What’s a Container Chassis?

Container chassis is a special trailer chassis used to transport containers. Its main function is to secure containers to the chassis for road transportation by attaching the front end. Whether the container is 20 feet, 40 feet or even larger. Truckman’s container chassis can be adjusted to its size to ensure safe and stable transportation.

The chassis can be used with standard containers, making loading and unloading quick and easy. This helps to move goods faster between ports, railroads and highways, etc.

Different types of chassis are suitable for different jobs. Retractable chassis can hold containers of different lengths, while tilting chassis help in loading certain types of cargo. These features make the container chassis a key part of modern transport, helping goods get where they need to go safely and on time.

Container Skeleton Trailer for sale

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Why choose container chassis?

Container chassis is widely used in transportation because it is a safe, efficient and economical way to transport goods.

Safety and Stability: Container chassis are designed to hold containers firmly in place. This design can effectively prevent sliding or tilting problems during transportation. This is true even in long-distance transportation or on bumpy roads. It keeps the cargo safe and reduces the chance of damage.

Economical and efficient: Container chassis can be quickly attached to trucks, trains or ships for faster loading and unloading. This saves time and reduces transportation costs, helping companies save on freight costs.

Durability and Flexibility: Container chassis are rugged and durable. They can also fit different container sizes, like 20-foot or 40-foot containers, and handle various types of goods. This makes them a flexible choice for different transportation needs, be it standard or specialized cargo.

Main types of container chassis

Standard/Flatbed Chassis

This is the most common type of chassis and is used to transport normal containers of sizes such as 20 feet and 40 feet. It is flat and stable, making it ideal for carrying standard cargo.

Tilt Chassis

A tilting chassis can be tilted at an angle to help load and unload certain types of cargo, like bulk goods or items that need special handling.

Extendable chassis

This type of chassis can change its length, thus helping to transport containers of different sizes. This is especially true for extra-long or oddly shaped cargo. It offers greater flexibility.

Gooseneck Chassis

This chassis has a special “gooseneck” shape that allows the container to sit lower, thus lowering the center of gravity. It is therefore ideal for carrying taller containers.

Skeleton/Tank Chassis

This is a simple type of chassis that is usually used to transport liquid tanks or specialty containers. It can easily fit different types of non-standard containers and is perfect for unique cargo needs.

Container Chassis Sizes and Uses

Classified by size

20 feet chassis: suitable for transporting standard 20 feet containers, commonly used in small cargo transportation or short distance logistics.

40 feet / 45 feet chassis (international shipping): chassis size commonly used in international shipping, suitable for long-distance transportation of large-capacity containers, especially cross-border or cross-regional transport.

48ft/53ft chassis (domestic transportation): mainly used in domestic logistics, especially common in North America. It is more suitable for carrying larger size containers, suitable for large volume or long distance transportation.

Classified by use

Standard Container Transportation: Used for transporting containers of regular sizes such as 20 feet, 40 feet, etc., widely used in ports, railroads and road transportation.

Liquid Tank Container Transportation: designed for liquid cargo, such as oil tanks or chemical tanks. Simple chassis structure ensures stability and safety in transportation.

Extra-long or extra-heavy cargo transportation: Extendable chassis is used for the transportation of extra-long containers or special cargoes, such as large equipment. The length of the chassis can be adjusted to ensure cargo support during transportation.

Special purpose chassis: such as tilting chassis, extendable chassis for transportation of cargoes that require specific loading and unloading methods or irregular sizes.

How to choose a suitable container chassis?

Choosing the right container chassis requires comprehensive consideration of the type of cargo, transportation distance, legal requirements and budget. This helps to ensure efficient and safe transportation and optimize your logistics costs.

According to the use and industry requirements: first of all, choose the type of chassis according to the type of goods to be transported and industry requirements. For example, if it is standard size container transportation, standard chassis is enough. And if the transportation is liquid or chemical, it needs special liquid tank container chassis. For extra-long or extra-heavy cargo, then an expandable chassis is needed to meet special size and weight requirements.

Number of axles and weight limitations: The number of axles on a container chassis has a direct impact on its load-carrying capacity. Lighter weight cargo can use two-axle or three-axle chassis. However, for extra heavy or high volume cargo, a chassis with more axles is often required to support greater weights. Ensure that the chassis you choose can safely carry the weight of your cargo and comply with transportation regulations. Especially when moving across borders, it’s critical to follow regional road weight restrictions.

Cost considerations: When considering costs, you can’t just consider the price of buying or leasing a chassis. You also need to consider the cost of fuel, the cost of keeping the chassis in good condition and how long it will last. A high-quality chassis may cost more at first, but it usually lasts longer and needs less maintenance, which can save money over time. . Choosing the right chassis not only improves transportation efficiency and reduces fuel use. It also reduces loading and unloading times, which in turn reduces overall costs.

Flexibility and Expansion: If your business involves different types of cargo or different sizes of containers, it helps to choose a chassis that can be adapted to your needs. For example, an expandable chassis can accommodate containers of different lengths. This means you don’t need to buy multiple types of chassis, saving you money

Which container chassis is best for you?

Choosing the right container chassis requires consideration of transportation needs, cost budget and frequency of use. For standard cargo transportation, a standard/flatbed chassis is ideal. For liquid tanks or extra-long cargo, a more flexible expandable or liquid tank chassis is required.

In terms of cost, in addition to the initial cost, fuel efficiency and long-term maintenance costs need to be evaluated. For high-frequency use, a durable chassis is advantageous. For low frequency use, leasing may be the more cost-effective option.

Truckman, as a manufacturer of containerized chassis trailers, offers not only a wide range of chassis, but also matching trailer heads to help you meet a variety of transportation needs. By combining actual transportation needs and budgets, Truckman is able to provide you with the most suitable solution to ensure safe and efficient transportation.

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