The GP container, or general purpose container, is the workhorse of global trade. Of the approximately fifty million shipping containers in existence, the vast majority are GP units, and for good reason: the cargo types that a GP container handles ? bagged goods, cartons, pallets, crates, machinery, textiles, electronics, consumer goods ? account for the overwhelming majority of manufactured goods shipped internationally.

Its design is straightforward and has remained largely unchanged since the ISO standardisation of the 1960s. Four corner posts of structural steel. Top and bottom rails connecting them. Corrugated steel side and roof panels. A steel floor on hardwood cross-members. Double-leaf rear doors with four locking bars and rubber perimeter seals. This configuration, replicated in hundreds of millions of units across the global container fleet, is the physical foundation of modern international trade.

Infinex Containers supplies GP containers to Singapore customers for freight, storage, and land-based applications.

GP Container Standard Dimensions

The two dominant GP container sizes are the 20-foot and the 40-foot. Their external dimensions conform to ISO 668, the standard that ensures all containers are compatible with the ships, cranes, railway wagons, and truck chassis that handle them worldwide.

The 20-foot GP container has external dimensions of approximately 6.06 metres length, 2.44 metres width, and 2.59 metres height. Internal usable dimensions are approximately 5.90 metres by 2.35 metres by 2.39 metres. The maximum gross weight is 24,000 kg with a tare weight of approximately 2,200 kg, giving a usable payload of approximately 21,800 kg.

The 40-foot GP container doubles the internal length to approximately 12.03 metres while maintaining the same width and height, with a maximum gross weight of 30,480 kg and a higher payload capacity.

GP container units from Infinex are available in both standard sizes, with CSC plates confirming compliance with Container Safety Convention requirements.

What Makes Cargo Suitable for a GP Container

Not all cargo is suitable for a standard GP container. The cargo must fit through the rear door opening: the two leaves of the rear door open to provide a combined opening of approximately 2.34 metres wide and 2.28 metres high. Cargo that exceeds these dimensions cannot be loaded through the standard door and requires a different container type, such as an open top or flat rack.

The cargo weight must not exceed the container’s payload capacity. Extremely dense cargo such as marble slabs, metal ingots, or lead products may reach the payload limit before the container is physically full.

The cargo must be compatible with the internal temperature range that the container will experience in transit. GP containers are not temperature-controlled, and the internal temperature can exceed 60 degrees Celsius in the sun, which is incompatible with heat-sensitive cargo.

Within these constraints, the GP container handles the vast majority of manufactured goods shipped in international trade.

GP Containers for Land-Based Storage in Singapore

In Singapore, GP containers that have completed their ocean freight service life are commonly converted to land-based storage use. The container’s structural integrity, weatherproofing, and security are all well-suited to this application, and the cost per square metre of covered, secure storage in a container compares favourably with alternatives.

Singapore industrial and logistics operators use GP containers as yard storage in open compounds where the container provides weather protection for equipment, materials, and goods that do not require climate-controlled storage but must be protected from Singapore’s rainfall.

Modifications to the Standard GP Container

The standard GP container can be modified for specific applications. Windows and personnel doors cut into the side walls convert a container into a site office or personnel accommodation. Shelving systems installed inside the container optimise its storage volume for specific item sizes. Electrical wiring, lighting, and air-conditioning units transform the container into a habitable workspace.

Infinex Containers can facilitate the supply of modified GP containers adapted for specific Singapore applications.

For Singapore importers, exporters, site operators, and businesses looking for GP container units for general cargo, storage, and transport needs, Infinex Containers provides the general purpose container supply service that covers the full range of Singapore GP container requirements.