Has anyone heard of a Flat Rack container? How does this affect shipping?

[StormBreaker]

I've encountered a problem at work: we need to ship a large industrial generator which is far too tall and wide to fit into a standard shipping container. The logistics team is suggesting a "flat rack". I looked at some photos of it — it's just a platform with no walls or roof! Can you tell me how safe this is? Wouldn't the cargo get washed away in a storm at sea? And how would they secure it so that it doesn't slide all over the deck?

[StormBreaker]

I've also seen that they come in 20- and 40-foot sizes. Is there a difference in reliability between those with folding end walls and those with fixed walls? I'm worried that the folding mechanisms might be less stable under heavy loads. Has anyone transported equipment this way before? What pitfalls should I watch out for when loading with a crane?

[Brian27_7]

Some old friends of mine were shipping a drilling rig a while back, and we were also a bit wary of those 'bare' platforms at first. But, in reality, a flat rack is the only practical solution for heavy, oversized cargo. The secret is that the base is made of high-strength steel and has plenty of attachment points for chains and straps around the perimeter. We read about this on Gettransport. It's better to choose a flat rack with fixed walls if the cargo is very heavy, although the collapsible ones are more convenient if you need to store the empty platform somewhere later. By the way, what are the exact dimensions of your generator? Because if it protrudes too much, additional escort vehicles may be needed during delivery to the port.