Intermodal containers are used frequently in shipping, due to their standardized design.
This design allows the containers to be transported from ship to rail to truck without stopping to unload and reload the enclosed freight.
Intermodal containers, as you can see, are sometimes referred to as Ocean containers and exist in many types and a number of standardized sizes. Easley mostly deals with High Cube and Dry Freight container types, as they make up 90 percent of the global container fleet.
Unlike the general-use purpose of the High Cube and Dry Freight containers, many of these Ocean containers are designed with one type of freight in mind. Some containers are ventilated for moving organic products, while others are insulated or refridgerated for the shipment of perishable goods.Tank containers are designed for the transportation of liquids or gases, which are frequently dangerous. Bulk containers are either closed models with roof-lids, or hard or soft open-top units for top loading bulk minerals. Open top and open-side containers are great for easy loading of heavy machinery or oversize pallets, while platform based containers such as flat-rack and collapsible containers are for barrels, drums, crates, and any heavy or bulky out-of-gauge cargo, like machinery, semi-finished goods or processed timber.
So next time a train, barge, or freight truck crosses your path (which is likely to happen in the near future) you will be able to take an educated guess at what exactly they’re hauling, or at least why they chose the container they did.