Open Top or Flat Rack - which type of container to choose

Carriers intending to ship heavy and oversized cargo that cannot fit through the doors of a four-wall general purpose container always face a dilemma between an Open Top container and a Flat Rack container, since both are designed to carry such cargo.

Open top containers

Open top shipping containers come in all major sizes - 10, 20, 40 and 45 feet. These unique containers have a removable roof made of steel bars and tarpaulin, making it easy to load and unload cargo with a crane. These containers are structurally strong, in addition, steel arches give the tarpaulin greater strength and allow stacking of such containers.

Open top containers are ideal for transporting goods such as glass and marble blocks, stone chips and bulk materials that are loaded by crane as they are too heavy to be loaded through the door. Overhead arches and a tarpaulin ensure complete safety of the goods inside. However, if the load is higher than the container (in case of high technique), these arcs are removed so that the object can protrude from the container. Naturally, this situation does not allow for stacking, and may also affect the structural integrity of the container itself.

Flat Rack Containers

When it comes to shipping containers, we all imagine the typical strong steel box. But Flat Rack containers are completely different both in appearance and in function. Unlike their four-walled counterparts, these heavy-duty containers have two walls that either lock into place or can fold to form a flat base to accommodate items that exceed their height and width. They are designed to transport oversized cargo that cannot fit in a closed shipping container.

These containers are extremely strong and don't need steel bars for extra support; thanks to their strong steel frame that can easily support the load of other flat shelving above. Loaded from above or from the side, it is secured with several fastening rings. Therefore, it is firmly fixed on a flat rack throughout the entire transportation. These containers can also be linked together to accommodate huge loads such as a yacht or aircraft.

It can be seen from the above that both types of containers are suitable for oversized or overly heavy loads. However, due to their shape, Open Top containers are more suitable for the transport of bulk cargo; while Flat Rack containers are ideal for large objects and vehicles.

Open top containers may have height restrictions and are better suited for transporting goods less than 230 cm high. They also protect the cargo from wind and water as they are completely enclosed when covered with tarpaulin. On the other hand, the cargo on the Flat Rack is relatively exposed to the environment, even if it is covered with a tarpaulin.