A shipping, or also known as an inter-modal container, is a large standardized shipping container, designed and built for inter-modal freight transport.This basically means that these containers can be used across different modes of transport – from ship to rail to truck – without unloading and reloading their cargo. Inter-modal containers are primarily used to store and transport materials and products efficiently and securely in the global containerized inter-modal freight transport system, but smaller numbers are in regional use as well.

These containers are known under a number of names and in the main the following types are used: