European "Swap Body" and "Lift Tank" Containers
"Swap body" containers are frequently used for land transport in Europe along with European domestic containers. They are a mix between a highway trailer and a sea container. Swap bodies do not travel overseas; they are only used for regional road/rail transport within Europe. Swap bodies are quasi-containers; they typically have ISO corner castings on the bottom, but they are optional on the top. As a result, some swap bodies can be stacked but most cannot. The sizes typically follow the same dimensions as European domestic containers: lengths of 7.15m, 7.45m, 7.82m, and 13.6m are used. Most are 2.5m or 2.55m wide to accomodate European pallet widths. Open-sides are common with swap bodies and these containers are typically called "curtain-sides."
"Lift tanks" are similar to swap bodies. They do not have top ISO corner castings.
Since most swap bodies do not have top lifting castings, they are lifted from the sides using castings along the bottom as shown here. (Photo courtesy of Gerald Fresse)
AEAU 0001018. Curtain-side swap body container. ISO type 5PG4. Owned by AEA Technology, leased to the Malcolm Group. (Photo by Arran Aird)
Alberti-Santi swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Ambrogio swap body. Here is another example. (Photos by Gerald Fresse)
B.Dorchies refrigerated swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
BAS 7982. 45' swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Berger swap body. (Photos by Gerald Fresse)
BIDU 4901114. Lift tank owned by Bertschi. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
BIDU 4908037. Lift tank owned by Bertschi. (Photo by Han Groen)
BIDU 4909141. Lift tank owned by Bertschi. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
BIDU 4918502. Lift tank owned by Bertschi. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Bourgey Montreuil 0015 swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Bourgey Montreuil 0094 swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Buchaca swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
BUKU 4903559. Lift tank (actually a bulk tank) owned by Bertschi. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Castorama 9041. 45' swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Another Castorama swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
CDH 825. 20'+ lift tank owned by CDH. (Photo by Cor Rood)
CNC Transports swap body. Here is another example. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
COTRANS W7145 swap body. (Photo by Franck Despesse)
CRKU 2070058. Richter lift tank. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Dani Trasporti swap body. Here is another example. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Danzas "curtain-side" container, probably 13.60m long. (Photo by Michael McGowen)
DAPMR 1020. DAP Intermdal curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
DBXU 7806275. DB Intermodal swap-body shown being lifted by a crane. (Photo by Cor Rood)
DBXU 7810927. DB swap-bodies on a railcar. (Photo by Cor Rood)
Demenageurs Bretons CB103 swap body. Although it looks similar to a sea container, note there are no top lift castings. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
DHL BU162 swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
DHRU 9030170. 30'(?) bulk container (lift tank?) - note there are no top lift points. (Photo by Ben de Vink)
DS 444. Dreier swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Ducournau swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
ECOU 4182660. Unusual bulk container without top lift points, probably about 30' long. Owned by Ecologistic. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Emons 6253. Curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Emons 6307. Curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Euromodale 248 curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Euromodale 339 ribbed-side swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
European Freight Services open-sided container, probably 13.60m long. (Photo by Michael McGowen)
Evola 201. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
FERCAM curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
FERCAM CM1071 curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
FERCAM CM1478 curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
FERCAM CM1543. Fercam curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
FERCAM CM1642 swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
FERCAM CM1660 curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
GCAU 3413850. Lift tank. (Photo by Ben de Vink)
GE-SeaCo curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Geodis 045 ribbed-side swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Geodis 76773 swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Geodis 76777 swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Gonnet 05 swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
GRT swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
GRT 428 swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
HT 3749 swap body. Owned by Hangartner. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
IMHOF swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
J.H. Mesguen 506 swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
KEC 2562. Appears to be 24-feet long and 2.55m wide. (Photo by Franck Despesse)
Keitel 1318 open-top swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Labouriaux 504 bulktainer swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
LaFleche 7041 swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
LaFleche 7044. 45' swap body; looks like a LEG1 but notice there are no top corner lift castings. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Lays swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
LKW Walter W4139 swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Lomak 9181 swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Lustucru swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Marc Veray refrigerated swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Michel Verscheure Transport B45-022 45' swap-body. It looks very similar to a standard sea container, but notice there are no top lift castings. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Mora swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Norbert Dentressangle refrigerated swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Norfolk Line swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Norfolk Line 1645 swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Rouch 1837 curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
SABU 3264077. Lift tank owned by Star Benelux. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
SABU 3264375. Lift tank owned by Star Benelux. (Photo by Ben de Vink)
SAE swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
SAE CM047 swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
SCFU 0050106. Old swap body owned by SNCF. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Setti Trasporti 7014 ribbed-side swap body (looking very similar to an ISO sea container). (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Swap body with canvas sides. Lettered for "Le Transport Routier Autrement." (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
TAB 640 ribbed-side swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
TAB 654 ribbed-side swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
TAB 4044 ribbed-side swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Tipes 6304 ribbed-side swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
TL09 swap body. Decorated with logos for "Les Demenageurs Bretons." (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
Transalliance refrigerated swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
TRF 14 refrigerated swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
TWSU 7700020 lift tank. Type code 2472 - which may be an error since this is clearly longer than 20' (probably 7.15m). 2.5m wide, 2.6m tall. Ex-Hoyer. (Photo by Ben de Vink)
UESU 6100047. Example of European "swap body" containers. They are 7.45m long. These have roller doors on the ends. (Photo by Carsten Seier)
Here are some United Container Systems 7.15m "curtain-side" containers: UXXU______, UXXU 6000346, UXXU 6000515. These are 2.55m wide to carry European pallets. Photos courtesy of Carsten Seier.
More UXXU swap bodies from Europe. These are 7.45m long, 2.55m wide, and between 2.60 and 3.15m tall. Note the roll-up doors. Photos: UXXU 6217835, UXXU 6216799. (Photos by Carsten Seier)
VAEU 5517060. 45' curtain-side swap-body owned by Har Vaessen. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Van Dijk 45' curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
Verscheure curtain-side swap body. (Photo by Coen Fourdraine)
WKU 127 swap body. (Photo by Gerald Fresse)
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