However, due to their unique shape, containers with open lids are more suitable for transporting loose bulk loads; while flat shelves are perfect for large machinery and vehicles, especially those that weigh on the top. Open-top containers may have height restrictions and it's best to carry loads of less than 7.8 m in height. Open-top containers also come in 20- and 40-foot sizes and are generally used to carry loads that exceed height, cannot be easily loaded through the door, and must be loaded from above, such as pipes or steel, with the help of cranes.
The open lid looks similar to a normal 20- or 40-foot container.
The main difference is that the top of the container is covered with a PVC canvas cover instead of a solid roof like a normal container.The flat shelf has no roof or side walls. This is the easiest way to remember. A flat grid container is a container that is open at the top and on the longer sides of its frame, with two walls on the smaller sides. These containers can be stacked on top of each other or folded when empty to save space when being transported. Depending on the manufacturer, most containers can adjust the temperature in a range of -30°C to +30°C.
It's also important to understand the size of the container to load the cargo efficiently. But in a factory it's not that difficult to use an overhead crane or a wrecking truck to load from the top of a container. What would be the percentage difference in cost between disassembling and loading into two 40-foot containers, compared to leaving a piece intact and shipping it on a flat shelf? When you remove the canvas (the outer cover) of an open container or open the doors, you will see what are known as “arches in the roof” inside the container, as shown in the images below. It is also used not only for oversized loads, but also for tighter sized items that can fit inside a container.
There are slight differences in the size of the containers between shipping lines, so there is no need to memorize them exactly. There is a possibility that the container can fold without the roof arches to reinforce the top of the container. For example, if you are transporting hygiene products such as food or medicines, the container category must be A. Used containers are cleaned and repaired at Container Depot and are classified in categories A, B and C.
However, if the load completely exceeds the height and is within width, it is recommended to use containers with an open top compared to flat shelves, since the sea freight of containers with an open top is considerably lower compared to flat shelves. These containers are well known for their high load capacity of up to 24,000 kg (20 ft) to 28,000 kg (40 ft). If there is a hole in the roof of a container, it is not acceptable, but it is used on the assumption that it has damage to some extent. Therefore, if you are going to carry heavy loads at a high altitude and there is no possibility of leaving most of the roof arches as they are, it is suggested to use a flat shelf so as not to compromise the safety and structural integrity of the container.
