What You Need to Know About a 20′ Shipping Container

20 foot containers are among some of the most popular sizes of containers available. The others are the 40 foot and 10 foot containers. Almost everywhere you see containers displayed, you are certain to find a 20 foot size there.

They are generally popular and appear to be getting even more so. They are made of very sturdy materials that make them very durable, waterproof and secure. You can see how they are made here. These characteristics have made them to be much sought after for different purposes. We will look at this in more detail later in this article.

Types

Generally, there are different types of containers such as the ones used for shipping to Australia from Singapore. This is regardless of their size. The most common types include:

Dry Storage Unit – One of the most common types seen around. This is used to store dry goods.

Flat Rack – This type of container has sides that are collapsible. Once collapsed, items can be easily loaded on to it, even ones that may not have been able to go in through the regular doors.

Open Top – On this type, the top is open. This allows items that are higher than the container to be stored in it. The open top can also be closed if required.

Tunnel Container – Just as the name suggests, this type has doors at its two ends. When these doors are opened, the container looks like a tunnel. This can make loading items unto it easier as it can be done from two ends.

Open Side – This type has its doors on one of its sides rather than on one of its ends. This offers a wider opening which can make loading wide items a lot easier.

Double Doors – This type is a combination of a regular type and an open side type. That is, it has the regular doors on one of its ends and also a set of doors on one of its sides. One entire side can therefore be opened wide as can one of its ends.

Thermal/Insulated – This type is used for storing or transporting items that need to be kept at high temperatures. They combine an insulated design that prevents heat loss with a heat generator that ensures the temperature is maintained at the optimal level.

Iso/Refrigeration – This is the direct opposite of the thermal type. Instead of keeping items at high temperatures, this keeps them at low temperatures. It also features an insulated design that keeps heat out in addition to a cooling system that ensures temperatures remains as low as required. You can learn some more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigerated_container.

These different types listed above represent some of the commonly used ones.

Full Dimensions of a 20’ Container

Most containers (the 20 foot included) have two major size options. There is the standard size and the high cube size. Let’s look at the two dimensions and compare their differences.

Measurement	Standard	High Cube
External height	8ft 6″	9ft 6″
External width	8ft	8ft
External length	19ft 10½”	19ft 10½”
Internal height	7ft 10″	8ft 10″
Internal Width	7ft 8″	7ft 8″
Internal Length	19ft 4″	19ft 4″
Door opening width	7ft 8″	7ft 8″
Door opening height	7ft 5″	8ft 5″
Internal capacity (in cubic feet)	1,170 cubic feet	1305 cubic feet
Floor space	150 sq ft	150 sq ft
Tare weight	2,060 kg	2,060 kg
Net load weight	28,420 kg	28,420 kg
Gross weight load	30,480 kg	30,480 kg

From what we can see from the two measurements, the standard and high cube dimensions are almost the same apart from the height. The little extra height gives the high cube a bit more internal capacity.

It’s however very important to note that these figures may differ slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Uses

As we mentioned earlier, the sturdiness and durability of containers have made them very popular. In fact, everyday people seem to be discovering new and innovative ways of using them. Here are a few interesting uses that these steel boxes are now being put to:

Swimming Pool

You wouldn’t believe it unless you saw one for yourself. Containers are now being used in place of fiberglass for swimming pool shells. Talk about innovation.

Low Cost Housing

This is something that is a bit more common now. Because of its sturdiness and durability, they can be used to quickly setup low cost housing.

Students Hostel

This was made popular by the students’ hostel in Le Havre, France built with Shipping Containers. There is another one in South Africa. It’s cheap, solid and can be setup very quickly.

Offices

Offices are not left out. It is now not an uncommon site to buy shipping container and see a small office built from one of these steel boxes. With creative modification, they actually turn out great.

Holiday Houses

Yeah, the rich have also caught the bug. It’s no more just for low cost housing. You can now get breathtaking designs for holiday homes built entirely with these containers. What can be achieved is simply determined by the creativity of the designer and builder.

How to Get One

With all the different uses that these lovely and dependable boxes can be put to, it is clear that demand for them is on the rise. Given this, it is important that you know exactly how to get one for yourself. Thankfully there are a number of options available to you.

While you can tour ports, shipping yards and other such locations searching for one to buy, it is much easier to get one through a market place. We are talking about a container market place.

This is like an online meeting point between sellers and prospective buyers. Simply visit the homepage of such a market place, and with a few clicks you will be well on your way to owning your very own container.

Some of these sites will offer you interesting payment plans. Some of these plans will include outright purchases and rent-to-own plans. You will also have the option to simply hire if you do not need it for a long time.

Finding an owning one of these has never been easier. This process is fast, safe and very convenient. What’s more, it puts you in touch with sellers you may never have been able to reach. Take advantage of this medium and become a proud owner of a 20 foot shipping container in no time.