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Most Common Shipping Container Types you Must Know | LOTUS Containers

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Shipping containers are known as the indisputable king of the logistics and supply chain and their invention has given the world a new life. The world before the advent of these steel boxes was definitely on the urge to grow and evolve but the growth was taking place at a very slow pace. The invention of shipping containers dates back to 1956 when an American truck entrepreneur, Malcolm McLean, stood firm on the old said quote- ‘Necessity is the Mother of Invention’. There are certain shipping container types that every shipper must know about. Malcolm McLean noticed people waiting for hours and days to load their goods on the deck. McLean considered the loading of each cargo separately on the deck as a foolish idea and thought why not load the entire truck at one go. No one believed the velocity of his thought at that time but that very silly idea later gave rise to a more economical and customized transportation of freight over long roaring seas with much ease. Intermodal transporta

Top Functions of Container Depot | LOTUS Containers

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Container depot  plays a major role in the shipping container industry. An average-sized shipping vessel carries approximately 20,000 shipping containers , each carrying cargo weighing around 67200 pounds. This translates to an enormous amount of trade between countries. With millions of shipping containers sailing across the sea every day, there has to be someplace where they can be rested and stored until the next shipment . Container depot services are an important part of the whole shipping process of cargo. The task of loading and unloading goods is a time-consuming process. Between that, the cargo containers need to be kept at a certain place where they are safe and protected and under surveillance until the next assignment. A container depot is that space where shipping companies, carrier companies, or freight forwarders store their containers temporarily. The depot provides several services like cleaning, repair, and maintenance. Usually, the depot is located within th

Top 10 Innovative Ways to Use Modular Shipping Container | LOTUS Containers

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Though shipping containers are extensively being used by the shipping companies for the storage & transportation of goods from one location to another, their uses have incredibly increased in the construction field as well. After journeying the seven seas for years, they are finding second lives as an affordable green building material. It may sound a bit eye-raising but the fact has intrigued big chunks of people around the world. The modular shipping containers that were primarily used only for storage and shipment are now tremendously being hired for building shipping container homes, saunas, classrooms, hostels, bridges, swimming pools, mobile modular office trailers, stores, and innumerable things. You may wonder how! But their use as building materials has grown in popularity over the past few years because of their stiffness, durability, affordability, and wide availability. The other reason for supporting its use as a building material is its environmental friendliness. Th

Shipping Containers Homes becoming an affordable Housing Option | LOTUS Containers

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From living in caves, huts, clay houses, villas to skyscrapers buildings, man has traveled a long distance. But no one thought that after living by all such luxuries, man will move onto living in a metallic box- a box purposely made for the shipment of cargoes. Yes, a box that was designed 65 years ago to simplify the transportation of goods over long distances was never thought to be used for residential purposes anytime in the future. “But the human mind is all about invention and innovation.” There have been many other innovative ways to use modular shipping container s documented in the last 60 years and shipping container homes is one of those. Since shipping container homes have been around for years, there isn’t an exact date that is marked for its invention. It was 1987 when for the first time, a visionary man Philip C Clark filed for a US patent that was a method of ‘converting one or more  steel shipping containers  into a habitual building’. He was the first one to see t

What to know before you Buy Storage Containers? | LOTUS Containers

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  Storage containers are just like shipping containers with the only difference being is they are used purposely for the storage of goods instead of shipping. Shipping boxes are designed keeping in mind for the rough and tough purpose during their entire transition while storage units stay at one place keeping your goods safe and locked. Storage containers are basically large size boxes used for the storage of different kinds of goods- anything from furniture, books, to even automobiles. They have a very sturdy build and are manufactured from high-quality steel or aluminum to prevent any kind of damage to goods. They are used both for commercial and residential purposes, depending on which type you are opting for. Given below are some of the points you need to consider before jumping into buying one Purpose:  Before you buy yourself a storage unit, make sure you are clear about your purpose. Whether you want them for commercial use or residential, you will have to let your supplier kn

Things to look Outside the Box before you Buy Shipping Containers | LOTUS Containers

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  In another article, we had talked about important  things to look inside a container box . Here we will be talking about the things to look outside the container box before making a final purchase. Container buying has always been one of the most arduous and daunting tasks. This is mostly because you have to keep a keen eye on every minute thing. Looking outside the box does not mean looking just at its exterior but every factor- from the look, strength to papers, everything. LOTUS Containers has created this mini-guide to help you with every necessary detail that you must keep a note of while signing a final deal with your supplier. Whether you are buying for freight forwarding, storage purpose, or building homes- the below point will come to be helpful every time.   Alignment:  Shipping containers are rectangular boxes that can be stacked on top of each other to be stowed to acquire the minimum space available. For that, a container needs to be symmetrically rectangular. Chec

How Does Reefer Containers Work? | LOTUS Containers

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Approximately 90% of the entire world’s cargo is transported via shipping containers. The journey of a particular shipment depends on the transportation of goods from one location to its destination. For this journey, there are many different types of shipping containers that are used by shippers widely all over the world to ship their goods. One such container type is reefer containers. Among different types of shipping containers used for freight forwarding, reefer container is one such type that makes the transportation of perishable products possible over long distances. The word reefer is the shortened version of 'refrigerator'. It works similar to the refrigerator at our homes. Just like we store fruits, vegetables, milk, and meat in refrigerators to be used for weeks, reefers are used in logistics and shipping lines to store temperature-sensitive products in bulk like vegetables, fruits, blood, organ, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc.           Reefer containers can als

Things to Look Inside the Box Before Buying Shipping Containers | LOTUS Containers

The shippers and businesspeople who are buying shipping containers should always check the intricate details of it as they are meant for the work that sees a lot of wear and tears daily. It is used for rough & tough work, used over and over, in harsh weather, carrying tons of cargoes, loaded and unloaded multiple times. To comply, it has to be both externally and internally strong. While buying cargo containers , external surfaces are mostly visible but what misses our sight is the ‘internals’ of the box.  If you can inspect the container in person, it’s best to do that rather than buying a container without seeing it. Inspecting freight containers from inside is similar to inspecting a house. You just have to step in and run an eye through everything- going by every corner, walls, ceiling, doors, floor, and at every part where the eye can reach.  Before you hand over money to your container supplier and your supplier hand over the container to you, call for an inspection. Get ins