Open top vs flat rack: an open top keeps its side walls, end walls and doors, so the cargo must fit the container's width; a flat rack has no side walls and takes cargo that is too wide as well.
What is an open top container?
An open top container has steel side and end walls, a door at one end and a floor like a standard box, but its roof is a removable tarpaulin. With the tarpaulin off, cargo can be lowered in by crane, and a piece taller than the walls can travel with the tarpaulin fitted over it. The door header swings out too, which makes it easier to load through the doors with cargo hanging from overhead tackle.
Sizes and figures
| Figure | 20โฒ open top (22U1) | 40โฒ open top (42U1) |
|---|---|---|
| Inside length ร width | 5,895 ร 2,350 mm | 12,030 ร 2,350 mm |
| Inside height (middle) | 2,380 mm | 2,377 mm |
| Roof opening, about | 5,338 ร 2,230 mm | 11,573 ร 2,210 mm |
| Capacity | 32.5 mยณ | 66.4 mยณ |
| Tare | 2,450 kg | 3,850 kg |
| Maximum gross | 32,500 kg | 30,480 kg |
Figures are from Hapag-Lloyd's Container Specification booklet, first series listed for each size. High cube open tops also exist.
When to use an open top
- Top loading: heavy pieces that can only be lifted in by crane, such as machinery and heavy pieces
- Over-height cargo: pieces taller than a standard door opening or inside height. Cargo above the top of the walls is out of gauge in height, so the carrier must accept it in advance
- Not for over-width cargo: the walls stay, so anything wider than the inside width needs a flat rack
Practical points
- Lashing points on the top and bottom rails and corner posts are rated at 1,000 kg each in Hapag-Lloyd's open tops, so heavy pieces are braced and blocked as well as lashed
- Carriers can supply disposable (one-way) tarpaulins for the voyage
- A hardtop container, with a removable steel roof, is the alternative when top-loaded cargo should travel under a solid roof
- Over-height loads need a suitable trailer and, beyond the legal height, state permits for the drayage legs
Airlift books open tops on FCL ocean freight on request, where a carrier offers them on your lane; send the dimensions and weight of each piece with the inquiry. The container dimensions page compares open tops, flat racks and dry boxes.
Related terms
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