Budget Shipping Containers.co.uk

Flat rack shipping containers are made for shipping of specialised and oversized items. They consist of a flat bed and end-frames of the container, with no side walls or roof. Oversized cargo beyond the full width or height of the container can be loaded. Flat racks will have a number of lashing points along each side to use when securing cargo.

There are several variants of flat rack container, so it’s very important to make sure you are buying the best type for your use. In this article we aim to give a basic overview of the options for flat rack containers, and their uses.

Flat Rack Container Sizes

As with all shipping containers, flat racks are all 8ft wide. They came in lengths of 20ft and 40ft. The larger 40ft flat racks are also sometimes available in ‘high cube’ size (9ft 6ins high, rather than standard 8ft 6ins – this only relates to the heights of the ends of the flat rack container)

30ft Flat Rack Containers

30ft Flat Rack containers are not produced or used by the shipping lines. Whilst 30ft is a standard ISO size for shipping containers, none of the major shipping line run 30fts any more, meaning most ports, boat and trains are no longer made to handle this size of shipping container.  If your item is longer than 20ft you will need a 40ft flat rack to ship, unless you can break it down to fit into 20ft containers.

45ft Flat Rack Shipping Containers

45ft flat rack shipping containers are produced in very small numbers and are rarely available on the open market. If nothing else will work for you, please let us know and we can check with our network of suppliers if any are available.

Types of Flat Rack Shipping Containers

Flat Rack containers come in a few different variants, with varying spec for the end sections, the floor type and the maximum payload it can carry. Typically, a 20ft flat rack will have a payload of around 31,000kg and a 40ft will have around 39,000kg, however higher rated options are available if required for super heavy loads.

Fixed End Flat Rack Shipping Containers

These containers have the bed section and fixed (non-collapsible) ends. They can be loaded for shipping. Provided that the overall width (inclusive of securing and lashing materials) does not exceed 2438mm then they are treated as ‘in-gauge’. If the cargo is wider than this they are still shippable, as ‘out of gauge’ cargo.

Fixed end flat racks are an older design of flat rack container, and are generally no longer produced.

Collapsable End Flat Rack Containers

As the name implies, these are much the same at first glance to fixed end flat rack containers, but the ends can be collapsed. This has several benefits; if they are to be stored empty then much less space is needed, and you can also stack and transport multiple empties on one vehicle.

When transporting empty flat rack containers in a stack, they can commonly go 4 or 5 high on a UK truck without going over-height, but they require stacking pins or interlocks to secure them for transit. They can be also be moved on boats and trains empty like this if required.

Flush Folding Collapsible Flat Rack Containers

These containers have been designed as a collapsible End Flat Rack Container, but with the added feature that the end walls fold flush with the base when collapsed. These containers can be used for ‘over length’ cargo by collapsing the ends and lashing down the items. Please note that shipping lines will charge significantly more for over-sized cargo, so if you can break down your shipment into standard containers this will almost certainly be cheaper overall.

Super Heavy-Duty Flat Rack Shipping Containers

Flat Rack containers are made for transporting large, bulky goods. Heavy machinery and items such as ships propellers or turbines are often moved this way, some of which are heavier than the standard payload of around 39,000kg! For this reason, flat racks are produced with payload ratings of up to 65,000kg. If you do need a flat rack container with increased load capacity please contact us for availability.

Platform Shipping Containers

Platform Containers consist of a deck only, with no walls, end frames or roof. Like a flat rack container these are made for transporting oversized cargo, but platforms cannot be stacked once loaded. Platform Containers are not commonly available in the UK, but are more widely used elsewhere in the world. Due to their scarcity these containers tend to be more expensive than standard flat rack containers – but this will vary on what stock we have available and where they are.

Alternative Uses for Flat Rack Containers

Outside of shipping cargo, flat rack containers have proved to be ideal for the construction of temporary or semi-permanent bridges. Their high load capacity and slim profile mean that they can be used to span a waterway or other obstruction as an instant bridge. With adequate support at each side a flat rack container bridge will have the strength to cope with large vehicles and machinery. Most options will need to have their end frames removed to be used in this way, we can help with this. 

This type of container has also been used as a temporary wall (the platforms being stood on their sides). This was used to divide a scrap yard or aggregate yard into sections, which could be adjusted as space requirements for each section changed.

We have also used flat rack containers as decks for roof access to shipping containers. The roofs of shipping containers are not designed to hold weight, so even just one person standing on top is likely to damage it. A flat rack container placed on top will make this area usable as a platform for storage, or a handy vantage point.

Flat Rack containers can be stacked, so can even be used as outdoor racking for palletised storage. They can be stacked up to 8 high at standard payloads, but you may want to check on how high your forklift can reach! When stacking containers we would always recommend use of interlocks to fix them together.

Cutting the Ends off Flat Rack Containers

Depending on how you are using the container you may want the ends of a flat rack removed. We can help with this! Let us know your plans and we can advise on how best to achieve your aims. If you do need the ends removed from your container, we can arrange this before delivery. Very often this is a minimal extra cost (depending on the level of finish required)  This will depend on scrap steel price and labour rates in the yard concerned (idea being that the scrap value of the removed ends covers most or all of the labour costs to cut them off).