Frequently Asked Questions about Containers
Q: What is a Shipping Container?
A: Shipping Containers are made from Cor-Ten Steel and built to international ISO Standards for shipping and are generally made in China. They have a series of galvanised bars on the front known as 'locking bars' which keep the doors secure for shipping and have welded corner castings referred to as twistlocks which can be used to secure containers together in 3 directions. They are a secure method used to ship goods overseas.
Q: What does Cor-Ten Steel mean?
A: Weathering steel, best-known under the trademark COR-TEN steel and sometimes written without the hyphen as "Corten steel", is a group of steel alloys which were developed to eliminate the need for painting, and form a stable rust-like appearance if exposed to the weather for several years without deterioration.
Q: What is the difference between a storage container and a shipping container?
A: Unlike shipping containers, Storage Containers are purpose built in the UK from mild steel based on a standard range of sizes. They also come fitted with integral locking mechanisms such as deadlocks.
Q: What does the term lockbox mean?
A: A lockbox is a steel padlock cowel or cover welded onto the exterior of a shipping container for use in conjunction with a padlock for added security. Newbuild (One Trip) Containers come with factory fitted lockboxes and we can fit them to used containers if required.
Q: What sizes of containers are available?
A: Any size storage containers are available as they are built to order as new, shipping containers however are generally only available in 2 sizes; 20ft x 8ft or 40ft x 8ft. 10ft Newbuild containers are available occasionally but they can be expensive.
Q: What colours are available?
A: New shipping containers are generally only available in 1 colour, mid blue (RAL5010) with the exception of 20ft's which are also available in dark green (RAL6007). Used containers vary in colour according to the previous owners corporate colours but they can be re-sprayed in any colour if required.
Q: What does CSC Plated mean?
A: The International Convention for Safe Containers is a 1974 regulation by the Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organization on the safe handling and transport of containers. It decrees that every container travelling internationally is supplied with a "CSC-Plate". Newbuild containers have a 5 year certificate and once expired a container has to pass an inspection each year to be re-certified, similar to an MOT.
Q: What is a Highcube Container?
A: A Highcube Container is just a taller version of a standard container and measures 9ft 6in tall instead of 8ft 6in tall.
