{"id":2876,"date":"2025-02-26T18:00:20","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T11:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tradecorp-usa.com\/blog\/?p=2876"},"modified":"2025-02-26T16:56:20","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T09:56:20","slug":"shipping-container-security-how-secure-is-the-platform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tradecorp-usa.com\/blog\/shipping-container-security-how-secure-is-the-platform\/","title":{"rendered":"Shipping Container Security: How Secure is the Platform?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We often hear about the strength of shipping containers in promotions on shipping container security. Strong, durable, and secure – they are the common buzzwords we hear and read on any shipping container product page.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, do these words actually hold any weight? While we know that shipping containers are structurally strong, people unfamiliar with them don\u2019t know the details.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of that, we\u2019ll explain the details of shipping container security below to give you an image of how strong these steel boxes are!<\/span><\/p>\n

Also Read: The Best Platforms to Move Tall Containers During Work<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Shipping Container Construction Materials<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"conex
Corten steel, a common shipping container construction material<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shipping containers owe their robustness to Corten steel (ASTM A588)<\/a>, a high-strength, low-alloy steel infused with copper, chromium, nickel, and phosphorus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Corten steel forms a stable, self-repairing oxide layer called <\/span>patina<\/span><\/i>, which slows corrosion progression when exposed to moisture and oxygen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Standard container walls are 1.5\u20132.0 mm thick. Meanwhile, critical structural components like corner posts, roof bows, and floor cross-members are reinforced with 6\u20138 mm steel to support stacking loads of up to nine containers (216,000 lbs).<\/span><\/p>\n

On the contrary, modified shipping containers use aluminum (lighter but less impact-resistant) and fiberglass (superior insulation but pricier) as construction materials.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Refrigerated containers (reefers), for example, often use fiberglass sandwich panels with polyurethane foam cores to maintain temperatures as low as -30\u00b0C.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Corten steel remains the industry standard for its balance of strength (50,000\u201380,000 psi yield strength), cost-effectiveness, and adaptability to retrofitting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shipping Containers’ Protection Levels<\/b><\/h2>\n

Now that we know the common construction materials for shipping containers, the next step is assessing how shipping container security fares against damage types.<\/span><\/p>\n

Against Gunfire<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"9mm
9mm ammunition caliber that containers can handle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before we start, we must underline something important – shipping containers are not bulletproof, but their Corten steel walls offer limited ballistic resistance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, how do shipping containers actually stand against gunfire? According to calculations, a 1.5 mm wall may stop handgun rounds like 9mm or .45 ACP, but rifles (e.g., 5.56mm or 7.62mm) can penetrate easily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While shippers don\u2019t deliberately transport containers over warzones rife with gunfire, it\u2019s still important to consider adding anti-gunfire protections.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although reinforcing containers into resistant to bullets doesn\u2019t make them impervious battle tanks, these steps can still highly boost their safety:<\/span><\/p>\n