Abstract: A shipping container is provided for use in containing and supporting a nuclear core component assembly, such as a control or poison assembly. The shipping container includes a separate rigid cylindrical body and lid of plastic material, a plurality of elongated tubes of plastic material, and foam plastic rigid flat cylindrical spacer plates. The tubes are inserted into the body for receiving and stabilizing elongated rods of the core component assembly. The spacer plates are disposed stationarily within and transversely across the body and spaced apart from one another axially along the body. Each plate has a plurality of openings therethrough for receiving and disposing the tubes in transverse side-by-side spaced relationship with respect to one another in, and extending between a closed bottom and an open top of, the body. The plates thus laterally space and support the rods when received in the tubes.