What Is Overweight Container?

What Is Overweight Container? Sometimes It’s Also Called Heavy Container That Doesn’t Mean FCL Container

It’s important to know what is overweight container If you are a shipper of heavy goods like metal and minerals, machinery, construction materials, chemicals, vehicles, timbers and logs. Understanding the concept of an “overweight container” is crucial in the logistics and shipping industry. Each container has a maximum weight limit, and exceeding this can lead to issues such as deformation, floor collapse, or roof beam bending. Many export goods, like timber and safety glass, are small in volume but heavy in weight, requiring reinforced containers. In this context, an “overweight container” refers to these reinforced options, such as 20-foot reinforced containers.

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Shipping Companies Have Their Own Standards

Gaining overweight container knowledge involves understanding shipping companies’ weight standards. For instance, a 20GP container with cargo over 21 tons is classified as overweight. However, there are maximum limits, like 26 tons for a 20GP container.

Why Do Shipping Companies Set Overweight Standards?

Capacity and Profitability: Each ship has weight and space limitations. To maximize profit, shipping companies prefer lighter cargo. Therefore, the number of “overweight container slots” on a ship is limited. Policies may vary by route. For example, in regions with developed heavy industries like Northeast and North China, ports such as Dalian and Tianjin handle more overweight containers. This can lead to situations where weight limits are reached, but space remains. To compensate, companies may lower the threshold for overweight containers and charge additional fees for exceeding certain weights.

Third-Party Vessel Use: When a shipping company uses another company’s vessel, weight restrictions are stricter. Slot purchases between companies are typically based on a standard of 1 TEU = 14 or 16 tons. Exceeding this weight means the cargo cannot be loaded.

Seasonal and Route Adjustments: Depending on the season or route popularity, shipping companies may adjust their overweight container policies accordingly.

The Special Meaning of the “Heavy Container” in Cantonese Regions

In Cantonese-speaking areas such as Hong Kong, Guangdong, and Guangxi, a “heavy container” refers to a container that has been filled with cargo. Common terms used include “提空还重” (fetch empty, return full) and “提吉还重” (fetch lucky, return full).

提空还重: This means to pick up an empty container, load it with cargo, and then return the full container to a designated yard. Here, a “heavy container” refers to a container filled with cargo, regardless of its actual weight.

提吉还重: This means to pick up a “lucky” (empty) container, load it with cargo, and then return the full container to a designated yard. The term “lucky container” (吉箱) is used instead of “empty container” because, in Cantonese, “empty” sounds like “unlucky,” and people prefer to avoid inauspicious terms.

These terms reflect the unique cultural and linguistic practices in logistics operations within Cantonese-speaking regions.