A container chassis, or skeletal trailer, is a frame without a deck that carries ISO containers locked on twist locks — the lightest and simplest way to move 20, 40 and 45 ft boxes between port, depot and customer. Because there is no floor to carry, the tare weight stays low and more of the gross weight goes to the container.
Which containers it carries
Our container chassis is built for standard ISO containers:
- Single 40 ft — the most common port and depot job
- Twin 20 ft — two 20 ft containers on one chassis, each on its own set of twist locks
- 45 ft — high-cube and pallet-wide boxes used on longer routes
- Single 20 ft — heavy 20 ft loads, positioned to keep axle loads legal
The number and position of the twist locks are set to the containers you actually move. Twist locks are ISO 1161 compliant.
How twin-20 works
A twin-20 chassis has lock positions at the front, middle and rear so it can take one 40 ft or two 20 ft containers. That flexibility matters for operators who serve ports where 20 ft boxes carry heavy cargo — two of them on one trip halves the empty running compared with moving each one separately.
Skeletal trailer or flatbed with twist locks?
If you only ever move containers, a skeletal chassis is lighter and cheaper to run. If containers are only part of the work and you also carry steel, machinery or pallets, a flatbed semi trailer fitted with 4 to 12 twist locks carries both — at the cost of a heavier deck.
How it is built
The frame is high-strength steel, cut on CNC machines and joined with robotic MIG welding, which keeps the structure light without giving up strength. Standard equipment includes:
- 2 or 3 axles — BPW, SAF or Turkish-origin
- air, mechanical or bogie suspension, with a lift-axle option
- WABCO ABS/EBS braking
- Pirelli, Bridgestone or Goodyear tyres on steel or aluminium rims
Empty weight is between about 5,200 and 6,400 kg depending on length and equipment.
What to specify in your quote request
- container sizes you carry (20 / 40 / 45 ft, twin-20)
- typical cargo weight per container
- number of axles and axle brand
- suspension type and whether you need a lift axle
- wheelbase, spare-wheel position and any local rules on length or axle load
Full specifications and photos are on the container chassis page. Tell us your container mix and routes and we will propose the configuration.