Editing Containerization (section)

== Container standards ==

=== 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>

=== Air freight containers ===
[[File:LD-air-freight-containers.jpg|thumb|A number of LD-designation [[Unit Load Device]] containers]]
{{Main article|Unit load device}}

While major airlines use containers that are custom designed for their aircraft and associated ground handling equipment the [[International Air Transport Association|IATA]] has created a set of standard aluminium container sizes of up to {{convert|11.52|m3|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} in volume.

=== Other container system standards ===
Some other container systems (in date order) are:
* (1922) [[NYC container]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4701552 |title=ENGINEERING. |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |location=Melbourne |date=16 February 1922 |access-date=25 October 2011 |page=11}}</ref>
* (1924) [[von-Haus-zu-Haus]] (''house to house''; Germany)<ref>Van Ham, J.C. and Rijsenbrij, J.C. ''Development of Containerization''. IOS Press, 2012, p. 39.</ref>
* Japanese railway containers: Containers used by the [[Japan Freight Railway Company]]{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}
* (1925) [[Mack Trucks|Mack]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31871575 |title=Freight Handling|newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |location=Perth |date=30 July 1925 |access-date=29 October 2011 |page=4}}</ref>
* (1927) [[English Railway container]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51548804 |title=NEW TRANSPORT METHOD. |newspaper=[[The Examiner (Tasmania)|The Examiner]] |location=Launceston, Tas. |date=7 June 1929 |access-date=25 October 2011 |page=11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28047495 |title=Commercial|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=13 May 1929 |access-date=26 October 2011 |page=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17216389 |title=Railway Containers |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=2 January 1936 |access-date=27 October 2011 |page=9}}</ref>
* (1928) [[Victorian Railways]] – refrigerated container<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3974817 |title=The Country Page|newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |location=Melbourne |date=12 December 1928 |access-date=27 October 2011 |page=26}}</ref>
* (1929) International Competition<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54650672 |title=Through Road, Rail and Water Traffic|newspaper=[[The Morning Bulletin]] |location=Rockhampton|date=26 April 1929 |access-date=28 October 2011 |page=10}}</ref>
* (1930) [[GWR Container]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16701153 |title=New railway Container|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=8 September 1930 |access-date=25 October 2011 |page=11}}</ref>
* (1931) International Chamber of Commerce<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16814839 |title=International Container |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=31 December 1931 |access-date=26 October 2011 |page=9}} ICC</ref>
* (1933) [[International Container Bureau]]:<ref name="logistica2014a"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16972758 |title=International Container Bureau|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=18 April 1933 |access-date=27 October 2011 |page=13}}</ref>
* (1936) [[South Australian Railways]] [[Wolseley, South Australia|Wolseley]] [[break of gauge]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35426150 |title=New Freight Containers For S.E. Railway Services. |newspaper=[[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Advertiser]] |location=Adelaide |date=23 April 1936 |access-date=26 October 2011 |page=19}}</ref>
* (1946) [[Queensland Rail]]ways milk container, {{convert|2000|impgal|L USgal}}, road-rail<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42483056 |title=Milk Business|newspaper=[[Cairns Post]] |location=cairns|date=14 February 1946 |access-date=26 October 2011 |page=4}}</ref>
* (1974) [[RACE (container)|RACE]] (Australia) – slightly wider than ISO containers to fit slightly wider Australian Standard [[pallet]]s<ref>RACE equipment gears up ROA container expansion ''[[Railway Transportation]]'' August 1974 page 5</ref><ref>Railways well in the freight Race ''[[Freight & Container Transportation]]'' May 1974 page 55</ref>
* (1994) [[Roller container#ACTS|ACTS]] roller containers for [[Intermodal freight transport|intermodal transport]] by rail and road (Central Europe)
* (1998) [[PODS (company)|PODS]]
* (2005?) [[SECU (container)|SECU]] (Sweden, Finland, UK) – big {{convert|95|t|abbr=on}} container.
* [[Intermodal container#Pallet wide containers|Pallet-wide containers]] are used in Europe and have length ({{convert|45|, |40|or|20|ft|m|2|abbr=on|disp=or}}) and height like ISO-containers, but they are {{convert|2.484|m|ftin|abbr=on|frac=8}} wide externally and {{convert|2.420|m|ftin|abbr=on|frac=8}} internally to fit [[EUR-pallet]] better.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.k-tainer.eu/en/container-trading/standard-container|title=20ft Standard Container – K-Tainer|access-date=2012-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103012031/http://www.k-tainer.eu/en/container-trading/standard-container|archive-date=2012-01-03|url-status=dead}}</ref> They are meant for transport inside Europe and are often accepted in ships.
* (2014) The IPPC's [[Sea Container Task Force]] (SCTF) finalises the [[Cargo Transport Units Code]] (CTU Code).<ref name="SCTF-final">{{cite web | title=SCTF final report | website=IPPC ([[International Plant Protection Convention]]) | publisher=UN [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]] | date=2022-01-11 | url=https://www.ippc.int/en/core-activities/capacity-development/sea-containers/sctf-final-report/ | access-date=2022-03-21 }}</ref>
* (2021) The National Standard of the People's Republic of China is [[GB/T 39919-2021]] ''Code of practice for the plant quarantine of exit freight containers'' {{as of|2021|11|01|lc=yes|df=US}}.<ref name="SCTF-final" />