The intermodal container may be called by other names such as a box, ISO Container, high-cube container, sea can, freight container, container and conex box. These units are manufactured from standardized reusable steel. They provide efficient and safe and secure storage for moving supplies all around the world via a global containerized intermodal freight system.
The word "Intermodal" refers that the container could be moved from one type of transport to another. For example, intermodal refers from ship to truck or ship to rail, without having to unload and relaod the container's contents. Some of the container lengths that have a distinctive ISO 6346 reporting mark on them range from 2.438 m or 8-feet to 17.07m or 56 feet. These models are as high as 2.438 m or 8feet to 9 feet, 6 inches or 2.9 m. It is estimated that there are around 17 million intermodal containers of various types to suit a range of cargoes in the globe.
Containers are capable of being transported by container ship, freight train and semi-truck trailer. They could travel the distance of a single journey without being unpacked. At container terminals, they are transferred between modes by container cranes. A reach-stacker is normally used to transfer from a flat-bed truck to a rail car. These units are secured during transportation by a range of "twistlock" points located at each corner on the container.
Each and every container is outfitted with a certain BIC code or bin identification code which is painted on the outside in order to take care of identification and tracking. These models can lift objects ranging approximately 20 to 25 tonnes.
When using rail transport, the containers could be carried on well cars or on flatcars. Well cars are particularly designed for transport by containers. They could accommodate double-stacked containers safely and efficiently. The loading gauge of a rail system can actually limit the types of container shipment and the specific modes of the shipment. Like for example, the smaller loading gauges that are normally found in European railroads would just handle single-stacked containers. In certain nations such as the United Kingdom, there are some sections of the rail network that cannot accommodate high-cube containers, unless they could utilize well cars only.
These containers are built to last and are utilized to travel extreme distances. They are re-used with businesses and could lift an enormous amount of cargo. These containers are responsible for transporting numerous of the things we depend on everyday all over the globe.