Patent ID: 7383951

Claim:
An apparatus for carrying loads, comprising: an intermodal container having a standard predetermined length and a predetermined width for carrying loads, wherein the standard predetermined length of the intermodal container is between about 6 m and 17.22 m (20 to 56 ft), an adapter sled, and a pallet, wherein the adapter sled and the pallet are each dimensioned to fit the predetermined width of the container for carrying the pallet atop the adapter sled with a load on the pallet being supported on the adapter sled over an area of the container corresponding to the adapter sled, and wherein the load on the pallet alternatively can be supported directly on the container apart from the adapter sled, over an area of the container corresponding to the pallet, wherein said pallet has a shorter length than a length of the sled, such that the load on the pallet bears on a larger area of the container when on the sled than when the pallet is supported directly on the container, wherein an integer number of sled lengths is equal to the predetermined length of the container, wherein a larger integer number of pallet lengths is equal to the same said predetermined length of the container, and wherein the pallet is removably affixed onto the sled via an attachment device for respectively attaching the pallet to the sled and detaching the pallet from the sled.