Sea cargo reference
20' Open Top
A tarpaulin roof that comes off. The figures below are the inside of the box, the door, and the weights.
- Internal length
- 5.888 m
- Internal width
- 2.345 m
- Internal height
- 2.315 m
- Door opening, width
- 2.286 m
- Door opening, height
- 2.184 m
- Cubic capacity
- 32 m³
- Empty weight
- 2250 kg
- Payload
- 30480 kg
How a 20' Open Top is used
The frame and side walls match a 20' standard. The fixed steel roof is replaced by removable roof bows and a tarpaulin, so the box can be loaded from directly above.
That matters when cargo cannot come through the doors: a machine too heavy for a forklift, an assembly that has to be lowered onto its own mounting points, or a piece whose shape will not turn into a closed box.
Cargo may also stand above the roof line. It then travels as over-height. That has to be declared at booking, secured to the container's lashing points, and stowed where nothing sits on top of it.
Cargo it suits
How the box is made
- The same steel frame and corrugated side walls as a dry box, with no fixed roof.
- Removable roof bows span the width and carry a tarpaulin, roped down through eyelets along the top rails.
- A door header at one end can usually be swung aside or lifted out, so long cargo can also be fed in lengthways.
- Corner castings and internal lashing points match a closed container.
- Side walls are corrugated steel and the floor is wood.
- The roof is removable bows under a tarpaulin, and the door header swings clear, so cargo can be lowered from above or worked through the door by crane or grab.
- The roof bows also carry structure, not only the tarpaulin. A flatrack, which has no roof structure at all, is the better choice for cargo that is genuinely over-height.
- Lashing rings rated to 1,000 kg sit in the upper and lower side rails and in the corner posts.
Why shippers choose it
- A crane can lower cargo in from above when it is too heavy or too awkward to come through the doors.
- Cargo that stands above the roof line can still travel, once it is declared as over-height and secured.
- Footprint, stacking and handling match a standard box, so it moves on ordinary equipment.
Check these before you book
- A tarpaulin resists rain. It is not a steel roof, and it is not a sealed or secure closure.
- Over-height cargo limits where the unit can be stowed on board, and it normally draws a surcharge.