I'm curious about the trailers that carry cargo containers.

-how are containers attached to the trailer? Do they ever come off?
-does the trailer flex?
-does it drive any different than a standard box trailer?
-anything interesting with these?

I believe there are two types of trailers for containers. The standard flat deck, where the container is loaded on and it is bolted/clamped at the corners. There are flanges which mate to the ones on the container or a standard flat deck where they clamp the trailer down, using bear type clamps. Used for small containers 20' - 30' And a dolly type arrangement where the wheels just go under the container and it acts as the trailer itself. The 40' type.

On ships they use large threaded rods and turnbuckles to clamp the containers to the deck and then to each other.

I know it costs 10K to ship a 20' one from Australia to here.

The box attaches to the trailer at the corners using a type of clamp that is on the trailer. The box has the holes and the trailer has the moving parts. The crane drops the box on the trailer and with half a turn it is secured. The is a standard system used all over the world as the boxes ship everywhere.

They could come off. Anything CAN happen.

Flex? Some, but the boxes and the trailer are way over designed so they can take abuse. You should see them throwing them around when loading and unloading at a dock.

I would say although I'm no longhaul driver, that would drive a little different.

One interesting thing is they are standard length and width but within them they can be anything. There are tanks, flat beds, reefers, ect. They can be open but still need a frame on them to stack others on top. Also the reefer units must have self contained fuel tanks. So while on ship they must be refilled so they don't run out and shut the unit off.

One of the reasons containerizer shipping took off in the '60-'70s was is the dock workers used to be able to steal everything they could fit in thier lunch boxes. It was part of the longshoreman's union bonus plan. Now dockworkers never know which container is full of Rolexes and which is full of Barbies.
And they don't have the keyes.

Paul

I don't know about coming off of the trailers but it is amazing how many come off of ships at sea. A container ship got caught in a nasty storm in the Gulf of Alaska some years ago and lost some containers. That whole summer plastic bathtub toys were washing up all over the beaches of the gulf and Prince William Sound. It was an interesting study in tidal currents as these toys ended up at places hundreds of miles form where the container came of the ship.

They hold together pretty good

Ya. Conexes. We use LOTS of them. The 20' ones are good for hella weight. Like 21,600 pounds.

I'm used to seeing 40' trailers that can carry two 20' containers. I can't recall ever seeing one flex, even though we had a container maxed out with armox.

-Rusty

How I lost my job today #1

How I lost my job today #2

tuff suckers they be

You can see the clamp holes in Pauls #2 picture pretty good.

I'm actually trying to buy one or two right now, they will be great temporary garages at the farm.

my uncle has 12 of them parked out in the desert. buy in bulk, got em down to 1500 each . for a small fee the company will install rollup doors etc in them too