Learn More About Open-Top Containers

An open-top shipping container is used for transporting oversized cargo, or cargo that needs to be loaded from the top, such as machinery, vehicles, or construction materials. Read on to learn more about open-top containers and their benefits!

Construction

The material of an open-top shipping container is made of ridged steel, just like a standard container. It has an open top covered with a tarpaulin, or a heavy-duty removable top. When there is a hard top, the containers have hinges or removable bars where it can be taken off. The bar hinges or is removed when the necessary cargo is loaded or unloaded. A brace that adds to the structural security is in the center of the container, near the top. Lockdown rods can be released on the outside of the container to relieve pressure. This gives way for a forklift to take the hardtop off easily. Once the shipment is loaded in the container, the top can be put back on, and the lockdown rods can be pushed back down and tied off to secure the container and its contents. A soft top uses tarpaulin secured by wire and can easily be removed or rolled back.

Sizes

Open-top shipping containers come in various sizes, from 20 feet to 40 feet in length, and can have a height of 8.6 feet to 9.6 feet. A 20ft container has a freight limit of 32 cubic meters, and a 40ft has a limit of 64 cubic meters. The payload capacity varies, but it is usually around 60,000 lbs.

Loading and Unloading

Due to the open top, cargo can be loaded aerially using a crane or other lifting equipment. The container can also be loaded or unloaded from the sides with a forklift. The shipment can be secured with straps or chains to prevent it from moving during transport. As mentioned before, the hardtops give access to the container by hinging or removing the bar. There are braces inside and lockdown rods on the outside to increase the security of the goods internally. A soft top has a cover that can be rolled back and a removable hinged header bar that gives access to a forklift. The header bar for soft and hard tops is about 6ft 2 above the floor line. With items over that height, the roof and bar must be removed.

Weather Protection

Since soft open-top shipping containers do not have a watertight roof like the hard top, the cargo is exposed to the weather, which is why they usually come with a tarpaulin cover. This will protect the cargo from rain and other harsh elements. It has ribbing at the container's top, allowing water to run off the top. The removable hardtop lids are watertight and have good ventilation in the four corners.

Specialized Cargo

Open-top shipping containers are used for specialized cargo that requires top-loading, such as heavy machinery, vehicles, and building materials like steel beams or pipes. Any bulky and oversized goods are typically put in these types of containers.

Customization

Like standard shipping containers, open-top shipping containers can be customized with features like doors, windows, insulation, and ventilation. You can purchase a larger tarpaulin with the soft top containers if your cargo does not fit in the standard-sized one. You can swap out the covering completely for large loads and use canvas or plastic sheets instead of tarpaulin.

Transportation

Open-top shipping containers can be transported by road, rail, or sea, but it's essential to ensure that the cargo is adequately secured to prevent damage during transport.

Cost

The cost of an open-top shipping container can vary depending on the size, condition, and location. It is more expensive than a regular container because of specific construction requirements that make it more costly. Prices for a used container start at around $2,000, while new containers can cost over $5,000. Container and transportation fees will cost more if the cargo exceeds the height of the roof.

Open-top shipping containers are a versatile and practical option for transporting oversized or specialized cargo. They provide a cost-effective way to transport cargo that would be too large for a standard shipping container. Contact us at Northstar Transport Services to learn more about us and how we can bring value to your supply chain process.

Transload Services

In recent years, transloading has become an efficient and common way to ship goods. The number of imports has increased due to the increase in e-commerce and international trade. The efficiency that transloading creates lowers the cost of the shipment and other extra charges that may incur, but most importantly, it can increase customer satisfaction. Read on to learn more!

What is transloading?

Transload services relate to the transfer of goods and shipments being moved using one or more modes of transportation. It does not just mean moving shipments overseas, but it can mean that shipments are moved from rail to trucking services to get goods where they need to go. Transloading includes shipping goods from suppliers to warehouses as well as to job sites and customer locations. However, it is still more common for these goods to be shipped internationally. Usually, containers are sent to a port, picked up from the port, loaded at a warehouse, and reloaded on a truck for the final delivery. Typically, there is a transload fee when multiple modes of transportation are involved.

Many industries use transload services to transport various kinds of cargo and materials. The industries can range from aerospace to food, retail, chemical, construction, and even military. The most common materials include:

• Oversized items: military vehicles, transformers, heavy machinery

• Specialized freight: hazardous chemicals, cryogenic materials

• Warehouse Merchandise: equipment, shipping containers, palletized freight

• Construction materials: bricks, gravel, stones, metals, lumbar

• Liquids and Foods: wine, beer, frozen and packaged goods, seafood

Transloading vs. Intermodal

Some may wonder about the difference between transloading and intermodal. Transloading is similar to intermodal in that they both allow cargo to be shipped between different modes of transportation. But the main difference is that with intermodal, freight or goods are kept inside the container throughout shipment. With transloading, the goods are moved between conveyances throughout the transportation process. This allows loose, bulky, or oddly shaped goods to be placed together or consolidated with other products.

Benefits

Decreased Costs

Fuel and transportation costs go down when shipments can be transported by rail and truck. Rail services save considerable money since they have lower fuel costs than vehicles. Other modes of transportation may be used and chosen as the best energy and cost-efficient option.

Adaptable Supply Chain

Due to no longer being limited on which mode of transportation you can use, you can reach diverse customers and remote locations that were not accessible before with transloading. Shipments can be sent directly to the proper site, saving time and reaching inaccessible places. It allows you to choose which transportation types work best for you or your customers. By deciding the most secure route and transportation type, your shipments will reach their destination with less hassle and more efficiency. To become more efficient, transloading can shrink-wrap or palletize the shipments, creating more value. Overall, this reduces costs

and helps companies perform the same tasks faster.

Combination of Freights

To be the most cost-effective, transloading warehouses consolidate large freights into fewer rail cars. When goods need to be picked up at multiple places, and the shipments have the same destination, the goods can be consolidated on the train as it approaches the desired location. Individual items can be placed in these fewer rail cars where space is open. Instead of hauling more rail cars for unnecessarily large containers, all these goods can be put together.

Faster Delivery

Goods are delivered much faster when transported through a transloading facility rather than shipping to a distribution center. The deliveries are completed at a fraction of the time and the cost. Sometimes when products and goods are shipped to warehouses, terminals, and ports, they sit there waiting for transportation. A transloading facility reduces the amount of time that the shipments are seated at these places.

Northstar Transport Services has served east coast ports and rail hubs since 1985. Our network of terminals strategically located at major east coast ports gives us the ability to handle shipments originating and destined for all points in North America. We specialize in full and reefer containers, hazardous materials, heavy overweight containers, and more. Our goal is always to provide high-quality service to our customers, and we will consistently offer new, economical, and innovative solutions to our customer's logistical needs and requirements. Contact us for more information and receive a quote today!

Different Types of Intermodal Cargo

What is Intermodal Freight Transportation?

Intermodal freight transportation involves the movement of intermodal containers using multiple methods of transport. By packing cargo into intermodal containers, carriers do not have to handle any goods directly. By combining methods such as trains, ships, and trucks, companies can save a lot of time and money on transportation.

Intermodal Containers

Intermodal containers vary in shape and size and are often equipped with functions that allow cargo to be transported properly. For example, some units may include refrigeration, heating, or ventilation. Over the last few decades, intermodal containers have become the most efficient way to transport goods.

The following are examples of different types of intermodal containers:

• Dry storage containers - transport dry materials

• Refrigerated shipping containers - transport temperature and time-sensitive cargo

• Tank containers - transport liquids, powders, or gasses

• Insulated containers - transport goods that require temperature control

Types of Intermodal Cargo

Consumer Goods

Consumer goods are goods that are bought and used by consumers. These goods typically have elongated expiration dates and do not require special shipping containers. These qualities make consumer goods one of the most common types of intermodal cargo.

Frozen Products

Companies that ship frozen products commonly utilize temperature-controlled containers; these containers are called reefers or refrigerated containers. Most reefers can maintain a temperature anywhere from -15 degrees Fahrenheit to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately).

Depending on the climate and route of transportation, some companies may not need to use refrigerated containers because, when traveling through cold conditions, shipping containers can drop to temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fresh Produce

Fresh produce may be delivered straight to the store to be sold or to another company to produce a new product. Either way, most companies that order fresh produce receive this product through intermodal shipping. Similar to frozen shipments, some companies will utilize temperature-controlled containers to keep their produce fresh.

Liquid Bulk

Another type of intermodal cargo is liquid bulk. Liquid bulk is often classified as edible or non-edible and hazardous or non-hazardous. With that said, these liquids can be anything from apple juice to flammable gas.

Companies shipping or receiving liquid bulk often use tank containers. Tank containers can typically hold around 23,000 liters of liquid cargo and can be easily transferred from one form of transportation to another (e.g., train to truck).

Dry Bulk

Dry bulk consists of raw materials that are often used in the manufacturing and production process. These materials can be coal, grain, wood, sugar, etc. Dry bulk is typically shipped in large, dry storage containers and is later used to manufacture another product. Companies use intermodal cargo to ship and receive dry bulk because it is time and cost-effective.

Large Equipment and Vehicles

Along with large quantities of small products, intermodal cargo can include small quantities of large products.

Some of this equipment may be roll-on roll-off cargo, sometimes called ro-ro cargo, which can be wheeled on and off shipping vessels. This type of cargo may include automobiles, industrial and construction materials, agricultural machinery, etc. These heavy objects are usually transported on a ro-ro ship because they are too heavy to haul in the air.

In addition to ro-ro ships, containers of heavy equipment, large objects, vehicles, or vehicle parts can be transported by train or truck. This process allows companies to receive their large cargo with less hassle.

Hazardous Materials

The final type of intermodal cargo is hazardous materials. Shipping hazardous materials is one of the most complex processes regarding intermodal shipping. This is because hazardous materials must be packaged in specialized containers and handled only by trained professionals.

Shipping hazardous materials can be more expensive than shipping other materials because it requires special permits from government agencies. Nevertheless, intermodal shipping is the best method for shipping hazardous materials because there is less time spent loading and unloading material, decreasing the risks of touching the hazardous substance.

Intermodal shipping is a cost-effective and timely way to transport cargo. Whether you are moving large equipment, raw goods, hazardous materials, or consumer products, intermodal shipping is an efficient option. Here at Northstar Transport Services, we specialize in transportation solutions that enable you to stay focused on your supply chain. We specialize in handling both 53’ domestic containers and international containers to steamship companies, beneficial cargo owners, international freight forwarders, customs brokers, and third-party logistics companies. Visit our website or contact us for more information on our locations and services.