Platform containers, also known as bolster containers or transiflat containers, are a flat platform with container pins for transporting large or oddly shaped loads. Because these shipping containers aren't truly containers, they're flat platforms, they can accommodate cargo which wouldn't fit inside a normal shipping container. Typical uses include the transport of large industrial equipment and machinery such as excavators, and the storage and transportation of oversized palletised cargo.
Featuring twist locks and tie-down rails, a wide range of goods and materials can be strapped or pinned to a platform container. The corner twist locks allow them to be attached together in a stack to form a solid block, for convenient transport and storage of the container when not in use. The twist locks can also be used to attach end walls to the container, allowing a platform to act as a more traditional flat-rack container. Tie-down rails around the entire edge of the platform provide the maximum possible flexibility for fastening any arbitrarily shaped load.
Being a simple flat platform, these containers are extremely versatile and can be adapted to a wide range of use cases. A platform can be used to transform a skeletal trailer (a trailer for moving shipping containers) into a flatbed for transporting other cargo. Platform containers can also be used as bridges over gaps; the container can be pinned down to fix it in position for safety and rigidity. They could also be used a reinforced roof to cover an open-top shipping container, potentially allowing other goods to be stored on top of the open-top container, saving space. New and interesting use cases for these units are constantly being discovered.
Our platform containers are available in 20ft and 40ft sizes and may be ordered to custom sizes as required. All our new containers come certified for transport. We can also supply used units for a reduced rate, when availability permits.
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Platform containers, also known as bolster containers, are typically available in either 20ft or 40ft lengths, with the height varying by manufacturer. Custom sizes can be ordered as required.
A platform container, also known as a bolster container or a flat-rack container, is a flat platform the width and depth of a 20ft or 40ft shipping container, with container pins in the corner so that it can be handled like a regular shipping container.
Some platform containers may lack tie-down rails if they were intended to be used only as a platform, never being used to transport cargo. These containers are rare and typically were manufactured to order by someone who never intended to transport cargo with them.
The payload mass of a platform container can vary based on the exact model and manufacturer. Generally, a platform or bolster can hold the same or greater weight then a similarly sized general purpose shipping container. The exact payload of each container will be stencilled onto the exterior somewhere, as is required for it to be certified to transport cargo.