Air Freight Containers Air freight containers are important because of the work that they have to do. They are not the same as road freight containers or shipping containers. Shipping containers should be water-resistant to some extent because of the atmosphere surrounding a ship. Road freight containers are subject to more battering than air freight containers. On the other hand, weight is a very important issue in air freight, so the packages should be strong yet as light as possible, so that the plane may carry more freight. This may make the container more expensive but it keeps the transport costs to a minimum. In the perspective of this article the word 'container' is being used in its broadest sense as anything that is to be used to contain a different thing. This involves everything from aluminium flight cases to padded Jiffy bags and even envelopes. In fact, air mail envelopes are a good example of how air freight containers are modified to reduce their weight bringing the cost of postage down by allowing the plane to convey more letters per kilo of freight weight. Next time you receive a letter or parcel that has arrived by air freight, pay closer attention to the packaging in order to better understand what I mean. Air freight containers are often of standard dimensions in order to facilitate storage. This means that before you pack your item into a random box from the supermarket for transporting by air freight, you should check the dimensions of the package with the carrier to make certain that they allow that size package. A non-standard package might cost far more to send A random box from a supermarket, perhaps, a case that held boxes of cornflakes may not be strong enough either for the loading conditions in the hanger. It is probably better to buy your air freight container from the carrier to avoid problems, time and expense. An international body has defined the standards for air freight containers and here are a few details of what they stipulate: The size of the container is very important especially if the package is to be carried on a number of planes. For instance, a large jet may take the box to New York, where a smaller plane will take it to London and an even smaller one might take it to its final destination on a distant Scottish island. All this has to be taken into account from day one. The maximum size of the packet also has to do with the size or the doors on the bulkheads and holds of the smallest plane (or helicopter) in the supply chain. This also makes sure that the package is not forced into position and therefore damaged. Some substances have to go in specific containers by regulation. Containers frequently have to travel within containers for their protection. Some objects have to be kept cold or even refrigerated while others have to be kept warm and given air to
breathe (eg livestock). these containers also have to be of regulation size to prevent cruelty. Lastly, the material that the various containers are made from is regulated so that it is not vital to weigh each container every time. Using air freight containers is not like nipping down to the post office to send a letter. Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now involved with international shipping boxes. If you want to know more go to Where Can I Buy Shipping Boxes?