Merikontit

Merikontit are standardized freight containers used to store and transport goods by sea, rail, and road. The term comes from Finnish meri "sea" and kontti "container." They are designed to be intermodal, allowing transfer between ships, trucks, and trains without unpacking.

Most common sizes are 20-foot and 40-foot containers. A typical 20-foot dry container has external dimensions about 6.058 meters long, 2.438 meters wide, and 2.591 meters high; a 40-foot container is about 12.192 meters long with the same width and height. High-cube variants add about 0.3 meters in height. Internal volumes are roughly 33 cubic meters for 20-foot and 67 cubic meters for 40-foot units. The containers are primarily steel, with a weatherproof shell and a hinged door at one end. Corner fittings at the four corners allow stacking and securing to ships, rails, and cranes.

Common types include dry freight containers, refrigerated containers (reefers) with a built-in cooling unit, tank containers for liquids or gases, open-top containers, flat-rack containers for heavy or oversized cargo, and ventilated containers for certain agricultural goods.

Standards are set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The main references include ISO 668 for external dimensions, ISO 1161 for corner fittings, and the ISO 1496 series for container specifications. These standards enable interchange and intermodal transport worldwide.

Merikontit have a central role in global trade, enabling efficient handling, standardized loading, secure sealing, and high cargo density on ships and along supply chains. They are designed for reuse and long service life, with repair and refurbishment common in the industry.