Goods which cannot be damaged by impact or knocks are usually packed in bales. Thus bales are particularly suitable for raw products and soft goods such as cotton, wool, hemp, jute, dry hides, tobacco, skins, gunnies and textiles. A well-made or pressed bale withstands many of the transit hazards better than any other package. But bales require special attention to minimize losses particularly from hooks, country damage, water and pilferage.

A very large glass container, protected by basket work and used for the carriage of liquids, acid and the like-usual shipped on deck and containing anything from 5 to 150 liters.

Wooden container suitable for the carriage of non-corrosive liquids (such as beer, wines, molasses, oils), apples, olives, tobacco, etc. When barrels are shipped empty, they are often dismantled and made into bundles, the trade terms for which is “stocks.”

generally used for good class merchandise. In normal times, cases are strengthened by battens, safety clips, and the like Expensive goods are sometimes shipped in tin-lined or zinc-lined cases.

Transport packages that employ wooden frames at the ends and fiberboard materials on sides designed to compromise between the wooden boxes and the corrugated fiberboard boxes. Corrugated fiberboard boxes are also designed with wooden uprights at the corners or with a wooden frame base to increase their stacking strength. Wire-bound fiberboards, and collapsible and returnable wire-bound corrugated boxes are also employed for shipments. Though these are reasonably strong, light in weight and most economical, yet they are not always suitable for export cargo on ocean voyages or for shipments likely to be exposed to much moisture. Increase in moisture content of CF adversely affects its rigidity and compression strength.

Steel container used for the transportation of gases such as oxygen, under pressure-generally shipped on deck.

Desiccants or dehydrates absorb moisture from ambient air and are used in conjunction with moisture barriers. Desiccants will provide protection by absorbing the moisture from the air trapped inside the barrier and also the moisture from the air that may penetrate the barrier over a period of time.

A cylindrical metal can, or canister, chiefly used for oils, paints, and the like.

A small cask or barrel.

Where cargo has to be handled package by package, railways suffer delays and long lines of wagons stand idle whilst awaiting loading and unloading. A system is therefore developed to speed up the ‘turn round’ of wagon. The system comprises of constructing vans in two separate parts-the whole of the container unit to be detachable from the chassis, and by standardization, to be readily usable on any other chassis. The van part is called a “lift van” and the chassis is called a “flat.”