What is a Flat Rack Container and When To Use It For Transport

A flat rack container is a piece of equipment used for international shipping when the cargo is too large for a conventional container. A flat rack has no walls or support posts in the middle, allowing goods to be loaded from the top and/or sides. Flat rack container transport is common among international heavy equipment shipments.

How Does a Flat Rack Container Operate?

Once the cargo has been put into a flat rack, lashing straps are used to fasten it to various securement points on the flat rack. The procedure of securing cargo is comparable to securing cargo to a flatbed trailer. It is then put onto a vessel using lift-on/lift-off (Lo/Lo) service once it has been secured. Similar to ordinary containers, flat racks may be stacked onto one another.

When Are Flat Rack Containers Used for Transport

Flat racks are typically used to transport out-of-gauge (OOG) freight, or material that is too large to fit in ordinary 20-foot or 40-foot shipping containers.

However, flat racks may be utilized to transport cargo that would fit inside a container but is simpler to load onto a flat rack. Consider items such as bundled pipe.

As previously said, flat racks cross the ocean in a container vessel. Because container ships are highly common, they are simpler to find.

Instead of using break-bulk shipping or roll-on/roll-off (Ro/Ro) shipping to transport your goods, you may want to use a flat rack to increase your sailing options. That might result in time and cost savings.

Beyond sailing options, there is now a global scarcity of containers, making them more difficult to obtain than usual. If it is not vital that your goods be totally shielded from the weather, a flat rack may be a better option than a container.

That said, it is important to note that many international freight forwarders use similar logic, causing a ripple effect that reduces the number of available flat racks. When exporting internationally, it’s a good idea to keep your options open.

Circumstances Under Which You May Not Want to Use a Flat Rack Container

Flat racks are useful in many situations, but in others, it may be preferable to use an alternative mode of transportation. Knowing when to use or not use a flat rack container can save you time and money when it comes to shipping your freight. The more knowledge you have about flat rack containers, the more likely you’re able to use them to your benefit.

Cost of Shipping With a Flat Rack Container

Like any other transport, the cost of shipping with a flat rack varies on several factors. The main thing to consider is that there are many more standard shipping containers in circulation. This makes them more affordable than flat rack container transport. If your cargo can fit into a 20 or 40ft shipping container, this may the better and more affordable option.

Efficiency of Shipping With a Flat Rack Container

Because of the widespread use of standard containers, many ports can accept them in the most effective manner. At least one container crane — also known as gantry cranes or ship-to-shore cranes — is present at every major port.

These cranes facilitate the loading and unloading of containers between a rail line and a container vessel, and vice versa.

It may be necessary to use a specialized crane to load and unload a flat rack for international transport. This will incur additional expenses to station the crane and hire a crane operator at a port when needed.

Convenience and Flexibility of Shipping With a Flat Rack Container

While traveling on the highway, you have often witnessed containers being towed behind semi-tractors. As a result, several container carriers permit shippers to load and unload containers themselves by transporting them straight to the shipping facility.
In contrast, flat racks are usually stationed in ports. Occasionally, you may see a flat rack moving to a neighboring facility if the city is near a port, like in Long Beach, California. But you will never see a flat rack traveling long distances.

Risks of Shipping With a Flat Rack Container

Think about what has been said about flexibility. If you are able to load a container at your shipping facility and unload it at its final destination using the same container, it means your cargo was never transferred to separate equipment. The absence of cargo transfers decreases the chance of damage and even of it falling into the wrong hands.

Due to the fact that flat racks only have walls or stability posts at their ends, you risk being exposed to the elements of the ocean. That said, similar to transporting on a flatbed trailer, your stuff can be covered with a tarp. If you’ve ever transported using a tarp, you know that it does not entirely seal your stuff as a container or dry van trailer would.

When is a Flat Rack Container Best for Transport?

Flat rack container shipping is definitely right for you if you are accustomed to transporting domestic freight utilizing a flatbed or other sort of open-deck trailer. In fact, you would probably utilize an open-deck trailer to transport your cargo to the port, where it would be loaded onto a flat rack. This is particularly true if you are shipping over-dimensional (OD) freight.

While flat rack containers may cost more for shipping, at times they are the better option. Knowing when and when not to use flat rack containers is essential to smooth transport.

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