Shipping Modes
Flat Rack
A container with a base and two collapsible or fixed end walls but no sides or roof, used for cargo too wide, tall, or heavy for a standard box.
In depth
A flat rack carries loads that cannot fit through container doors — machinery, vehicles, pipes, transformers. Cargo is loaded by crane from above or the side and secured with lashings to the deck. Because the load usually protrudes beyond the container envelope, flat rack shipments are normally rated as out of gauge and attract surcharges reflecting the slots they block on the vessel. Lashing and securing are the shipper's responsibility and are the usual point of failure; carriers can and do refuse cargo that is inadequately secured.
Key points
- Open sides and roof; loaded by crane rather than through doors
- Used for oversized, heavy, or awkwardly shaped cargo
- Usually rated as out of gauge with slot-blocking surcharges
- Correct lashing and securing is the shipper's responsibility