containers 1.9 Pail 1.10 Unit load device 1.11 Specialized shipping containers 2 Re-use 3 See also 4 References Types of shipping containers[edit] This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Intermodal freight containers[edit] A Flatcar with a 20 ft tanktainer and an open-top 20 ft container with canvas cover Main articles: Intermodal container, Twenty-foot equivalent unit, Intermodal freight transport, and Containerization Freight containers are a reusable transport and storage unit for moving products and raw materials between locations or countries. There are about seventeen million intermodal containers in the world, and a large proportion of the worlds long-distance freight generated by international trade is transported in shipping containers. In addition, its estimated that several million of these containers have now been discarded due to the shipping cost of sending them back to their port of origin. Their invention made a major contribution to the globalization of commerce in the second half of the 20th century, dramatically reducing the cost of transporting goods and hence of long-distance trade.[2][3] Corrugated box[edit] Main article: corrugated fiberboard Corrugated boxes are commonly used as shipping containers. They are made of corrugated fiberboard which is lightweight, recyclable, and strong enough to ship a variety of products. Wooden box[edit] Main article: Wooden box Wooden boxes are often used for shipping heavy and dense products. They are sometimes specified for shipments of government or military shipments. Crate[edit] Main article: crate A crate is a large container, often made of wood, used to transport large, heavy or awkward items. A crate has a self-supporting structure, with or without sheathing. Intermediate bulk s