Dimensions and weight
16 ft container
A 16 ft container is a storage box about 16 feet long. It sits between the small and the 20 ft sizes. It is not one of the standard ISO container lengths, so builders and portable storage companies set the exact dimensions themselves.
Why it matters
A 16 ft unit suits customers who need more room than a 12 footer but have limited space or a tight delivery path. Operators may use it for mobile storage, small mobile offices or job site tool boxes. The main risk is false comparison. A 16 ft box from one maker may be wider, taller or lighter than another, and it may lack ISO corner fittings. That affects stacking, lifting and which truck can move it. Ask for the real outside and inside sizes, the empty weight and the lifting method. Do not assume parts, doors or lifting gear from a 20 ft box will fit.
Read: Shipping container sizes and dimensions for rental fleets
Definition source: en.wikipedia.org
Related terms
12 ft container
A 12 ft container is a steel or modular storage box about 12 feet long. It is not a common ISO ocean size. Portable storage companies, trailer builders and some regional rail systems use this length for compact storage and special uses.
20 ft container
A 20 ft container is the standard short ISO shipping container. It is about 19 feet 10 1/2 inches long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet 6 inches tall on the outside. It is the most common size in portable storage and counts as one twenty-foot equivalent unit.
portable storage container
A portable storage container is a container made for rent or sale as movable storage. NPSA describes portable storage containers as ISO shipping containers retired from international shipping and offered on the domestic market. In practice the term also covers other portable units.
tare weight
Tare weight is the weight of an empty container or vehicle. Subtract it from the gross weight to find the weight of the goods inside. On a shipping container, it is not set by the ISO standards. It depends on how the container was built.
internal dimensions
Internal dimensions are the length, width and height of the usable space inside a container. They are smaller than the outside size because of wall thickness, floor and roof structure. ISO 1496 is the authoritative document for internal container dimensions.
external dimensions
External dimensions are the length, width and height of a container measured on the outside. ISO 668 classifies series 1 freight containers by external dimensions. A standard 20-foot container is about 20 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet 6 inches tall outside.
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