Used or new
40 feet flat rack container (40 FR)
The 40 ft flat rack is a steel deck with two end walls and no side walls or roof, built for weight: a usable deck of 11,657 × 2,298 mm between end walls 1,955 mm high, about 40 tonnes of cargo on a rack rated 45,000 kg gross and about 47 tonnes on one rated 52,500 kg, about 5,025 kg empty. It takes what no box can: machinery, steel structures, pipes, transformers, vehicles. Partner sellers who have one quote it, delivered to your PIN code.
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Asking prices differ widely: for a used 20 feet shipping container, half of the 116 sellers we read on 20 October 2026 ask between ₹1,04,000 and ₹1,40,000, ₹36,000 apart. Several quotes show you where the low end is.
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What is a 40 ft flat rack container?
It is a container without walls along its sides or a roof: a strong deck between two end walls, built for weight rather than volume. The flat rack typically carries 40,075 kg, against 28,780 kg for a standard 40 ft box, on a frame that weighs 5,025 kg empty (4,900 to 6,200 kg on the data sheets). With no walls along its sides, a load can be craned on from above or forklifted on from either side, and it may be wider than the rack.
- Project cargo and machinery: excavators, generators, transformers, boilers, steel structures, wind-turbine parts.
- Long, heavy stock: pipes, girders, rails, bundles of steel bars.
- A shorter load: the 20 ft flat rack has a deck of 5,634 mm and needs a smaller trailer.
For cargo that only needs lowering in from above and keeping out of the rain, a 40 ft open top keeps its walls and its tarpaulin.
Fixed or collapsible end walls, lashing points and the deck
- Fixed or collapsible end walls. Collapsible walls fold down so that empty racks stack, and their hinges and locking pins wear; the size-type code ends in P3 on a rack with folding ends and P1 on one with fixed ends. Ask the seller to fold and raise them, or for a video of it.
- Lashing points. Count the rings along the deck and look for cracks around them: that is where the load pulls.
- The deck. Timber or steel plates: look for cracks, rot and bent cross-members underneath.
- Corner posts and castings: straight and without cracks, since they take the lift.
Dimensions and capacity of the 40 ft flat rack
| Measure | Size |
|---|---|
| ISO size-type code | 42P1 or 42P3 |
| External size (L × W × H) | 12,192 × 2,438 × 2,591 mm40′ × 8′ × 8′ 6″ |
| Usable deck (L × W × H between end walls) | 11,657 × 2,298 × 1,955 mm38′ 3″ × 7′ 6½″ × 6′ 5″ |
| Deck area | 26.8 m²288 sq ft |
| Tare weight (empty), range 4,900–6,200 kg | 5,025 kg |
| Payload (typical) | 40,075 kg |
| Maximum gross weight | 45,000 or 52,500 kg, depending on the rack |
Typical values (median of 4 data sheets published by CMA CGM, Evergreen, ONE and ZIM, 20 October 2026); feet and inches rounded to the nearest half inch. The markings on each rack give its own tare and maximum gross weight, also on its CSC plate: a rack rated higher carries more, its maximum gross weight minus its tare. Every size in feet, cm and mm: 40 ft flat rack (40 FR) dimensions.
Wide and tall loads on the road
A load that stands out beyond the sides or above the end walls is out-of-gauge for the shipping line, and on Indian roads it may travel as over-dimensional cargo (ODC), with its own rules: plan the trailer and the route with the transporter before you buy the rack. Empty, the rack itself goes on an ordinary 40 ft trailer and comes off by crane; at about 5,025 kg it is heavier than a dry box, so give the weight when you book the lift (site preparation and unloading). For the trucking, the delivered price estimate gives an order of magnitude. GST is 18% (HSN 8609): ask whether the quote includes it (GST on shipping containers).
Questions about the 40 ft flat rack
What does a 40 ft flat rack cost in India?
Prices are scarce: 2 sellers on IndiaMART this week, asking ₹2,50,000 to ₹5,00,000 (20 October 2026), and one listing with an exact price at ₹2,70,000. The price shown above is the lower middle of these prices: with so few, the quotes you receive are the real comparison.
How much does a 40 ft flat rack weigh and carry?
Empty, about 5,025 kg (4,900 to 6,200 kg); it carries typically 40,075 kg on the data sheets we read. Racks are rated differently, up to 52,500 kg gross, and a rack rated that high carries several tonnes more: read the markings and the CSC plate of the rack you are offered (maximum gross weight minus tare), and spread and lash the load as its maker specifies.
Can a flat rack carry a vehicle?
Yes: trucks, buses and machines are driven or craned onto the deck and chained to its lashing rings. A vehicle wider than the rack itself (2,438 mm) stands out at the sides: it is out-of-gauge for the shipping line, and possibly over-dimensional cargo on the road.