Editing Containerization (section)

=== ISO standard ===
<!-- Please do not change the above heading; if it has to be changed, then please change the huge number of links to Containerization#ISO_standard. -->
{{Main article|Intermodal container}}
[[File:Intermodal train 01.jpg|thumb|40 foot containers on the [[BNSF Railway|BNSF]] line through [[La Crosse, Wisconsin|La Crosse]]]]

There are five common standard lengths:
* {{convert|20|ft|m|2|abbr=on}}
* {{convert|40|ft|m|2|abbr=on}}
* {{convert|45|ft|m|2|abbr=on}}
* {{convert|48|ft|m|2|abbr=on}}
* {{convert|53|ft|m|2|abbr=on}}

US domestic standard containers are generally {{convert|48|ft|m|2|abbr=on}} and {{convert|53|ft|m|2|abbr=on}} (rail and truck). Container capacity is often expressed in [[twenty-foot equivalent unit]]s (TEU, or sometimes ''teu''). An equivalent unit is a measure of containerized cargo capacity equal to one standard {{convert|20|ft|m|2|abbr=on}} (length) × {{convert|8|ft|m|2|abbr=on}} (width) container. As this is an approximate measure, the height of the box is not considered. For instance, the {{convert|9|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}} ''high cube'' and the {{convert|4|ft|3|in|m|2|abbr=on}} ''half height'' {{convert|20|ft|m|2|abbr=on}} containers are also called one TEU. 48' containers have been phased out over the last ten years{{when?|date=September 2024}} in favor of 53' containers.

The maximum gross mass for a {{convert|20|ft|m|2|abbr=on}} dry cargo container was initially set at {{convert|24,000|kg|abbr=on}}, and {{convert|30,480|kg|abbr=on}}for a {{convert|40|ft|m|2|abbr=on}} container (including the {{convert|9|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on|disp=or}} <!-- {{convert|2.87|m|ftin|abbr=on|disp=or}} --> high cube) . Allowing for the [[tare weight|tare mass]] of the container, the maximum payload mass is therefore reduced to approximately {{convert|22,000|kg|abbr=on}} for {{convert|20|ft|m|2|abbr=on}}, and {{convert|27,000|kg|abbr=on}} for {{convert|40|ft|m|2|abbr=on}} containers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emase.co.uk/data/cont.html |title=Shipping containers |publisher=Emase |access-date=2007-02-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420143514/http://emase.co.uk/data/cont.html |archive-date=2009-04-20}}</ref>

It was increased to 30,480&nbsp;kg for the 20' in 2005, then further increased to a max of 36,000&nbsp;kg for all sizes by the amendment 2 (2016) of the ISO standard 668 (2013).

The original choice of {{convert|8|ft|m|2|adj=on}} height for ISO containers was made in part to suit a large proportion of railway tunnels, though some had to be modified. The current standard is {{convert|8|ft|6|in|m|2|spell=in}} high. With the arrival of even taller hi-cube containers at {{convert|9|ft|6|in|m|2|spell=in}} and [[Double-stack rail transport|double stacking]] rail cars, further enlargement of the rail [[loading gauge]] is proving necessary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://railwaysafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3493&Itemid=36|title=Railways Africa|first=Railways|last=Africa}}</ref>