According to Wikipedia, it is estimated that the number of shipping containers, freight containers, or portable storage containers currently utilized worldwide numbers in the tens of millions. These mobile storage containers have many names including iso containers, intermodal containers, sea boxes, sea cans, conex (also connex) boxes, used shipping containers, steel cargo boxes, portable storage container rentals, and hi-cube containers.
“You say tomato, I say tomahto”
By whatever name you prefer, a shipping container is a standardized steel box of varying sizes used for the safe, secure and efficient storage and movement of materials or products by a freight transport system, including container ship, freight train, and truck. The freight container is designed so that it can be moved from one mode of transport to another without unloading and reloading the container contents, and is reusable. Portable containers vary in length from 8 to 56 feet and heights from 8 to 9 feet 6 inches.
A typical steel storage container has lockable access doors at one end, and is constructed of corrugated weathering steel which does not require painting. The floor of a container is composed of marine plywood.
Intermodal Doorless Portable Shipping Containers (a.k.a. Sea Cans)
CakeBoxx Container
In February of 2012 , a company by the name of CakeBoxx Technologies announced a completely new type of intermodal cargo shipping container which it termed the CakeBoxx. The patented, doorless container represents the first major design change to the current intermodal storage container which has been in use since the 1950s.
Cakeboxx Technologies claims the new design provides functional as well as economic advantages over standard containers, including improved security and theft prevention, enhanced cargo safety and damage resistance, more usable interior volume and reduced fuel costs. The doorless design is also touted to provide faster loading and unloading, streamlined Customs inspections and enable the ability to carry more diverse cargo with multiple configurations. CakeBoxx Technologies is manufacturing three different sized containers, referred to as the CakeBoxx, ShortBoxx, and FreshBoxx.
20′ Shipping Containers and 40′ Portable Storage Containers for Rent
Pac-Van Steel Containers
TEU, which stands for twenty foot equivalent unit is a preferred measure of freight container capacity, so called because it represents what a standard 8 foot wide by twenty foot long storage container will hold. The height of the container is not considered. The term FEU, which represents a forty foot equivalent unit, is another measure typically applied to large steel portable containers transported by ocean going container vessels.
Each portable storage container bears an identifying number that specifies who owns it, due to the incredible number and variety of storage containers used for commerce around the world. Virtually every type of manufactured product is transported by this methodology to every corner of the globe.
There are companies that deliver containers wherever storage is needed. Pac Van Inc. supplies portable storage containers to business in over 36 states. In addition Pac-Van provides mobile office rentals, liquid storage tanks, and specializes in leasing modular buildings throughout the United States.
So the next time you need to rent mobile storage just remember that an Intermodal Doorless Sea Can is nothing more than a Cakeboxx and a Portable Steel Storage Container is simply a Conex box. Or was that an Iso Sea Box? Ahem. Perhaps it’s best to leave the container lingo to the experts and just ask for a 20 foot or 40 foot storage unit to go.
I learn something new everyday here at Rent It Today! Great article, Bob.