Shipping containers continue to find applications beyond the shipping industry, as different types of containers can be employed for different purposes. Open top containers, as the name suggests, have a unique feature. They can be used to carry oversized cargo. They also make loading and unloading easy, and the metal beam over the door can be easily dismantled. You can easily get this type of shipping containers for sale. Here is what you need to know about open top containers.
What they are made of
Open top containers have their walls made of corrugated steel. The flooring is hardwood or bamboo based. The differences between open tops and regular shipping containers are the roofs and the doors. The door head can be swivelled out to operate forklifts and similar devices. Depending on your requirement, you can choose either 40ft or 20ft shipping containers for sale.
What inside capacities they offer
While a 20ft shipping container offers 32 cubic meters of inside capacity, a 40ft container offers 64 cubic meters. However, with the top being removable, more can be packed. There are many things that can be built from a 20f and 40ft shipping container.
Open top containers with hard tops
Hard top containers have hard roofs made generally of steel. The roof is removable with the help of a crane.
Open top containers with soft tops
Soft top containers have their tops made of tarpaulin, a softer material. It is secured into place using lashing rings or heavy eyelets. Thereafter, roof bows serve to provide structural support, in addition to supporting the tarpaulin. You can even replace the tarpaulin with canvas or plastic sheets.
What are they be used for?
How tough are shipping containers? If you have a business where transporting heavy and oversized loads is a routine task, consider using open top containers. It could be that you need to move equipment that requires technical knowledge to transport, but you do not have trained drivers. In such cases, an open top container makes transportation safe, even if it is a 20ft shipping container.
Open top shipping containers are widely used to carry spools of wire. Cranes cannot be carried in normal shipping containers, so an open top container does the job best. These containers can also be used for removing debris. Common uses of open top containers often include:
- Transporting long steel bars of different thicknesses
- Carrying scrap material
- Transporting ore, coal or other similar minerals
- Transporting trees
- Constructing mini open-air gyms or swimming pools
How to buy open top containers
Unlike a regular 20ft shipping container, good open top containers are hard to find. The reason is that they serve a particular purpose in the shipping industry and hence are usually retained for a longer period. However, of late, online companies have started offering open top shipping containers for sale as well. Make sure that the company you are buying from, delivers in your area.
If you have a limited budget, you can go for one-trip or as-is containers. However, if you transport oversized cargo frequently, consider buying new open top containers.
