Blog Posts /

What is ‘Container Rain’ & What Causes It?

Jackson Wallace

December 15, 2022

What is container rain?

If you work in the logistics or shipping industry there’s a good chance you’ve probably heard the term ‘container rain’. But what exactly is this phenomenon, how is it caused and what can be done to prevent and mitigate it going forward. 

Container Rain is the phenomenon that occurs when condensation builds up on the interior ceiling of a shipping container, before dripping onto the contents inside such as ‘rain’

What causes container rain?

When you are transporting a shipping container whether it be a general purpose container, open top, bulk, etc it is somewhat susceptible to moisture. As the temperature inside of the container begins to increase, the humaid air  will begin to condensate and accumulate on the walls and ceiling of the container.

How do you prevent container rain?

According to Trade Risk Guaranty “About 10% of all container shipments must be discarded due to moisture-related damage” indicating the scale of this problem for businesses looking to ship their products. However there are a few methods that can be utilized to mitigate the chances of container rain occurring.

First of all is the use of proper ventilation of the container. Sometimes those packing containers can overpack the unit covering any ventilation apparatuses that may be in place, therefore stopping the evacuation of the humid air that ultimately leads to container rain. 

Another option and one commonly employed by logistics experts is the use of a desiccant in particular a hanging desiccant bag. A desiccant is a hydroscopic substance used as a drying agent that can adsorb the moisture before it condensates on the ceiling. 

 

If you want to learn more about hanging desiccant bags please feel free to reach out to us via the contact section here on our website!