Today, international shipping of goods is very popular for many reasons: convenience, accessibility, real costs, reliability. Containerized sea transport is particularly important in multimodal transport when the destination is not a seaport. Because the containers can be delivered by rail or car without any problems and the need to reload goods. But the delivery of certain goods must be coordinated in this case, so you need to know exactly how much an empty sea container weighs and what is its maximum carrying capacity. Structurally, the sea container is a metal box with a wide door. In the corners of the perimeter, the container is equipped with special reloading openings (lower and upper fittings).
How much does an empty sea container weigh?
This is important information as the weighing procedure is mandatory when transporting sea containers. And the tare weight is needed, for example, to calculate the total load of a ship. Most often, 20- or 40-foot containers are used for international transport of goods by sea. This indicator determines the dimensions of the container, and thus its capacity and weight. Sea containers are equipped with an aluminum or steel structure and have a strong floor that can support even very heavy loads.
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Depending on the materials used for the production of containers and the design features of the containers, their weight may slightly differ within several dozen kilograms. In addition to standard containers, there are also models with increased capacity and great height. Their weight exceeds the weight of standard containers by about 10%. Specialized containers (e.g. refrigerated) also have a more standard weight, as their construction requires additional (in a specific case refrigeration) equipment. The sea tanker container is used to transport liquid and gaseous cargo. Therefore, if you plan to transport sea containers by road or rail in containers, the weight of the container must be determined in advance.
Why know the exact weight of a container?
Gross weight (load + tare) is taken into account when calculating the load in the transport performing the transport. Therefore, in order to avoid overloading, it is important to know how much an empty sea container weighs.
Approximate average weight of an empty sea container:
- Container 20 ‘(length 6 meters) – 2200 kg
- Container 40 ‘(length 12 m) – 3700 kg
Sea containers have their own classification and are divided by type and size. The dimensions of the container have a number of parameters:
- Internal parameters: sea container length, width, height
- Door size: width and height
- Weight.
- Carrying capacity.
Knowing the size of the sea container in meters: the length and carrying capacity of the sea container allows you to match it with the individual cargo in the most precise manner. Thus, in order to save money and time: when examining the nature of the future transport, the optimal dimensions of the sea container should be selected.
Typical dimensions of sea containers
It is very easy to determine the weight of an empty sea container – it is written on its door. In order for transport to be carried out in accordance with all transport regulations, the choice of container must be approached with responsibility.
Sea container with dimensions of 20 feet
| Dimensions | Length | Width | Height |
| External | 6.06 | 2.4 | 2.6 |
| Internal | 5.09 | 2.35 | 2.34 |
40 feet container dimensions
| Dimensions | Length | Width | Height |
| External | 12.19 | 2.43 | 2.59 |
| Internal | 12.02 | 2.35 | 2.39 |
Additional information on the weight of special sea containers
| 40 feet container with increased height and width (High Cube) | 3940 kg |
| 45-foot elevated container | 4,820 kg |
| 20-foot container: open top with tarpaulin in place of fixed roof (Open Top) | 2,350 kg |
| 40ft Open Top Container | 3,850 kg |
| 20-foot container without two long sides and top (Flatrack) | 2,360 kg |
| 40ft Flatrack Container | 5000 kg |
How much can be loaded into the sea container?
The loading factor also varies depending on the size and type of the sea container as well as its design features. The consignee always needs to know exactly how many goods he can transport in a 20 or 40 foot sea container. For a standard container, this figure is approximately 22 tonnes. If it is planned to use reinforced containers of the same standard size for sea transport, 28 tons of goods can already be loaded. The capacity of 40-foot containers is roughly the same.
Accurate information on the maximum authorized weight is necessary for road and rail transport of containers. Because both the vehicle itself and highways can have weight and load limits. In addition, weight is also important when calculating shipping costs by sea. For refrigerated containers and other types of containers, the maximum permissible loading rates are different. They can be clarified with the carrier if you are planning to ship by sea using such a container.
