The intermodal container may be called by other names such as a box, high-cube container, ISO container, sea can, freight container, container and conex box. These units are manufactured from standardized reusable steel. They provide secure and effective and safe storage for transporting supplies all around the world via a global containerized intermodal freight system.
"Intermodal" is a term which means the container which can be moved between one type of transport to another. Intermodal may mean from a ship to truck or ship to rail, without having to unload and reload the container's contents. Several of the container lengths which have a distinctive ISO 6346 reporting mark on them range from 8-feet or 2.438 m to 17.07m or 56 feet. 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 roughly 17 million intermodal containers of different kinds to suit a variety of cargoes in the world.
These containers can be transported by semi-truck trailer, container ship and freight trains. They can also travel numerous distances without having to be unpacked. At container terminals, they are transferred between modes utilizing container cranes. A reach-stacker is usually employed to transfer from a flat-bed truck to a rail car. These units are secured during transportation by a range of "twistlock" points located at every corner on the container.
To be able to manage to containers identification and tracking, each and every container is equipped with a bin identification code or BIC code painted directly on the outside of the box. These units can lift things ranging about 20 to 25 tonnes.
For transport on rails, the container can be carried on well cars or on flatcars. Well cars have been designed specifically for use by intermodal containers. They could safely and efficiently accommodate double-stacked containers. The loading gauge of a rail system could actually limit the specific modes of the shipment and the kinds of container shipment. Like for example, the smaller loading gauges that are typically found in European railroads would just handle single-stacked containers. In some countries like for example the UK, there are some sections of the rail network that cannot accommodate high-cube containers, unless they can use well cars only.
These containers are built to last and are utilized to travel extreme distances. They are re-used with companies and can carry an enormous amount of cargo. These containers are responsible for transporting many of the objects we depend on everyday all over the globe.