20ft Used Open Top Container – Canvas Top with Tarp and Bows
This 20ft used open top container loads from above. Remove the tarp and bows, and a crane drops cargo straight into the box — no doorway to negotiate, no height limit at the header. That single capability is why open tops carry the freight standard containers cannot: steel coils, timber packs, machinery, and anything too tall or too awkward for end loading. Afterwards, the canvas top goes back on, and the cargo travels weatherproof.
How the Canvas Top Works
Heavy-duty steel top rails carry the structure across the open roof. Removable bows span the rails and support the canvas tarp, which lashes down with a cable around the perimeter. Consequently, the roof opens in minutes for loading and closes just as fast for weather. The end doors still work as on a standard container, so ground-level loading remains available too.
What Gets Loaded From Above
- Steel coils and plate — craned in without clearing a door header
- Timber and lumber packs — full packs placed by forklift from above
- Construction machinery — compact plant lowered straight onto the floor
- Overheight cargo — loads that stand taller than the door opening travel under tarp
- Scrap and bulk materials — grab-loaded from the top at both ends of the journey
Specifications
| External Dimensions | 6.06 m L x 2.44 m W x 2.59 m H |
| Internal Dimensions | ~5.89 m L x 2.35 m W x 2.33 m H (under bows) |
| Roof | Open — heavy-duty canvas tarp, cable, removable bows |
| Top Rails | Heavy-duty steel — structural support |
| Doors | Standard double cargo doors with locking bars |
| Body | Corrugated Cor-Ten steel |
| Floor | Marine ply on steel cross-members |
| Conditions Available | Wind & Watertight (Used) |
Dimensions are nominal; internal height under the bows varies slightly by build.
The container follows ISO 668 dimensions, so it can be transported and lifted with standard container equipment. A hardtop version — removable steel roof panels instead of canvas — suits cargo needing a rigid lid.
Comparing open top and specialised configurations? Browse the 20ft shipping container range or the modified containers category.
