The 40ft open top shipping container is the largest standardized open top shipping container available on the market. It is useful in transporting large awkwardly shaped cargo such as tall engineering spare parts alongside other important applications.

Inside a Soft Top Open Top 40ft Shipping Container

Outside a Soft Top Open Top 40ft Shipping Container

Outside a Hard Top Open Top 40ft Shipping Container

General uses

  1. Transportation of raw grain and other dry crops. The 40ft open top shipping container is essential in the transportation of dry grain such as corn and wheat in the rail transport sector. Open top containers such as these make on-loading and offloading the grain easier through overhead chutes.
  2. Transportation of tall cargo. Some cargo types have dimensions that cannot fit through the standard or side-opening doors of standard shipping containers. Such cargo includes bulky engineering spare parts and industrial processing components. The 40ft open top shipping container comes in handy as cargo is loaded from the top using cranes and covered using tarpaulins.
  3. Transportation of unique animals in large numbers. The longer 40ft open top shipping container makes bulk transportation of unique animals such as giraffes and elephants easier. The open tops accommodate tall animals while the sturdy container design supports heavier animals.

Why they are different

Open top containers are typically made of corrugated steel, and the flooring is either plywood or bamboo; just as a standard dry container is.  However, there are two significant structural differences:  the roof, and the door.  Open top containers have either a hard or soft top that can be lifted off for loading and carrying oversized items, and the door header is able to be swiveled out to accommodate forklifts and other equipment during the loading process.

The 40ft open top shipping containers comes in two main types. The first type is a hard top variety of shipping containers that have a steel lid, or top, that can be added and removed with a fork lift or crane. These types of containers are typically used to haul heavy equipment or cargo, or other dry goods. The second type of open top shipping container have a soft top such as a tarp roof that is lashed into place by heavy eyelets/lashing rings, and supported laterally by roof bows.  Once in place, the roof bows not only support the tarp, but also provide some structural value as well.

Companies and people who use the 40ft open top shipping container

Companies that deal with tall cargo such as process plant tank parts and engineering components use the 40ft open top shipping container to transport them. Individuals and companies that deal with the transportation of dry grain such as wheat and corn also use these shipping containers due to their large capacity and easier overhead on-loading and offloading. Mining companies that use railways to transport mineral ore and other similar cargo use the 40ft open top shipping container due to the same reason dry grain handlers use them. Spooled materials such as cable and wires that can easily be spooled and unspooled are transported using such open top shipping containers because of the ease of access and maneuverability.