Shipping Container Sizes & Dimensions

A sticker or plate identifying such things as High Cube containers, hazardous cargo, or other such labels. High Cube shipping containers will also have yellow decals at the top of the frame on each end, to make the extended height more noticeable. High Cube containers have an outside height of 9’6″ (one foot taller than standard shipping containers, which are 8’6″ tall).

The Convention for Safe Containers (CSC) Plate provides crucial details such as the date and location of manufacture, along with other specifications. For more information on the Convention for Safe Containers, visit the International Maritime Organization’s website. If you plan to use your shipping container for export, be sure to obtain a CSC survey.

Locking rods are bolted to the exterior of the shipping container cargo doors and frame, that seal the door tightly when twisted closed and clasped. A broken or bent locking rod can mean that a door won’t seal properly. We guarantee doors will seal on every shipping container we sell, but it’s always a good idea to grease the hinges and make sure the door frame is square.

Each shipping container has a unique identification number. The first three letters represent the container owner (registered with the Bureau International des Containers “BIC”), and those are followed by a “U” for dry containers, and then six more numerical digits for the unit number. The 7th number is a “check digit” used by calculating the value of each letter and number in the ID. Confirm your check digit with BIC.

To ensure safe handling and stacking on ships, containers should not be loaded heavier than the weight specifications listed on the door and CSC plate. Please note: local shipping weight regulations may be much lower than the maximum payload of the container. For instance, many shipping containers can handle over 65,000 lbs of cargo, but a load that large exceeds FMCSA regulations.

Each of the shipping container cargo doors is fully surrounded by a rubber gasket. The gasket allows the steel doors to be shut tightly to prevent both weather getting into the the container and helps keep cargo from spilling out if the freight shifts or pallets fail during transport. Good gaskets are essential to a cargo container being wind/water tight. Cargo door gaskets are covered by our 1-year warranty.