No need for a crane with our ISO Container Castor
‘What castor have you got that can take 12 tonnes?’ is a question frequently heard in our sales department and the most regularly heard response is ‘a container caster’.
‘What castor have you got that can take 12 tonnes?’ is a question frequently heard in our sales department and the most regularly heard response is ‘a container caster’. Freight containers, yes those corrugated metal boxes, are not only utilised on container ships to transport goods, but are also being converted into additional warehouse storage units, military shelters, additional office spaces and more recently transformed into pop up shopping malls, like Boxpark in Shoreditch London. This ingenious shopping mall recently caught my eye, as each shop is one container, stripped and converted into a retail space to house shops, restaurants, cafes and galleries, mixing big brands with local designers and retailers. The concept is to have pop up shops, open for a short time, about four years, prior to a site being developed for alternative purposes.
Traditionally the only way to manoeuvre a container whether it’s for the military, warehouse, office or retail purposes would be by a crane and gantry, as even when empty these containers can weigh up to two tonnes each. However there is an alternative solution to low speed manoeuvring, and not using a crane, and that’s by utilising tow castors or more commonly called container castors. Each leg of a container has a hollow section within which the container castors can rigidly clamp to with the aid of locking screws. This industrial pin adaptor plates design ensures these castors fit is universal amongst all ISO freight containers, which makes fitting these heavy duty tow castors a simple process. With four container casters per container, we have decided to supply these industrial movers in sets of four. Makes sense, we know! The set comprises of two fabricated swivel tow casters and two fabricated fixed tow casters, complete with a lifting handle, one ratchet spanner and four locking screws. The idea is, these castors can be fitted by one person, using the lifting handle to secure each castor into the container corner legs, and the locking screws secure the castor into position. An optional extra often requested is a towing bar, which can also be attached to the container for low speed manoeuvring by tractor, fork lift trucks and other towing vehicles.
Using container castors is a cheaper alternative to hiring a crane, providing you are looking for low speed manoeuvrability. These castors are designed for speeds of up to five miles per hour, mostly suited to moving empty or evenly balanced containers up to 40 feet in length. With load capacities of up to twelve tonnes, these rugged and durable container castors perform in a variety of environments. They really are the most efficient and economical solution to moving ISO freight containers, without the need for expensive crane and gantry equipment.
