A container spreader is a piece of equipment designed to grasp a container by its four corners.
The container spreader allows securing the container with the spreader itself so that it may be lifted or lowered with a container gantry crane, a simple crane or a straddle carrier.
There are two main types of spreader. A container spreader can be a solid steel structure fitting only a container of either 20 or 40 feet. The container spreader can also be equipped with telescopic arms allowing manipulation of containers of different sizes.
The primary criterion is the size of container to be handled (20 or 40 feet). Using a spreader with adaptable arms allows greater flexibility, but also entails higher price and more maintenance.
