The lid direction decides three things: the spacing between containers, how close a container can stand to a wall and which way it faces in the vehicle body. An open lid takes more room than the container stands on, so a plan drawn to the footprint alone fits on paper and not on the floor.
When two facing rows are set up in a warehouse, one of two arrangements is chosen and kept consistently. If the lids face each other, the aisle has to be wide enough for both to open at once; if they face outwards, the aisle can be narrow but each row needs more room at the wall.
| Arrangement | Aisle | Wall clearance |
|---|---|---|
| Lids facing in | Wide | Small |
| Lids facing out | Narrow | Large |
In the vehicle, direction follows the loading door and the delivery order. In a rear-loaded body with lids facing the rear, each container opens on its own; with lids facing sideways, the front container has to come out before the one behind it can be reached. If the direction does not match the stop sequence, several lids open at every stop and the inside temperature rises for no reason.
