Swap body

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A Swap body is a standard freight container which is usually built too lightly to be stacked, or to be lifted from the top, unlike the more widespread shipping containers (ISO containers). They are normally built with less and/or lighter materials, thus (in theory) saving on the initial purchase cost and on the long term fuel costs. In Europe, swap bodies are typically more than twice as expensive as equivalent payload ISO containers. This is because ISO containers used in Europe are typically made in China, whereas swap bodies are made in Europe. (Not being stackable, it is uneconomic to ship swap bodies from China.)^[1]

Swap bodies are often built to the same external and internal dimension standards as shipping containers, in order to be placed on the same kinds of trucks, trailers and railroad cars designed for shipping containers. Others are designed to fit the most common truck bed sizes in specific regions.

Many swap bodies are fitted with four collapsible or folding legs under their frame, to make it possible to change or “swap” their body from one truck to another, or to leave the swap body at a destination, without needing to use a crane of some sort.

Swap bodies often have more doors or sliding panels than the standard, heavily built shipping container, making unloading and loading faster and easier in a wide variety of circumstances. In several types of swap bodies there is only a heavy curtain on the sides, to protect the load.

Special steel frames or racks are often available in certain container ships and container marshalling yard to hold swap bodies one atop the other without having them support the weight of those placed above them.