Container color can give you important information about its purpose, condition and ownership.

Summary of this article

l  Container Colors: Why Are Containers Different Colors?

l  Benefits of Container Color

l  What do the different container colors mean?

l  What is the RAL standard color table?

l  How to get a container of a specific color?

Container colors are not just for looks, they help identify the type and condition of the container, as well as the shipping line it belongs to. Most shipping lines have their own specific color schemes to effectively differentiate and coordinate containers.

Why are the containers different colors?

Some of the main reasons include:

l  Identify the container

l  Brand association

l  Customs regulations

l  Weatherability and temperature control

Benefits of Container Color

Identify the container

New containers (sub-new containers) will often come in a different color than used containers, special containers, and storage boxes. New containers are usually gray or white so people can identify them.

These color distinctions help yard and terminal operators identify containers and store them according to their class, while also helping shipping lines or suppliers to whom the containers belong can quickly identify their containers. This saves time going through the details of each container to confirm ownership.

Brand association

Containers that belong to a shipping line usually feature that company's brand colors. The colors of these containers are mainly related for marketing and brand association purposes.

Here are 5 popular carriers and the colors used for their containers:

Maersk Line – Light Blue

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) - Yellow

CMA CGM – Dark Blue

COSCO – Blue/White

Hapag-Lloyd – Orange

Customs regulations

Containers are subject to various safety regulations. Therefore, the color of the container helps to show its compliance. For example, containers used to transport hazardous substances are often given a special color to indicate the type of cargo they are transporting.

Weatherability and temperature control

Coloring is not just for aesthetic purposes, they also add to the weather resistance of the container and protect the cargo inside. Container Coating is a marine-grade coating that provides a barrier to the steel container body against the external environment. This keeps the container from rusting and other forms of corrosion.

Certain colors, such as gray and white, reflect sunlight better. Therefore, refrigerated containers are usually painted white in order to keep the temperature-sensitive cargo inside them fresh and cool.

What do the different container colors mean?

Brown and maroon shipping containers

Brown and maroon containers are often associated with rental companies. The reason is that darker colors age less easily than lighter ones. Containers used for rental and one-way freight are subject to more frequent hauls, and the darker color helps hide imperfections such as scratches, dents and rust. This increases the chances that the container will be rented out again in the future.

There are a number of leasing companies that use maroon containers, including Triton International, Textainer Group and Florens Container Leasing. Read this article to learn more about the top rental companies.

Blue container

Blue is usually associated with standard shipping containers that transport dry goods such as grains, clothing and electronics. CMA CGM is a company that uses dark blue containers.

Green container

Green is also a container color favored by various shipping lines. These include Evergreen, China Shipping and the United Arab States Shipping Company (UASC).

Red container

Some companies will paint their tall cabinets (one foot taller than a standard container) red. This helps to enhance its recognizability and differentiate it from standard cases. Bright colors (for example, red and orange) may also be used to indicate hazardous or toxic substances are transported in containers, but this is not an industry standard.

White container

White is often associated with refrigerated containers. As mentioned earlier, this is because light colors reflect sunlight more easily than dark colors, keeping the contents of the box cooler and controlling the temperature.

Gray container

Gray containers are sometimes associated with military or government shipments. The color is also able to reflect sunlight, keeping the cargo inside cool.

It should be noted that the above color scheme is not a universal standard, and different shipping companies will use different colors for different container types, sizes and container conditions.

CIMC Equilink provides various types of new and used containers, especially our standard containers, 40 feet container price and 20 feet container price are very affordable.If you are looking for shipping containers for sale, please visit us by email（info.equilink@cimc.com）or submit a quick quote.

Share: