Shipping containers - Steel boxes that have revolutionized logistics
You’ve likely seen all those big metal boxes, stacked on top of each other and traveling along the highway. You may have wondered how they work or what they are. Shipping containers are steel boxes, typically 40 feet long and 8.5 feet wide and tall (although there is a standard unit that is smaller), which revolutionized logistics by making it much cheaper to transport goods over long distances than ever before.
This post will go into the history of shipping containers, how they work, what else can be transported in them besides goods, and some environmental consequences of them.
A brief history of shipping containers
The shipping container was invented by Malcolm McLean (1906-2001), an American trucking entrepreneur who along with his trucking company helped revolutionize the transport industry in the post WWII era. Before McLean’s invention, cargo ships carried goods on their decks and then they would be offloaded when they arrived at their destination port. This slow process meant the ships could only carry one trip’s worth of goods on each trip, which limited their efficiency.
McLean had a different idea, to create metal boxes that could be shipped from one port to another on trucks, railroads or barges. They could be loaded with goods and then unloaded wherever they were right-sized to be unloaded. This would save on shipping costs as well as cut their trips down to one or two segments, thus bringing the freight rates way down.
McLean’s invention was first used for transporting steel in the 1950s. It wasn’t until much later that his invention eventually inspired containerization, which is a system of international standards for shipping containers and their classification. It is now necessary for any international cargo shipment to have verified that it has been properly packed into a container and tagged with the appropriate ship name and port number (for example: ABC-12345) before it leaves its country of origin..
There are currently two main types of shipping containers. The older type is a 45-foot long by 8.5-foot wide by 8.5-foot tall box that can hold up to 23,000 pounds or 9 metric tons of goods, while the newer 48-foot wide by 40-feet long box can hold up to 40,000 pounds or 17 metric tons of goods.
Shipping containers and international trade
Shipping containers have revolutionized international trade because they make it cheaper to transport goods over long distances than ever before. International sea freight is one area where this has been most apparent. Before shipping containers, a cargo ship would have to carry goods on its deck and then load it onto trucks or trains at the port of entry. Using the container system, the goods were packed into a metal box and loaded onto a truck or train, which transferred the container to a ship once it was arrived at its destination port. You can find out more information about how shipping containers cut down on costs here:
Shipping containers also helped reshape international transit networks. They facilitated specialized rail terminals specifically for transporting containers long distances, like this one in Hong Kong:
Shipping containers are important in domestic transit as well. They have been a major factor in allowing global chain retailers to set up shop in local communities and sell goods at lower prices. The container system has also allowed for the globalization of outsourcing labor, where workers in developing countries can be employed to manufacture goods cheaply and then shipped back to be sold in developed countries.
The environmental impact of shipping containers is significant but could be reduced by continuing improvements in energy efficiency, diesel engine technology and shipping logistics software. This infographic shows that it takes 15 million barrels of oil per year just to transport all the goods that are shipped around the world every year:
Other uses for shipping containers
Shipping containers aren’t limited only to moving cargo between ships, trucks, trains and planes. They are now being used to create unique and innovative structures, like these hotels that are made up entirely of shipping containers.
Shipping containers aren’t just limited to moving goods from one place to another. They have also become a popular way for local communities to renovate and build new infrastructures that make up their cities. The urbanization of towns like New Orleans and San Francisco have been made possible by the use of shipping containers to build infrastructures:
Shipping containers are also being used for larger scale construction projects, such as this one that is being built in China to make new housing units. It is a giant steel box that uses up to 27 shipping containers:
Shipping containers are also now being used in a variety of other creative structures. They are even being used as a type of park bench where people can relax, hang out and play host to their pets.
Shipping container houses have become very popular in Hong Kong, which has been one of the first places in the world that has fully embraced its use for housing construction.
Another great example of using shipping containers to make unique and innovative structures is this portable vertical farm in New York City. It uses stacked shipping containers with hydroponic towers that are used to grow food:
Containers can be made into some pretty weird and amazing things. With the right technology, you can turn a shipping container into a mobile office, a mini-cinema, an artist’s workshop or even a pop-up restaurant. The possibilities are endless!
The future of shipping containers
Many people prefer not to think about the environmental impacts of everyday activities like shopping at their local mall or ordering something online that they have to wait days for it to arrive by mail.
Shipping containers are great because they offer the possibility to create a more sustainable future by reusing old and discarded containers for new purposes and creating new ones from recycled materials. For example, many cities have turned old shipping containers into things like sewers, fire hydrants or even bathrooms for homeless shelters.
Shipping containers can also be used to sustainably build new communities that are currently being built in places like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Singapore. They can also be used to help rebuild areas after natural disasters that leave them without basic amenities such as water supply and clean energy.
Shipping containers are also being used to measure CO2 emissions in order to better understand the impact of everyday actions and transportation choices. This way, we can be able to know if there is a more efficient way for us all to live our lives.
Because shipping containers use less energy than the alternatives, their use is environmentally friendly as well as profitable. This infographic shows how shipping containers are one of the most efficient ways of transporting goods from point A to point B:
Personally, I can’t wait for shipping containers to become more widely used in urban areas around the world.
Conclusion
Shipping containers are a technology that has revolutionized international trade, domestic transit and construction. They are not just for moving cargo from one place to the next, but are being used creatively in new ways every day. Shipping containers from all over the world will continue to be shipped here and there until they become obsolete. Until then, we will continue to see them reused and repurposed in amazing ways!
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