The intermodal container can be referred to by other names such as a box, high-cube container, ISO container, freight container, sea box, container and conex box. These units are manufactured from standardized reusable steel. They provide safe and secure and efficient storage for transporting materials all over the world via a global containerized intermodal freight system.
The word "Intermodal" refers that the container can be moved from one kind of transport to another. For example, intermodal refers from ship to truck or ship to rail, without having to reload and unload the container's contents. A few of the container lengths that have a distinctive ISO 6346 reporting mark on them range from 2.438 m or 8-feet to 17.07m or 56 feet. These models are as high as 8 feet or 2.438 m to 2.9 m or 9 feet, 6 inches. It is estimated that there are about 17 million intermodal containers of different kinds to suit a range of cargoes within the globe.
These containers can be transported by freight train, semi-truck trailer and container ship. They can also travel numerous distances without having to be unpacked. At container terminals, they are transferred between modes utilizing container cranes. Normally a reach-stacker is employed to transfer from a flat-bed truck to a rail car. These models are secured during transportation by a variety of "twistlock" points located at each corner on the container.
To be able to manage to containers tracking and identification, every container is outfitted with a bin identification code or BIC code painted directly on the outside of the box. These models can carry items ranging around 20 to 25 tonnes.
When using rail transport, the containers can be carried on well cars or on flatcars. Well cars are particularly designed for transport by containers. They can efficiently and safely accommodate double-stacked containers. The loading gauge of a rail system could actually limit the types of container shipment and the particular modes of the shipment. For example, the smaller loading gauges which are typically found in European railroads would just handle single-stacked containers. In some nations like the UK, there are some sections of the rail network that cannot accommodate high-cube containers, unless they could utilize well cars only.
These containers are made sturdy enough to last through the numerous 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 many of the objects we depend on everyday all around the world.