All About the 53-foot containers

All About the 53-foot containers

General purpose 53’ containers were introduced in the United States in 1989. These containers are widely used both in the US and Canada, mainly for domestic road and rail transport. They are considered High-Cubes, based on their 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) ISO-standard height. Their width of 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) however makes them 6 inches (15 cm) wider than ISO-standard containers.  These large boxes have 60% more capacity than 40’ feet containers, enabling shippers to consolidate more cargo into fewer containers

Quick Facts: In the United States, the domestic 53-foot container represents the largest size a standard truck is authorized to carry on roadways, namely the Interstate. Therefore, it is the largest road transportation unit in most of North America (road trains of two trailers can be used in some states and Canadian provinces). 

Shippers began using 53-foot containers in the 1990’s for their many benefits including ability to easily transition from various modes of transportation and significant cost savings with additional capacity. While this size box is standard for domestic freight.

The containers in the above photo belong to J.B. Hunt, one of the largest road carriers in the United States, and are arriving at the Corwith railyard in Chicago. It represents an eloquent example of intermodal integration as both modes focus on the haulage distances that are the most suitable; long hauls for rail and short “last mile” hauls for trucks. The rail cars (well cars) in which these domestic containers are been carried on have been designed to handle a wide variety of container sizes, including two 20-footers, 40-footers, 48-footers, and 53-footers (as depicted above). The well cars are owned by TTX, which is a corporation specializing in leasing intermodal rail equipment to the major rail carriers in North America.

53-foot container for International Transport? 

North American 53-foot containers were not constructed strong enough to endure the rigors of ocean transport, but in 2007 container carrier American President Lines introduced the first 53-foot ocean-capable containers. All new, reinforced 53-foot boxes were built specifically for international trade and designed to withstand ocean voyages on its South China-to-Los Angeles service. In 2013 however, APL stopped offering vessel space for 53-foot containers on its trans-Pacific ships. Nevertheless, In 2015 both Crowley and TOTE Maritime each announced the construction of their respective second combined container and roll-on/roll-off ships for Puerto Rico trade, with the specific design to maximize cubic cargo capacity by carrying 53-foot, 102-inch wide (2,591 mm) containers. Within Canada, Oceanex offers 53-foot-container ocean service to and from Newfoundland. Fifty-three-foot containers are also being used on some Asia Pacific international shipping routes

New 53-foot container service 

A New Shipping line Carrier53’ specializes in the transport of 53 ft containers from China to the USA. Established during June 2021 by container lessor Lotus Container Group and ship manager Schulte & Bruns, Carrier53’ was spun off as a fully independent entity in March 2022 having grown rapidly since its formation. 

By September 2022,  Carrier53’ had performed 41 sailings with its six vessels, which occupy the 32,000-38,000 dwt range. The primary revenue generator, thus far, has been front haul – namely 53 ft containers from China to the North Pacific, and a swift ballast back to China.

World Direct Shipping’s M/V Queen B III, carrying newly acquired 53-foot-long containers, is the latest and largest addition to the Port Manatee-based line’s vessel fleet, which offers the fastest short-sea link between Mexico and key U.S. markets.

Bigger containers can be better for shippers. Here are four advantages of utilizing a 53-foot container to move your cargo.

• These containers offer 37% more capacity than their 40-foot counterparts, typically 416 square feet compared to 320 square feet with a 40-foot box. Additional capacity means more room for cargo, which lowers the per-unit shipment cost for customers, reduces the overall supply chain footprint and shortens the time to deliver to the end-user.
• The additional capacity allows for better equipment allocation. Designed for intermodal transportation, you can load the 53-foot container at the manufacturing facility, transport it to the ocean or railyard and deliver the goods to the final destination by truck – all in the same container. Reducing the number of cargo touchpoints and increasing cost savings.
• An industry standard in North America, 53-foot containers require no special modifications or specialized equipment. The containers can move throughout the supply chain without costly delays caused by repackingcargofor various modes of transport as well as reduced risk of damage to the goods as they remain in the container from ramp to ramp.
• Transporting more cargo or larger equipment with an additional foot of headroom with a 53-foot container.