If you have international freight shipping needs, chances are good that you have been introduced to the world of shipping containers. Shipping container sizes, markings, and specifications are generally standardized to comply with international standards (ISO) so that containers can be used across all modes of transportation. The ISO standards cover details about shipping container sizes and weights. Common container specifications are summarized in the table shown below. Most containers are either 20′, 40’, or 45′ in length. Additionally, some containers have additional features to accommodate the product being shipped, such as open tops, refrigerated units, flat racks, and platforms.
A shipping container is an empty rectangular cube measured by its length, width, and height (LxWxH). Two different sets of sizes need to be considered when arranging for transportation: internal and external. The internal dimensions will show space available for storage. It can be deemed as a useful storage space. The external dimensions are of more concern when the surrounding area is limited and may restrict the movement or convenient placement of boxes. For instance, a high cube container with an external height of 9’6” lying on a chassis may exceed warehouse gates or road overpasses. Container door sizes also need to be considered so shippers know whether a large cargo unit can be moved smoothly into and out of the container.
How many cubic meters (CBM) there are inside a container will determine its gross capacity. Due to the corrugated wall and roof, unless you load bulk or grain cargo, which can fill almost all available space, you can only utilize the space that will fit your specific commodity size and shape (e.g. bags, crates, pallets, etc.). When calculating loadable cargo volume, shippers should subtract the wasted space. That means the net cargo volume to be loaded is likely smaller than the gross volume capacity. Aside from capacity, the type of weight (i.e., gross, tare, payload) is also important when shipping with containers. Gross weight (also called gross mass or rating) is the total maximum weight of the container itself (tare weight) and the cargo (payload) loaded inside it.
When you work with Logistics Plus, our global logistics experts can help you find and source the right containers to fit your commodity or products. Whether you need a full container, or could potentially save money by using only a partial container and sharing the space with another shipper, Logistics Plus can make it happen. We can also help you find affordable air, ocean, ground, or rail transportation – or a combination thereof – to get your shipment delivered anywhere in the world – on time and intact.
Click the button below if you have an upcoming international shipment you’d like us to start working on for you. You can also email us at pricing@logisticsplus.com or give us a call at 1.866.335.7623
Led by our company’s head personal trainer, Alex Wagner, the Logistics Plus employees at our Global Headquarters in Erie, PA went for a walk today right after lunch in support of National Walking Day. The 9th annual National Walking Day is part of the American Heart Association’s “My Heart. My Life.” initiative, a nationwide call-to-action for Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
In addition to the lunch-time stroll, the group also stopped to pose for a picture taken by a representative of the Erie SeaWolves (minor league baseball team) to recognize that we are only 8 more days away from opening night baseball!
The Logistics Plus team has finished another big project cargo move. Frederik Geirnaert, from Logistics Plus Belgium oversaw the project and shot some amazing time-lapse video shown below. This video is a compilation of two shipments of large ship building blocks from Vard shipyard in Romania to Vard shipyard in Brazil. The move comprised a total of 126 units, measured 44,700 cubic meters, and weighed over 3,600 tons!
If you have a project you’d like us to quote for you, please use our project cargo quick quote form to start the process.
Today, as they do every three months, Logistics Plus employees in Erie, PA once again donated their time and their blood to the Community Blood Bank of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York. Who do the blood donations help? Volunteers donate 3 components in their whole blood donation. The red blood cells may help a person undergoing surgery or in an accident, platelets may help a cancer patient battling the effects of chemotherapy, and plasma may be used to create treatments for over 250 muscular and immune system diseases! CBB is the ONLY blood provider to Erie County, so volunteerism is important for the community.
If you’re curious to learn more on the subject, here are a few good websites to checkout:
Logistics Plus Introduces a New www.logisticsplus.com Website
Global logistics provider invites visitors to explore its new website and subscribe to updates
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, March 30, 2015 – Logistics Plus Inc., a worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, announced today that is has introduced a new and improved www.logisticsplus.com website. The new website has been designed to provide an enhanced customer experience with improved navigation and functionality throughout.
The site includes extensive information on the Logistics Plus service portfolio to help customers understand the complete range of transportation and logistics solutions the company offers. Online brochures, photo galleries, and videos help demonstrate the company’s passion for excellence and customer service while providing users many options to request more information, obtain a free supply chain analyses, or get rate quotations for LTL freight, truckload, expedited, and international cargo shipments. The website also serves as a portal to the Logistics Plus secured technology platforms: eshipplus™ for North American transportation, eworldplus™ for international freight forwarding, and etntplus™ for global supply chain management.
Created with the user experience in mind, the new responsive design of the website allows it to dynamically adapt to most web browsers, tablets, and mobile devices, and provides options to share information across all major social networking sites. A few notable features include a new “news & notes” blog, a daily “thought for the day” page from the founder and CEO of Logistics Plus, and a comprehensive directory that showcases every one of the company’s 40+ locations and 350+ employees. Users can even subscribe to receive instant email updates for all new Logistics Plus news, notes, and thoughts for the day.
“We’re very excited about the new website launch and the information it provides for customers, carriers, agents, and media to better understand the breadth of our capabilities,” said Scott Frederick, vice president of marketing for Logistics Plus. “The first thing you’ll notice when you visit our home page is that the new website really showcases the fun, friendly personality of the company which has been a key element of our success. This new website will help us continue to grow and increase our market presence, providing our current customers with an improved experience and attracting new customers that will benefit from our many different service offerings.”
Please visit www.logisticsplus.com/introduction to view a few short videos on how the website works and how best to find the information you need.
About Logistics Plus (LP)
Logistics Plus Inc. provides freight transportation, warehousing, global logistics, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. Founded in Erie, PA by local entrepreneur Jim Berlin nearly 20 years ago, Logistics Plus has been repeatedly recognized as one of the fastest-growing transportation and logistics companies in the country. With a strong passion for excellence, its 350+ employees put the “Plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, and the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success.
The Logistics Plus® network includes offices located in Erie, PA; Fresno, CA; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Evansville, IN; Kansas City, MO; Lexington, NC; Cleveland, OH; Charleston, SC; Greenville, SC; Nashville, TN; Dallas, TX; Fort Worth, TX; Laredo, TX; Houston, TX; Australia; Bahrain; Belgium; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Libya; Malaysia; Mexico; Poland; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Turkey; and additional agents around the world. For more information, visit www.logisticsplus.com or follow @LogisticsPlus on Twitter.
We are excited to announce that this weekend we introduced a new and improved www.logisticsplus.com website. The new website has been designed to provide an enhanced customer experience with improved navigation and functionality throughout. Here are a few of the notable features of the new website:
Easy to use menus and navigation, with the ability to search across the entire site
Responsive design adapts to your browser size so it’s easy to view on large or small monitors, tablets, and mobile phones
Detailed information for all Logistics Plus services
Local information with Google maps on all of our location pages
Global Directory that showcases all of our people and their contact information
Quick quote forms for all shipment types, including LTL, Truckload, Expedited, Trade Shows, International, and Project Cargo
Log In menu at the top of all pages for quick access to our eshipplus, eworldplus, and etntplus technology solutions
Simple and secure online payment tool under the Log In menu
Informational News & Notes and a Thought For The Day page (from our founder/CEO) – both of which can be subscribed to via email
Online brochures, videos, social media links and more (even a new website for our NTL division)!
To help introduce you to the new website, we’ve created a few short videos which you can watch before you start exploring on your own. Just click on the button below:
Special note to our existing eshipplus users: No changes have been made to the eshipplus navigation or tools. Everything should work exactly as it did before. However, you will see three new “modules” on your dashboard that will allow you to request Truckload, Expedited, and International rate quotes within eshipplus. For LTL and Volume rate quotes, continue using the Estimate Rate or Rate And Schedule modules.
The Logistics Plus team has finished another big project cargo move. Frederik Geirnaert, from Logistics Plus Belgium oversaw the project and shot some amazing time-lapse video shown below. This video is a compilation of two shipments of large ship building blocks from Vard shipyard in Romania to Vard shipyard in Brazil. The move comprised a total of 126 units, measured 44,700 cubic meters, and weighed over 3,600 tons!
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, March 30, 2015 – Logistics Plus Inc., a worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, announced today that is has introduced a new and improved 
