How did 53' become the standard length for semi-trailers? What are the different shipping container sizes and what they're used for?

The size of a shipping container matters.The length, height and width of containers are taken into account.Shipping container lengths range from 10 feet to 53 feet.

The standard cargo container sizes did not happen overnight.The ISO container sizes that first came into play in the transportation industry have come to serve as components in creative and eco-friendly homes thanks to a lot of thought and effort.

The World Shipping Council notes that shipping before standard-sized containers was difficult.Cargo on ships was transported in barrels, boxes and crates which were unloaded by hand or pulley systems.Horse and rail cargo boxes were similar to containers used in the past, but they didn't have a standard dimensions for easy use.Malcom McLean, a North Carolina trucking magnate, bought a steamship company and came up with the idea of moving entire truck trailers with their cargo still inside.

Interruptionism is the idea of leaving cargo inside containers and moving the entire container from ship to rail or truck.

This idea would improve shipping efficiency and simplify the process.

The entire container could be relocated and sent on the next leg of the journey, instead of being unloaded from one mode of transportation to another.

The way for standard shipping container sizes was paved by two US companies.The Sea-Land, formerly known as Pan Atlantic, initially operated out of Newark and other eastern ports in the Northern Atlantic.The other was established by Captain William Matson and had routes from the West Coast to Hawaii.

The ship-to-truck plan would require shipping containers to be standardized.An interstate commerce commission regulation prevented him from owning both shipping and trucking businesses at the same time, but his knowledge of the trucking industry helped him forge relationships with trucking companies willing to work with the standard size he dictated for his ships.

His standard shipping container was a steel box.The size and material worked best for the merchandise he carried, the retired World War II ships he was using and the dimensions required for truck and railroad beds.

The ideal shipping container size is 20 feet long.Anything over 25 feet will waste space on the average shipment and anything under 20 will hold less cargo and cost more to handle.

The American Standards Association got into the act without talking to anyone.Storage container sizes were suggested to increase in 10-foot increments, with containers measuring 20 feet, 30 feet and 40 feet long.

The International Standards Organization jumped on the bandwagon a few years later.Today's modern containers have five standard lengths.

The most popular sizes of sea freight containers are 20 or 40 feet long.Statistics and containers are referred to as Tew, which means a 20-foot container.They are referring to a 40-foot container if you hear them mention a 2 TEW.

You can run across industry terms.GP is used to designate a standard container.The high cube is a container that is 1-foot higher than the standard GP.The term half-height refers to a container that is half the height of the standard.

Standard and half-height dimensions are available for containers that are 20 feet long.The option of an open top for quick loading and unloading of various-sized items is available in the half-height versions.Open top containers do not have a door at one end.

Standard and high cube containers are available in the 40-foot range.There is a door at one end of the container.

The shipping containers that measure 45, 48 and 53 feet in length are available in the high cube variety, with the door height being 1 foot taller than the standard container height.

It depends on the design of the house and the intended use of each individual container.A 48 foot container is enough space for a living and dining area.A 20-foot container may work with a smaller bedroom.You can always divide a single container into multiple rooms or areas for your purpose.

The 20 foot shipping container is not only a basic unit of shipping measure, but also an important building block for container homes.You can find out more here.

Interested in building a container house?Container housing companies can simplify and streamline the process.