Easy access with UNIT45's curtainsider

Shortsea shipping lines and intermodal operators usually consider road transport operators their main competitors.  One advantage often claimed for trailers is that most offer side access, enabling pallets to be loaded and unloaded by forklift trucks operating at ground level, without the need for raised loading bays or ramps. Side access also provides flexibility when carrying part loads since each pallet is immediately accessible.

UNIT45, the Dutch 45ft container specialist, has developed a curtain-sided 45ft palletwide (pw) container to meet the demands of shortsea and intermodal carriers who have customers that require side access and who might otherwise use curtain-sided trailers to transport their goods.

Like the standard dry freight container, the curtain-sider is built using the same high-strength steel and lightweight flooring materials to minimise tare weight.  Stack capabilities match those of the dry freight unit too, so the curtain-sider needs no special treatment when in a terminal or onboard a ship. With a volume of 84m³, the unit has capacity for 33 pallets.

UNIT45 began business in 2002, designing 45ft pw containers and supplying these to North European shortsea and intermodal operators. It acts both as a broker and as a lessor, hence being able to provide equipment for outright purchase or on lease terms. The company’s containers are primarily manufactured in China, under UNIT45 supervision. In addition to the curtain-sider, the company’s specialist range includes reefer containers. However, most of UNIT45’s customers opt for the standard 45ft design, which is 9ft 6in high and manufactured using high-strength steels to achieve maximum payloads.  The unit can accommodate 33 Euro pallets and through the use of the patented Euro corner castings, therefore being perfectly legal when being trucked within Europe.

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“UNIT45’s curtain-sided 45ft pw container is ideal for shortsea and intermodal carriers who have customers that require side access and who might otherwise use curtain-sided trailers to transport their goods.”