipping containers and their 40 foot equivalents are the most common lengths while the standard width is 8 feet.
- Special Dry Cargo Containers: Sometimes, loading and unloading cannot be easily accomplished through the end or side doors and therefore special containers are used to do so.
- Open Top Containers: Open top shipping containers have similar characteristics to dry cargo containers but do not have a hard top steel roof. Such containers are used for heavy, bulky or fragile items such as sheet glass or machinery
- Flat Rack Containers: Flat rack containers lack the superstructures of enclosed dry cargo boxes. They do not have therefore, fixed walls or any load-carrying structures.
- Closed Ventilated Containers: Where goods need to be protected against excess moisture or humidity, special ventilation-adapted containers are used.
Specific Cargo Container
For the transport of food, frozen, perishable or cold goods, shipping containers are adapted to specific purpose containers.
- Thermal Containers: Thermal containers are known in the industry as reefers. They are characterized by interior insulation on the doors, roof, floor and walls.
- Insulated Shipping Containers: Insulated shipping containers do not utilize any devices for temperature regulation. Only the internal insulation helps maintain an ambient temperature.
- Refrigerated Shipping Containers: Refrigerated shipping containers have no external power or energy supply, so cold temperatures are maintained using dry ice or liquefied gas.
- Mechanically refrigerated Containers: In these cases, a power supply is required to a refrigeration appliance. This is providing on land at sea ports, or road distribution trucks, or even on some container ships.
- Heated Containers: similarly, a power supply is needed to run a heat-producing device.
- Named Cargo Containers: These containers transport items such as cars, others vehicles livestock and poultry.
- Dry Bulk Containers: Dry Bulk containers are used where no external packaging is required. Grains and dry foodstuffs fall into this category
- Tank Containers: Tank containers incorporate a tank for the transport and distribution of chemicals, gases and hazardous liquids
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