What Is a Container Ship?
Container ships are large vessels that carry dry cargo in intermodal containers. Unlike general cargo
ships, container ships use containers that are standardized in terms of size and container ship capacity.
Types of Container Ships
The evolution from 800 TEUs to 15,000 TEU capacities occurred over a variety of container ships and
ultimately led to the creation of several container ship sizes and types.
Feeders
Feeders are small container vessels often found at small or inland ports. These new ships are usually
approximately 492 feet in length and can carry up to 2,000 TEUs.
Their small ship size allows them to move through shallow waters that larger container ships can’t
access. So, they “feed” the larger vessels.
Unlike larger container ships, feeder ships tend to have loading gear onboard. You may notice cargo
cranes installed on their decks. That’s because the smaller ports they serve often do not have space for
the larger lifting equipment necessary to move containers.
Feedermax
Feedermax ships function just like feeder ships, but as their name implies, they’re slightly larger. They
have a 3,000 TEU capacity. You’ll see them in larger inland ports, like the Baltic Sea. You may also find
them carrying specialty goods, including hazardous raw materials and oddly-sized cargo that can’t ship
alongside other standard containers.
Feeders
Feeders are small container vessels often found at small or inland ports. These new ships are usually
approximately 492 feet in length and can carry up to 2,000 TEUs.
Their small ship size allows them to move through shallow waters that larger container ships can’t
access. So, they “feed” the larger vessels.
Unlike larger container ships, feeder ships tend to have loading gear onboard. You may notice cargo
cranes installed on their decks. That’s because the smaller ports they serve often do not have space for
the larger lifting equipment necessary to move containers.
Panamax
The Panamax is 965 feet long with a 4,000 – 5,000 TEU capacity. It usually has a 106-foot beam and a
39.5-foot draft. These vessels were first built in the 1980s and designed to fit through the original
Panama Canal.
Ships that could cut through the canal could significantly reduce international shipping time. However,
the original Panama Canal was on the small side, which greatly limited the size of container ships until
2016.
In the 1980s, when the Panamax came to be, many larger ships didn’t fit through the canal. Anything
over 984 feet long couldn’t make it through the original channel. These ships earned the name Post-
Panamax.
At the time, Post-Panamax ships were mainly vessels that could carry over 5,000 TEU. Today, only the
largest ships are Post-Panamax ships, thanks to the Panama Canal expansion.
These ships have to traverse Cape Horn at the tip of South America and skip the canal altogether, greatly
extending the time for products to ship. They are currently the largest container ships in use.
New Panamax
In 2016, the Panama Canal underwent an expansion. So, the New Panamax or Neopanamax designation
came to be. This designation is for any ship that fits the width and depth of the new Panama Canal.
The new canal can accommodate ships over 1,300 feet long and 157 feet wide. These ships have up to a
12,500 TEU carrying capacity. Their increased capacity allows more goods to pass through the canal and
avoid the long journey around Cape Horn.
Ultra Large Container Vessel
The largest container ships, the ultra-large container vessels, fall under the Ultra Large Container Vessel
(ULCV) designation. These ultra-large container ships carry 14,000 TEUs or more and can be over 1312
feet long and up to 193.5 feet wide.
This size is too large for the Panama Canal, but the big ships can easily transit the larger Suez Canal.
These larger ships run routes from the world’s busiest container port in Shanghai to ports in Northern
Europe.