The intermodal container may be referred to by other names such as a box, high-cube container, ISO container, sea can, freight container, conex box, and container. These models are manufactured from standardized reusable steel. They provide effective and safe and secure storage for transporting supplies across the globe via a global containerized intermodal freight system.
"Intermodal" is a term that means the container that could be moved between one type of transport to another. Intermodal can refer from a ship to rail or ship to truck, without having to reload and unload the container's contents. Some of the container lengths which have a distinctive ISO 6346 reporting mark on them range from 2.438 m or 8-feet to 56 feet or 17.07m. These models are as high as 2.438 m or 8feet to 2.9 m or 9 feet, 6 inches. It is estimated that there are around 17 million intermodal containers in the world of different kinds to suit a range of cargoes.
These containers can be transported by container ship, freight train and semi-truck trailer. They could also travel numerous distances without having to be unpacked. At container terminals, they are transferred between modes utilizing container cranes. Usually a reach-stacker is utilized to transfer from a flat-bed truck to a rail car. These models are secured during transportation by a range of "twistlock" points situated at each corner on the container.
Every container is equipped with a particular BIC code or bin identification code which is painted on the outside to be able to take care of tracking and identification. These units could lift objects ranging approximately 20 to 25 tonnes.
When utilizing rail transport, the containers could be carried on flatcars or on well cars. Well cars are specifically designed for transport by containers. They can efficiently and safely accommodate double-stacked containers. The loading gauge of a rail system may actually limit the types of container shipment and the particular modes of the shipment. Like for example, the smaller loading gauges which are typically found in European railroads will only handle single-stacked containers. In some countries like the United Kingdom, there are some sections of the rail network which cannot accommodate high-cube containers, unless they can use well cars only.
These containers are made strong enough to last through the many travels across extreme distances. These containers are reused by businesses and are able to transport huge amounts of cargo. These containers are responsible for transporting numerous of the objects we depend on everyday all over the world.