If you have a heavy load, then regular shipping containers might not work for you. You might be asked to use half-height containers instead.

These products look and work just like regular shipping containers. They are simply half the height. Why are they so good for heavy loads?

Avoid Safe Working Load Problems

Every shipping container has a safe working load. This is its weight limit. You can't put a load into the container that exceeds this limit.

So, if you want to ship something that is particularly heavy or dense, like construction supplies, loose materials or over-heavy products, then you can only get so much stuff into one container. You can't fill the container to its full capacity because you'll overload it and exceed its limit.

You'll probably have to buy or hire multiple containers to deal with the load. The more container space you take up, the higher your shipping costs.

Half-height shipping containers solve some of your problems. These containers might be half the size of a regular container, but they often come with the same safe working load limits. So, you can load the same amount of stuff into a half-sized container as a full one.

Plus, these containers take up less transport space. You can stack two containers in the space that one regular container would take. So, you can load more weight into the space while reducing your shipping costs.

Get Easier Loading and Unloading

Some heavy materials are hard to load into and out of standard shipping containers. For example, you might need a lot of manpower to get loose or heavy construction materials into and out of a container if you have to load it by a side door.

This increases your loading and offloading time and costs. It can also be a messy process.

Half-height shipping containers often have doors at the top. This makes loading and offloading a lot simpler and quicker. So, for example, if you're loading loose materials, then you can simply pour them directly into the container. They can then be scooped out, say by a crane, at the other end.

Or, if you're shipping heavy construction materials like beams or pipes, then you can crane them in and out of the container. You don't have to worry about negotiating side doors.

To find out more about half-height options and how they work, contact your shipping container supplier.