The 40ft flat-rack shipping container is a unique shipping container whose sides and roof have been removed to leave a base with front and back. Sometimes the sides left may be collapsible making the container even more accessible to cargo handlers. Among other uses, these containers offer transportation solutions to companies and individuals dealing with cargo that is either too heavy or has awkward dimensions.

General uses

  1. Transportation of wide cargo. Some cargo such as industrial storage tanks is too wide to transport using the normal shipping containers. The 40ft flat-rack shipping container offers an effective solution since it has no sides. Additionally, the lack of a roof makes on-loading and offloading with a crane easier. Some of these containers have collapsible sides that leave the base free to accept the wide cargo uninterrupted.
  2. Transportation of awkward shaped cargo. The 40ft flat-rack shipping container makes transportation of cargo that has awkward shapes easier due to the absence of a roof and the sides. Therefore, military gear, industrial components, and wind turbine parts can be transported since the flat rack is still sturdy enough to support the cargo.
  3. Transportation of extremely heavy cargo. Some cargo is too heavy for most forklifts to handle. Such cargo can only be on-loaded from the top using high-capacity cranes or driven onto the container. Because most flat rack shipping containers have reinforced bases, the 40ft flat-rack shipping container is commonly used in such cases. Some examples of such cargo include military battle tanks, missiles and even rocket components.

Why they’re different

The 40ft flat-rack shipping container is the largest standardized container of its kind in the market currently.  This container comes in various configurations where the most basic has the sides and roof removed to leave a solid back and front. The second type of 20ft flat-rack shipping container comes with collapsible wall ends is suitable for the transportation of abnormal loads. While the cargo might not fit in a standard container, it can still be transported as a container with all the financial benefits.

The collapsible variety of 40ft flat-rack shipping containers comes with special handling mechanisms that lock the ends when the container is not in use. These locks act as a safety mechanism to prevent the ends from falling causing injury to operators and users. Most of these containers have wooden covers on the reinforced bases.

Who uses the 40ft flat-rack shipping container

Companies that deal with the movement or shipping or large industrial components whose dimensions prohibit use of ordinary shipping containers use the 40ft flat-rack shipping container. Its lack of side walls make for easier on-loading, movement, and offloading.

Individuals or companies contracted by defense contractors to move heavy military hardware use the 40ft flat-rack shipping container. Its ends are usually collapsible making on-loading and offloading easier while the base is reinforced for extra support. Such cargo might include battle tanks and missiles that are only transported by rail over land.