Shipping & logistics 20’ / 40’ / 40’HC

Container types (20’, 40’, 40’HC, reefer, open top)

A 20-foot container (about 33 m³, payload around 25–28 t) suits heavy, dense cargo such as metals, minerals and bagged chemicals; a 40-foot (67 m³) and 40-foot high cube (40’HC, 76 m³, ~26 t) suit light but bulky goods such as plastic granules, fibres and foam. In practice road weight limits are often more restrictive than container capacity. Reefers are used for the cold chain, open-tops and flat racks for machinery and oversized items, and tank containers for liquids.

Related terms

Full container load (FCL) and less than container load (LCL)

With FCL a whole container is dedicated to one shipper’s cargo: it is stuffed and sealed at the factory and opened at the buyer’s warehouse. With LCL small lots from several shippers are consolidated in one container at a consolidator’s warehouse and charged per cubic metre or tonne, whichever is greater. In raw material trade FCL is usually cheaper and safer above roughly 10–15 m³; LCL suits samples and small orders.

Flexitank

A single-use, multi-layer polyethylene bag fitted inside a standard 20-foot dry container, carrying 16,000–24,000 litres of non-hazardous liquid. For vegetable oils, glycerine, base oils, latex, wine, syrups and some non-food chemicals it is far cheaper per litre than drums or IBCs. Dangerous goods cannot be carried; for food cargo check the bag’s food-grade certificate and the container’s cleanliness.

Big bag (FIBC – flexible intermediate bulk container)

A large sack made of woven polypropylene that usually carries 500–1,500 kg of granules, powder or flakes and is lifted by forklift on its loops. Its safe working load (SWL) and safety factor (5:1 single-trip, 6:1 multi-trip) are specified under ISO 21898. For combustible powders use Type B, C or D bags against static electricity; food and pharma need food-grade bags with liners. It cuts packaging and handling cost compared with 25 kg bags.

Explained in the trade handbook

Trade handbook