Flat Rack Containers: Dimensions, Uses, and Loading Guide

Most things fit in a shipping container… but not everything. Oversized items – machinery, boats, large parts and materials – often won’t fit through the front door.

Flat rack containers are designed for these situations. Built for out of gauge (OOG) cargo that is too wide, tall or heavy for a traditional enclosed container, flat rack units feature a simple reinforced steel base and fixed or collapsible ends, but no side walls or roof.

Read on to learn all you need to know about flat rack containers: what they are, what they’re capable of, how to choose the right one and how to use it correctly.

Dimensions and payload capacity

Flat rack containers come in two standard sizes, defined by the length of their base: 20ft and 40ft.

As a container designed to handle larger-than-average cargo, flat racks feature a heavy-duty reinforced steel base that can support the concentrated loads that these units are often tasked with transporting, from large stones, to jet engines, to dense pieces of industrial machinery.

It’s important to note that while the lack of side walls means that flat rack containers are capable of transporting wider goods than standard containers, OOG cargo can only legally overhang by a certain amount during transport, which can vary from region to region and across road, rail and sea.

Collapsible ends vs. fixed ends

Flat rack containers can also be categorised by their ends, which come in fixed and collapsible options.

Fixed end flat racks

Fixed end flat racks feature rigid panels on either end. These have greater structural rigidity than the collapsible options, so offer greater lashing strength. It also means that in certain situations, containers can be stacked on top.

Best for: Extremely heavy machinery where the end walls act as bracing, users with limited space that require cargo-laden flat racks to be stacked, like shipping yards and inner-city industrial sites.

Collapsible end flat racks

As the name suggests, the end walls on these containers are collapsible, and fold flat into the base, which means unused units can be nested on top of one another to take up less space while in storage.

Best for: One-way transport, sites with limited container storage space, carrying cargo that is longer than the container itself (over-length).

Loading and lashing guide

The open design of a flat rack container offers unmatched flexibility, allowing you to top-load oversized cargo with a crane or side-load with a heavy-duty forklift (when safe and practical).

Weight distribution is critical when transporting heavy items. When positioning your cargo:

• Keep the centre of gravity in the middle of the container and as low as possible.
• Avoid point-loading where possible by spreading the weight of heavy machinery across the steel girders.

Once the load is positioned, your next task is to properly secure it. Most flat racks have integrated D-rings and lashing points along the side rails, often rated to as much as 5,000kg each (though the true rating will depend on the chains or straps you use). Lower-rated lashing points can be found on the end walls of fixed end containers too.

Timber dunnage is also important, particularly to prevent potential metal-on-metal sliding between the cargo and the container floor (dunnage isn’t required in less slippery situations, such as for vehicles with rubber tyres).

Transport your oversized assets

If you need to get big pieces of kit from A to B (and maybe back again), a flat rack container is the most efficient, effective and adaptable way to do so.

At Shipping-containers.com.au we’re a 100% independent platform here to guide you to the perfect flat rack container for your OOG cargo. We understand your needs, talk you through your options, then connect you with local, vetted suppliers who can deliver.

We’re here to help with all your flat rack needs.

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