Standard Air Freight Containers
Air freight containers are special because of the job that they have to do. They are not the same as road freight containers or shipping containers. Shipping containers ought to be water-resistant to some extent because of the dampness surrounding a ship. Road freight containers are liable to more rough treatment than air freight containers.
On the other hand, weight is a very important issue in air freight, so the packages ought to be robust yet as light as they can be, so that the plane can carry more freight. This might make the container more expensive but it keeps the transportation costs to a minimum.
In the perspective of this piece the word ‘container’ is being used in its broadest sense as anything that is to be used to contain a different thing. This means everything from aluminium flight cases to padded Jiffy bags and even envelopes.
In fact, air mail envelopes are a useful example of how air freight containers are modified to reduce their weight bringing the cost of postage down by allowing the plane to carry more letters per kilo of freight weight.
Next time you receive a letter or parcel that has arrived by air freight, pay closer attention to the container in order to better realise what I mean.
Air freight containers are frequently of regular dimensions in order to aid storage. This means that before you pack your item into a random box from the supermarket for transporting by air freight, you should check the dimensions of the package with the carrier to make sure that they allow that size package. A non-standard package might cost much more to send
A random box from a supermarket, perhaps, a case that held boxes of cornflakes might not be robust enough either for the loading conditions in the hanger. It is almost certainly better to buy your air freight container from the carrier to avoid problems, time and money.
An international body has set the standards for air freight containers and here are a few details of what they specify:
The size of the container is very important particularly if the package is to be transported on a number of planes. For instance, a big jet may take the box to New York, where a smaller plane will take it to London and an even smaller one might take it to its final destination on a distant Scottish island. All this has to be taken into account from day one.
The maximum size of the package also has to do with the size or the doors on the bulkheads and holds of the smallest plane (or helicopter) in the supply chain. This also makes sure that the package is not forced into position and therefore damaged.
Some things have to go in certain containers by regulation. Containers frequently have to travel within containers for their protection. Some objects have to be kept cold or even refrigerated while others have to be kept warm and given air to breathe (eg livestock). these containers also have to be of regulation size to prevent cruelty.
Lastly, the material that the various containers are manufactured from is regulated so that it is not vital to weigh each container each time. Using air freight containers is not like popping down to the post office to send a letter.
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a variety of topics, but is now concerned with international shipping boxes. If you want to know more go to Where Can I Buy Shipping Boxes?
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