Dimensions and weight
53 ft container
A 53 ft container is a very long container used for domestic freight in North America. It is about 53 feet long, matching the 53 ft trailer length allowed on U.S. roads from 1990. It is not a standard ISO ocean size.
Why it matters
Domestic carriers use 53 ft containers to move large loads by rail and truck. They are rarely sold as portable storage. They are too long for most yards, gates and turns, and few operators have the equipment to move them. A used 53 ft box can look like a bargain, but delivery and placement can cost more than the box. A common mistake is to treat it like a 40 ft container that is a bit longer. It needs a different chassis and much more room. Confirm the route, ground surface and lifting plan with the seller before you buy or rent.
Read: Shipping container sizes and dimensions for rental fleets
Definition source: en.wikipedia.org
Related terms
40 ft container
A 40 ft container is a long ISO shipping container, 40 feet long and 8 feet wide. Standard height is 8 feet 6 inches. A high cube version is about 9 feet 6 inches tall. It holds roughly twice the length of a 20 ft box.
45 ft container
A 45 ft container is a shipping container 45 feet long and 8 feet wide. Most are high cube, about 9 feet 6 inches tall. It is less common than 20 ft and 40 ft boxes and is built mainly for volume freight.
semi-trailer
A semi-trailer is a trailer built so that part of its weight rests on the truck that pulls it. Federal motor carrier rules define a semitrailer as a motor vehicle, other than a pole trailer, that another motor vehicle draws and that bears partly on the towing vehicle.
chassis
A chassis is a skeletal semi-trailer built to carry a container. It has twistlocks at the corners that lock into the container's corner castings. Chassis are used with tractors to move containers on roads between ports, rail yards and depots.
intermodal container
An intermodal container is a standardized, reusable container that can move between ships, trains and trucks without unloading the cargo. It has fittings for handling, securing and stacking. Most dry freight containers use a closed steel box with doors at one end.
ISO container
An ISO container is a freight container built to the ISO series 1 standards, such as ISO 668 for classification and dimensions and ISO 1496 for specification and testing. The standards let boxes fit the same ships, trucks and handling gear worldwide.
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