Air Freight Containers

by Owen Jones⁽¹⁸⁸⁾ Red Star

http://the-real-way.com

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 should be waterproof to some extent because of the dampness surrounding a ship. Road freight containers are subject 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 possible, 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 article the word 'container' is being used in its broadest sense as anything that can 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 good example of how air freight containers are modified to reduce their weight bringing the cost of postage down by allowing the plane to transport more letters per kilo of freight weight.

Next time you receive a letter or package that has arrived by air freight, pay closer attention to the container in order to better understand what I mean.

Air freight containers are frequently of regular dimensions in order to facilitate storage. This means that before you pack your item into a random box from the supermarket for sending by air freight, you should check the dimensions of the package with the carrier to be sure that they allow that size package. A non-standard package may cost far more to send

A random box from a supermarket, perhaps, a case that held boxes of cornflakes might not be strong 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 organization has set the standards for air freight containers and here are a few details of what they stipulate:

The size of the container is very important especially if the package is to be carried on several planes. For instance, a large 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 remote Scottish island. All this has to be taken into account from day one.

The maximum size of the container also depends on 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 place and therefore damaged.

Some substances have to go in certain containers by regulation. Containers often have to travel within containers for their protection. Some items have to be kept cold or even refrigerated whereas others have to be kept warm and given air to breathe (eg livestock). these containers also have to be of regulation size to avoid cruelty.

Lastly, the material that the different containers are manufactured from is regulated so that it is not vital to weigh each container every time. Using air freight containers is not like popping down to the post office to post a letter.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with international shipping boxes. If you want to know more go to Where Can I Buy Shipping Boxes?

Article submitted Thursday, January 26, 2012 & read 2 times.

Leave your comments through Blogz:

No comments yet.

0-0-0-0-2-ADSO

Most Recent