Home / Logistics Knowledge / Container Types & Sizes / 20ft Flat Rack Container (20FR)
The 20FR has no side walls and no roof — only a floor and two end frames. It is built for over-width, over-height, over-length, over-weight and irregular cargo that may overhang the frame, the standard box for out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo.
The 20FR has no side walls and no roof — just a load-bearing floor and two (collapsible or fixed) end frames. It is designed for over-width, over-height, over-length, over-weight and irregular cargo that may overhang the frame — the standard box for out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo.
Its value is carrying what a dry box cannot: excavators, road rollers, transformers, generators, yachts, steel fabrications and large castings. These are too heavy, too wide or too irregular to dismantle and box economically, so they are loaded bare onto the rack and secured with chains and wire rope. The trade-off: freight is priced as special equipment / OOG, well above a dry box.
Full name: 20-foot Flat Rack Container
The usable limits depend on safe lashing and how much the cargo overhangs: the floor is about 5,944 mm long × 2,194 mm wide, but cargo may overhang the frame as OOG — declare the over-dimensions and check the route.
| Dimension | mm | cm | m | ft & in | in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 5944 | 594.4 | 5.944 | 19 ft 6.0 in | 234.0 |
| Width | 2194 | 219.4 | 2.194 | 7 ft 2.4 in | 86.4 |
| Height | 2244 | 224.4 | 2.244 | 7 ft 4.3 in | 88.3 |
| End door | Flat-rack: no end doors — cargo is lifted in from above or the side. | ||||
| Dimension | mm | cm | m | ft & in | in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 6058 | 605.8 | 6.058 | 19 ft 10.5 in | 238.5 |
| Width | 2438 | 243.8 | 2.438 | 7 ft 12.0 in | 96.0 |
| Height | 2591 | 259.1 | 2.591 | 8 ft 6.0 in | 102.0 |
| End door | Flat-rack: no end doors — cargo is lifted in from above or the side. | ||||
| Item | Tonnes (t) | Kilograms (kg) | Pounds (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tare weight (empty) | 2.60 – 3.10 | 2,600 – 3,100 | 5,732 – 6,834 |
| Maximum payload (net cargo) | 27.68 | 27,680 | 61,024 |
| Maximum gross weight (box + cargo) | 34.00 | 34,000 | 74,957 |
New (one-trip) 20FR containers have just left the factory or carried a single load: flat panels, tight door seals and no corrosion, which makes them the right choice for food, precision goods and long-term leasing. Used (multi-trip) 20FR boxes have years of ocean service behind them and may show dents, light rust and worn flooring, but a structurally sound unit that passes a cargo-worthy survey still ships perfectly normally.
On a flat-rack the structural parts do the work: the steel floor, the lashing rings, the corner castings and the end frames. Inspect the rings for corrosion and the floor for distortion, and ask for the lashing certificate if the previous cargo was heavy plant.
For a 20FR, most exporters simply take the carrier’s “cargo worthy” unit, because the shipping line is responsible for the box being fit for carriage at the moment it is picked up. If you buy your own container instead, pricing is graded by age and condition: CW (cargo worthy), WWT (wind and water tight) and AS-IS (sold as seen).
Flat racks cost more and are scarcer: new / one-trip units about USD 5,000–9,000.
Cargo-worthy used units about USD 2,500–5,500; supply is limited — confirm live.
Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE and Evergreen all build to the same ISO standards, so the external dimensions of a 20FR match the standard exactly and the box can be stacked and interchanged on board and on the chassis without adaptation.
Across carriers, the practical differences for a 20FR are in box age and condition (new units are assigned to the mainline services), the builder (CIMC, Singamas, CXIC, Maersk Container Industry and others), small variations in the tare and payload figures stamped on the plate, and the configuration of special equipment — reefer unit brand, tarpaulin type on an open-top, folding versus fixed end walls on a flat-rack. Mention heavy, over-height or specialised cargo at booking so the carrier allocates the right unit.
Flat-racks are pooled rather than owned in volume, so confirm the exact rack and its rating with the line and not only with the depot.
A flat rack carries what a dry box cannot, so there is no small everyday use. The typical loads are excavators, road rollers, transformers, generators, yachts, steel fabrications and large castings — heavy, irregular machinery.
Heavy cargo sits directly on the floor cross-members, secured to the lashing rings with chains and wire rope. Set it on dunnage or steel plates to spread the pressure, keep the centre of gravity low and central, and never let a single point punch through the floor.
A flat rack depends entirely on lashing: tension heavy items with chains or wire rope, chock the base hard, brace irregular cargo with timber and fix it to multiple lashing rings. Mark over-width and over-height clearly and declare OOG.
The 20FR suits over-weight, over-width and irregular large items: construction machinery, transformers, boilers, large castings, yachts, steel fabrications, wind-power parts and over-length pipe.
Measure the over-dimensions and centre of gravity before booking, declare OOG and check every route height and width. Lash with chains, wire rope, chocks and lashing rings, keep the heavy parts over the floor cross-members, and let the carrier approve the lashing.
An excavator to Africa at 20 tonnes and over-width for a dry box ships bare on a 20FR with chain lashing and an OOG declaration. Dismantling and boxing it would have cost more and risked more.
External dimensions are 6,058 x 2,438 x 2,591 mm. The loadable floor is about 5,944 mm long and 2,194 mm wide, with end frames at the two ends only: no side wall and no roof. Cargo may overhang the frame under an out-of-gauge agreement.
Payload is about 27,680 kg on a maximum gross mass of 34,000 kg, higher than a dry box because the flat-rack has no box structure to carry. Some units are rated differently, so the CSC plate on the frame always governs.
No. A flat-rack is a steel floor with two end walls, which fold flat on collapsible designs. The sides and the top are completely open, which is what allows long, wide or awkward pieces to be loaded by crane.
With timber dunnage, chocks, web lashings, chains and turnbuckles attached to the floor rings and the corner castings. Carriers require a lashing and securing plan, and heavy machinery, coils or vehicles normally need a surveyor's certificate before sailing.
Vehicles, excavators and attachments, CNC machines, transformers, steel structures, boats, over-length pipes and any out-of-gauge piece. If the cargo is taller than the box but fits inside the footprint, an open-top is usually cheaper.
An open-top has side walls and end doors and opens only at the roof, so it suits over-height cargo that still fits within the floor plan. A flat-rack has no sides at all, so it takes cargo that is wider, longer or heavier than the box dimensions allow.
No. The cargo is exposed to rain and spray for the whole voyage, so anything that cannot get wet has to be tarped, shrink-wrapped or crated by the shipper. Photograph the packed and lashed unit from every side before sailing.
Normally on deck or in the top tier of the hold, lashed through the corner castings. Because the cargo blocks neighbouring slots, carriers charge for the space it occupies as well as the container, which is why OOG shipments cost more than their weight suggests.
Yes. The cargo is exposed, so take all-risks cover and keep a full photo record of the loading, lashing and packaging. Flat-rack and break-bulk cargo attracts a higher premium than containerised cargo inside a dry box.
Yes, and collapsible units fold and stack several high, which makes repositioning affordable. That is also why availability of a particular size can change quickly - confirm with a live offer.
New and one-trip units run about USD 5,000-9,000 and cargo-worthy used units about USD 2,500-5,500. Flat-racks are scarce equipment and prices move with steel and with regional surpluses.
22P1: 22 identifies a 20-foot container, P a platform-based unit and 1 the flat-rack configuration. The 40ft equivalent is 42P1.
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