Here's what you should know about shipping containers!

Here’s what you should know about shipping containers!


Sea shipping containers are an inseparable element of every seaport. They are used all over the world to transport a wide variety of goods by sea – both light, loose and heavy. Here’s what you should know about shipping containers! 

Construction of a shipping sea container 

Each of us certainly knows more or less what a shipping container looks like. It is a rectangular box, the dimensions of which can often be even the same as that of a small building. Sea shipping containers are equipped with floors, walls, roofs and doors. The steel structure of the container consists of corner posts and the base. In turn, the frame is always built with the use of transverse girders and beams. In every container, its floor is extremely important, because it supports the weight of the transported goods. It takes over the entire mass of the load. He has to withstand maneuvering the stacker with the goods. In each shipping container, there are also special holders for securing the cargo that someone wants to transport.

The strongest part of each container are the corner posts equipped with lower and upper corner fittings – they are used to set up and, if necessary, lift the given containers. Sea transport containers also have double doors – they are mounted in the vast majority of cases on hinges that are welded to the corner posts. For obvious reasons, the door must of course be fully watertight. They are sometimes closed with up to four locks with holes for seals and padlocks. There must be no goods on the roof of a shipping container.

Technical condition of a shipping container – who should take care of it?

When loading sea shipping containers, it often turns out that it has a number of defects that were previously invisible at first glance. This, in turn, causes exporters and shipowners to get into discussions about who caused it. It is worth knowing that even among experts there is no clear agreement as to how the responsibility for the technical condition of shipping containers should be distributed.

Everyone agrees on one thing: the depot is obliged to deliver the container to the carrier in proper condition. The shipping container must be clean and dry. The carrier’s task, in turn, is to verify that the container meets all the requirements specified by the exporter. The exporter or warehouse where the loading is to be carried out should carefully review the technical condition of a given shipping container together with a checklist.

When verifying the current technical condition of a given shipping container, you should pay attention to a number of extremely important issues. The shipping container you receive should be dry and clean. Do not allow a situation where any strong smells or plans are noticeable in the container. This situation is absolutely disqualifying. The roof of the sea container must be free from any holes or faults. The door of the shipping container should close quickly, efficiently and smoothly. The container floor must not raise any doubts – it must not be cracked or broken in any case.

If the person responsible for verifying the technical condition of the shipping container does all of the above-described elements, there will be no scuffles or problems. In addition, in the future, no one will make any claims that the goods were transported in an inadequate shipping container. It is worth knowing that very often, next to the largest Polish terminals, there are special units that specialize in the repair and cleaning of containers. If it turns out that a given shipping container does not meet certain requirements, then the best solution is to use the services of such a company. Thanks to this, we will save both nerves and money due to possible claims.

TWORTY containers – what is it? 

For some time, new types of shipping containers have appeared on the market, TWORTY sea containers. The name TWORTY comes from the English language (twenty + forty = tworty). It is a type of container that has a door on both sides and a second door. In addition, the door can be closed and opened inside. TWORTY shipping containers are distinguished by full innovation and functionality, so they can be used both as 20 ‘and 40’ units at any point in the supply chain.

The new model of TWORTY shipping containers has been designed by professionals so that the costs of relocating empty containers are kept to an absolute minimum. Due to their reliability and incredibly high efficiency, they are chosen more and more often.