22U1

Open Top Containers for Sale

Standard container walls with a removable tarpaulin roof and a swinging door header — for cargo loaded by crane from above, or too tall for a closed box.

External length: 6 058 mm
Internal height: 2 345 mm
Cubic capacity: 32.5 m³
Payload: 28 130 kg

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An open top container is a conventional dry container without a fixed steel roof. In its place, removable roof bows carry a tarpaulin secured with a lashing rope through eyelets around the top rail. The header bar above the doors swings out, so long items can also be loaded through the door end.

It exists for two jobs: cargo that must be loaded vertically by crane rather than driven in through the doors, and cargo that stands above the roof line and travels under an out-of-gauge declaration.

Technical specifications

MetricImperial

Technical specifications
Property	20ft Open Top22U1	40ft Open Top42U1
External dimensions
Length	6 058 mm19 ft 10.5 in	12 192 mm40 ft
Width	2 438 mm8 ft	2 438 mm8 ft
Height	2 591 mm8 ft 6.0 in	2 591 mm8 ft 6.0 in
Internal dimensions
Length	5 898 mm19 ft 4.2 in	12 032 mm39 ft 5.7 in
Width	2 352 mm7 ft 8.6 in	2 352 mm7 ft 8.6 in
Height	2 345 mm7 ft 8.3 in	2 345 mm7 ft 8.3 in
Door opening
Width	2 338 mm7 ft 8.0 in	2 338 mm7 ft 8.0 in
Height	2 274 mm7 ft 5.5 in	2 274 mm7 ft 5.5 in
Roof aperture (L x W)
Width	5 450 mm17 ft 10.6 in	11 585 mm38 ft 0.1 in
Height	2 210 mm7 ft 3.0 in	2 230 mm7 ft 3.8 in
Weights
Tare weight	2 350 kg5 180 lb	4 300 kg9 480 lb
Maximum gross mass	30 480 kg67 200 lb	30 480 kg67 200 lb
Payload	28 130 kg62 020 lb	26 180 kg57 720 lb
Capacity
Cubic capacity	32.5 m³1 150 cu ft	66.4 m³2 340 cu ft

Indicative — varies by builder

Nominal figures for current production. The CSC safety approval plate on the individual unit is the governing document.

Construction & fittings

ISO type codes: 22U1 (20ft), 42U1 (40ft)
Roof: Removable bows and tarpaulin, roped through top-rail eyelets
Door header: Swinging header bar for full-height door-end access
Lashing: Lashing points along top and bottom side rails
Internal height: To underside of top rail, approx. 2 345 mm
Weather performance: Weather-resistant tarpaulin, not a steel roof

Loading from above, or through the doors

With the tarpaulin, bows and door header removed, the entire top of the container is open and the door end is clear to full internal height. Machinery, marble and stone, glass crates and process plant are loaded straight down by crane and secured to the lashing points along the side rails.

Internal height is slightly lower than a dry container — around 2 345 mm to the underside of the top rail — because the rail itself is the limiting dimension once the roof is off.

Over-height cargo and out-of-gauge

If the cargo protrudes above the top rail, the unit travels "out of gauge" (OOG). That is a freight arrangement, not a property of the container: the carrier must accept the declared over-height, slots above the container are blocked, and the rate reflects it. Nothing about buying the container secures that booking — see the purchase-versus-transport distinction on worldwide delivery.

Weatherproofing expectations

A tarpaulin roof is weather-resistant, not weathertight in the sense a steel roof is. For static storage of moisture-sensitive goods, a standard closed container is the correct choice; open tops are bought for the loading access, not for the storage performance.

Typical uses

Crane-loaded machinery
Plant and process equipment that cannot be driven or rolled through doors.
Stone, glass and marble
A-frames and crates loaded vertically and lashed to the side rails.
Over-height cargo
Loads standing above the top rail, carried under an out-of-gauge declaration.
Scrap and bulk loading
Top-tipped loading where door-end access would be impractical.

Multiple units and container lots

Single units, multiple units and full lots are all quoted. Consolidating units from one depot usually reduces the transport component noticeably, so state the quantity on the enquiry even when it is provisional.

A heavy container handler lifting a shipping container at a depot, with rows of containers behind

Delivery

Road delivery across Europe from whichever depot suits your destination, and named-port quotations on agreed Incoterms overseas.

Germany Europe Worldwide

Frequently asked questions

Can cargo stick out of the top of an open top container?

Physically yes, commercially only with the carrier's agreement. Over-height cargo is booked as out-of-gauge, blocks the slots above the unit and is priced accordingly. Declare the true over-height at booking, not at the terminal gate.

Is an open top container waterproof?

The tarpaulin is weather-resistant when correctly fitted and roped, but it is not equivalent to a welded steel roof. Do not specify one for long-term storage of moisture-sensitive goods.