Items that can and cannot be shipped by container
The world has become a global village and is sometimes so small that travelling to and from one place to another is becoming easier and easier because of the different and fast modes of transport out there. Besides humans being able to get from one place to another, cargo is also able to be shipped easily by land, air or sea and many people are opting to ship their precious goods by sea through containers since it is much cheaper than shipping by air. Unfortunately, not everything can be shipped easily by ship so below is a list of things that can and cannot be shipped by container.
Things you CANNOT transport via container freight
1. Hazardous substances and /or dangerous goods
This is probably the most dangerous thing to ship on a container and includes things such as anything that is flammable, corrosive, poisonous or is likely to explode. These are goods that are most likely to cause serious damage to anyone’s health and may likely cause damage to the environment as well. Examples of this include pressurized cans, paints, drugs, cosmetics, detergents, gas cylinders or cleaning chemicals.
2. Guns and Ammunition
Shipping such dangerous cargo needs you to have done a bit of research as to how to go about acquiring the right form of documentation. It is illegal in some countries to ship or own guns and ammunition because of how dangerous it is to all forms of life, especially human life if it gets into the wrong hands.
3. Food and/or perishables
It is not advisable to ship food or any perishable goods because of the fact that it might get spoilt along the way if not packed in a container that will make sure it stays and arrives fresh to its destination. Sometimes the food may attract unwanted pests and become spoilt even more so you must make sure you engage in proper packaging measures for example if you are shipping fish, make sure it is packed in a cold or frozen container that will guarantee its freshness at all times.
4. Plants, animals or seeds
Plants, animals or seeds can prove to be quite dangerous because if left uncontrolled they can cause an outbreak of disease or infection or may lead to certain animals causing damage to the country they are being shipped to. Contamination of plants and animals may become a problem as an outbreak may not be contained fast enough for it to be controlled and this will cause trouble for both the sender and receiver of the cargo
Things that you CAN transport via container freight
1. Cars or other large vehicles
A lot of people actually prefer shipping their cars or vehicles via container freight because containers are safe and you are guaranteed that you will be able to ship your goods to their destination on time. Some shipping companies such as Cargo World Link offer RoRo (Roll On Roll Off) services as well where you don’t necessarily need to use a container as ships will be able to drive on and off a ship directly but the option of using a container is still available.
2. Household goods and personal effects
It is possible to ship household good and personal effects via container freight as containers are usually able to transport a lot of your cargo in a container at a time. It is however not advisable to ship expensive items such as jewellery or money or anything that is seriously valuable because it can either get lost or stolen and this becomes a great liability to the person transporting the goods.