{"id":3836,"date":"2026-09-29T10:08:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rcc-containers.com\/?p=3836"},"modified":"2026-09-29T10:08:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:08:45","slug":"open-top-or-hard-top-container","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rcc-containers.com\/en\/nieuws\/open-top-of-hard-top-container\/","title":{"rendered":"Open top or hard top container: which one do you choose for cargo loaded from above?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open top or hard top container: which one do you choose for cargo loaded from above?<\/h2>\n

You usually look for an open-top container because something doesn\u2019t fit through the doors: a machine on a frame, a transformer, a stack of long profiles that can only be placed with a crane. Then you encounter two versions that solve the same problem and yet work very differently: the open-top with a tarpaulin roof and the hard top with a removable steel roof. Below is an explanation of the difference in practice, and when which version is the right choice.<\/p>\n

What an open top container is<\/h3>\n

An open-top container has no fixed roof. Instead, loose roof beams are placed across the width, with a covering tarp stretched over them. Remove the beams and the tarp, and the entire top is free. A crane then lifts the load directly from above onto the floor, without you having to tilt or slide anything.<\/p>\n

The 20ft open top<\/a> and the 40ft open top<\/a> In many versions, they also have a removable top lid above the doors, the header. This allows you to slide long loads horizontally inside, which would otherwise hit against the top beam. For profiles, pipes and long boxes, this is often the decisive argument for the 40ft variant.<\/p>\n

What makes a hard top container different<\/h3>\n

A hard top container serves the same purpose, but instead of a tarpaulin it has a removable steel roof. The crane lifts that roof off in one go, the cargo goes in, and the roof goes back on. With the roof on, the container is completely watertight and weatherproof, just like a closed container. On request there is also a version with a hinged roof, so you don\u2019t need a second lifting movement.<\/p>\n

The hard top therefore combines loading from above with the protection of a sealed box. That is also the reason why it is scarce on the second-hand market: those who have one usually keep it. RCC supplies the 20ft hard top<\/a> and the 40ft high cube hard top<\/a> new and used, but the used stock changes quickly.<\/p>\n

The difference in practice<\/h3>\n

On paper it seems minor: tarpaulin or steel. In day-to-day operations, these are the points where it makes a difference.<\/p>\n