Zeevrachtcontainers

Zeevrachtcontainers are standardized shipping containers used for transporting goods by sea. They are built to withstand marine conditions and are designed to be transferred between ships, railcars, and trucks without unloading their contents. Most containers are made of steel, occasionally aluminum, and come in several types and sizes. The most common are dry containers for general cargo, typically 20-foot or 40-foot in length. A 40-foot container is larger and often used as two units in TEU terms; high-cube variants add about a foot in height, allowing more capacity. Other types include refrigerated containers with integrated refrigeration units, open-top containers with removable roofs, flat rack containers for heavy or awkward cargos, and tank containers for liquids.

Containers are standardized under international schemes such as ISO 668 for external dimensions and ISO 1161 for corner fittings, enabling intermodal handling across ships, trains, and trucks. The standardization under the CSC safety convention governs container safety certification and periodic inspections. In common practice, capacities are denoted in TEU or FEU, with 1 TEU equal to one 20-foot container.

Ownership is split among shipping lines, independent leasing companies, and private corporations; many containers are leased and circulated globally to maximize utilization. The development of zeevrachtcontainers in the mid-20th century revolutionized global trade by enabling modular, efficient, and scalable transport. Since their adoption, containerization has significantly reduced handling costs, loading times, and risk of cargo damage, while enabling complex intermodal networks worldwide.