CHARACTERISTIC OF ROAD FREIGHT

Transport on roads can be divided by two grouped – transportation of goods and transportation of people.

When I was little I saw many types of trucks on the road. I assume the trucks have same function but now I know it was wrong. Actually, the container is change based on customer requirement. Not all companies use the same container because every company conduct different business. Some companies offer services for people movement from one place to other place such as bus, train, taxi, ship, air plane and etc. There are also have companies that offer services to haul raw material/goods/finished goods from the factory/manufacturer to the customer/end user such as refrigerated truck (perishable good, fresh milk), open-top truck (sand, tin, coal), flatbed/flatrack(hauling machine, car) and etc.

As a logistics student I so excited to share with you my knowledge in logistics. Based on my knowledge I will explain to you characteristics of road freight.

1.    Container truck.

Standard containers are also known as general purpose containers. They are closed containers, closed on all sides. Three type of standard container is standard containers with doors at one or both ends, standard container with doors over the entire length of one or both sides, and standard container with doors on one or both sides. Containers with smaller dimensions are very rare/seldom used. Container truck is used for transport of containers with dimensions of 20’ or 40’ containers. Commonly, standard containers are used for all type general cargo (dry cargo).

Standard containers (dry freight containers)

20 foot standard container
		Appearance	Inside
	Length	20’ = 610 cm	19' 5.75'' = 593 cm
	Width	7' 9.25'' = 237 cm	7' 8'' = 233 cm
	Height	8' 6'' = 259 cm
	Doors	233 х 229 cm
	Max gross (kg)	24000
	Container (kg)	2080
	Max load (kg)	21920
	Capacity	33,9 cub. M
20 foot standard container (Pallet Wide Box)
	Length	8’6” = 595 cm
	Width	244 cm
	Height	238 cm
	Doors	239 х 227 cm
	Max load (kg)	14 euro pallets
	Capacity	34,6 cub. M
40 foot standard container
		Appearance	Inside
	Length	40= 1219 cm	39’5.25”= 1202 cm
	Width	8e = 244 cm	7’8.5” = 235 cm
	Height	8’6” = 259 cm	7’10.25” = 239 cm
	Doors	7’8.25” = 234 cm	7' 5,75'' = 237 cm
	Max gross (kg)	30480
	Container (kg)	3900
	Max load (kg)	26580
	Capacity	67,7 cub. M
40 foot high cube container
		Appearance	Inside
	Length	40= 1219 cm	39’5.25”= 1202 cm
	Width	8' = 243 cm	7' 8.5'' = 235 cm
	Height	9' 6'' = 290 cm	8' 10.25'' = 270 cm
	Doors	7’8.25” = 234 cm	8' 5.75'' = 258 cm
	Max gross (kg)	30480
	Container (kg)	4150
	Max load (kg)	26330
	Capacity	76,4 cub. M
40 foot High Cube Wide container
	Length	40' = 1219 cm	39' 5.25'' = 1202 cm
	Width	8' = 243 cm	7' 8.5'' = 235 cm
	Height	8’6” - 259 cm	7' 10.25" = 239 сm
	Doors	234 х 228 cm
	Max load (kg)	30 euro pallets
	Capacity	79,1 cub. M
45 foot Magnum container
	Length	1354 cm
	Width	242 cm
	Height	269 cm
	Doors	240 х 258 cm
	Max load (kg)	33 euro pallets
	Capacity	88,7 cub. M

2.    Refrigerated

Within various industries such as the food industry it is a necessity that refrigerated trucks are used as well as with other chilled or frozen products. These chilled or frozen products must complete a chain known as the cold chain before they are received by the consumer – the end user. It is vital that as the chilled or frozen products make a transition between these stages they do not become affected by any significant rise in temperature. If this occurs then the chilled or frozen product could change state and thus be unusable, for this reason refrigerated transport is used.

The majority of refrigeration systems tend to work in the same way, they have three main parts:

- The Evaporator - The Compressor - The Condenser

Cold liquid refrigerant is placed in tubes, these are in the Evaporator and it is the cold liquid refrigerant which absorbs the heat from the surrounding air. Whilst the heat is being removed by the liquid it actually causes it to change state and it forms a low-pressure gas. This gas is then pumped away from the evaporator and with this the gas takes away the absorbed heat.

The Compressor is what pumps the refrigerant into a high pressure gas and then, the Condenser works by having air from the outside blown through it. It removes the heat from the refrigerant gas and turns it back into liquid form. Then the whole process begins again, it runs in a complete circuit.

Refrigerator containers

20 foot refrigerator container
	Length	20’ = 609 cm
	Width	7’9/25” = 237 cm
	Height	8’6” = 259 cm
	Doors	224 х 226 cm
	Max gross	27000
	Container	3050
	Max load (kg)	23950
	Capacity	28cub. M
40 foot refrigerator container
	Length	40’ = 1219 cm
	Width	8’ = 244 cm
	Height	8’6” = 259 cm
	Doors	228 х 226 cm
	Max gross	30480
	Container	4370
	Max load (kg)	26110
	Capacity	60,2 cub. M
40 foot high cube refrigerator container
	Length	40’ = 1219 cm
	Width	8’ = 244 cm
	Height	9’6” = 289 cm
	Doors	228 х 248 cm
	Max gross	30480
	Container	4200
	Max load (kg)	26280
	Capacity	66,1 cub. M
45 foot high cube refrigerator container
	Length	45' = 1371 сm
	Width	8' = 244 сm
	Height	9' 6" = 289 сm
	Doors	228 х 248 cm
	Max gross	32500
	Container	5200
	Max load (kg)	27300
	Capacity	33 euro pallets
	Capacity	75,4 cub. M

3.    Open Top Truck.

The walls of open-top containers are generally made of corrugated steel. The floor is made of wood. It has the following typical distinguishing structural features. The roof consists of removable bows and a removable tarpaulin. The door header may be swivelled out. These two structural features greatly simplify the process of packing and unpacking the container. 

In particular, it is very easy to pack and unpack the container from above or through the doors by crane or crab when the roof is open and the door header is swivelled out. It should be noted, however, that the purpose of the roof bows of an open-top container is not solely to support the tarpaulin but also to contribute to container stability. 

Flatracks/flatbed is more suitable for overweight cargoes. Lashing rings, to which the cargo may be secured, are installed in the upper and lower side rails and the corner posts. The lashing rings may take loads of up to 1,000 kg. Open-top containers are used for all types of general cargo (dry cargo). Their principal uses are as packing and unpacking from above or through the doors by crane or crab. Usually, open-top container dimensions are 20' and 40'.

Open top containers

20 foot Open Top container
		Appearance	Inside
	Length	20’ = 609 cm	19’4.3” = 590 cm
	Width	8’ = 244 cm	7’4.1” = 224 cm
	Height	8’6” = 259 cm	7’8,25” = 235 cm
	Doors	7’8” = 234 cm	7‘4.1” = 224 cm
	Max gross (kg)	24000
	Container (kg)	2440
	Max load (kg)	21560
	Capacity	32 cub. M
40 foot Open Top container
		Appearance	Inside
	Length	40’ = 1219 cm	39’5,2”= 1202 cm
	Width	8’ = 244 cm	7’8,4” = 235 cm
	Height	8’6” = 259 cm	7’7/7” = 233 cm
	Doors	7’8” = 234 cm	7‘3.8” = 223 cm
	Max gross (kg)	36000
	Container (kg)	4430
	Max load (kg)	31570
	Capacity	66.7cub. m

4.   Flatrack/flatbed.

Flatracks/flatbed consist of a floor structure with a high loading capacity composed of a steel frame and a softwood floor and two end walls, which may either be fixed or collapsible. The end walls are stable enough to allow cargo securing means to be attached and several flatracks/flatbed to be stacked on top of one another. Flatracks/flatbed is available in 20' and 40' sizes. The cargo may be secured, are installed in the side rails, the corner posts and the floor. The 20’ flatracks/flatbed may take loads of up to 2000 kg or up to 4000 kg in the case of 40' flatracks/flatbed. Some types of 20' flatracks/flatbed have forklift pockets. 40' flatracks/flatbed had gooseneck tunnels at each end. For transport of certain cargoes, flatracks/flatbed may be provided with stanchions (tiang ideogram).

Flatrack/Flatbed containers

20 foot Flatrack/Flatbed container
		Appearance	Inside
	Length	20’ = 609 cm	18’9.4” = 572 cm
	Width	8’ = 244 cm	7’4.1” = 224 cm
	Height	8’6” = 259 cm	7’1.3” = 217 cm
	Max gross (kg)	30480
	Container (kg)	2950
	Max load (kg)	27530
	Capacity	27,9 cub. m
40 foot Flatrack/Flatbed container
		Appearance	Inside
	Length	40’ = 1219 cm	39’5.6” = 1203 cm
	Width	8’ = 244 cm	7’4.1” = 224 cm
	Height	8’6” = 259 cm	6’8.1” = 203 cm
	Max gross (kg)	45000
	Container (kg)	5530
	Max load (kg)	39470
	Capacity	54,8 cub. m