A shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes. In the context of international shipping trade, “container” or “shipping container” is virtually synonymous with “(standard)intermodal freight container” (a container designed to be moved from one mode of transport to another without unloading and reloading).

Standardizedre-sealabletransportationboxfor unitizedfreighthandlingwith standardizedequipment. Two mostcommonsizes used ingroundand sea (surface) transportation are (1) Twenty-footer (typicalcapacity33.2cubic meteror 1172cubic feet, maximumpayload28180 kilogram or 62130 pounds) and (2) Forty-footer (typical capacity 67.7 cubicmeteror 2392 cubicfeet, maximum payload 28750 kilogram or 63380 pounds). The typicaldimensionsof a 20-footcontainerare: internal length 5.90 meter (19 feet 4 inches), internal width 2.35 meter (7 feet 9 inches), internal height 2.40 meter (7 feet 10 inches). Of a 40-foot container they are: internal length 12.03 meter (39 feet 6 inches), internal width 2.35 meter (7 feet 9 inches), internal height 2.4 meter (7 feet 10 inches). Alsocalledunit load device.

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