How has Shipping Container usage evolved over decades?

?Shipping container usage is evolving constantly. From the day it has been invented to now, it is seeing changes and the usage of it is getting progressed permanently. Shipping containers have been around us, helping us for decades. Whatever we see, whatever we use in our daily lives has most possibly been shipped using freight containers. They were invented in the 1950s to solve the problem of sending cargoes from one place to another. Prior to the invention, when the cargo was sent to other distant countries, the shippers used to worry a lot. Earlier the boxes were made of wood so they had more chances of getting damaged and the cargo going to waste. The transport of perishable objects was just a dream, and the shipper was in constant worry of the shipping boxes getting looted, damaged by extreme weathers, or the ship becoming overturned. But the invention of shipping containers made the lives of the shippers easier as the steel boxes are by far the best solution for their challenges. Shipping containers are made of highly corrugated heavy-duty steel thus providing durability, resilience, and sturdiness to the goods.?

How is the shipping container’s usage evolving day by day??

There are many evident processes that are taking place due to the change of usage pattern of shipping containers. They are given below:?

Increase in shipping quantity of containers?

Earlier, the shipping quantity was lesser than what is seen today. Today, the shipping container industry is all about making the boxes more efficient so that they can carry more merchandise without a failure. As the ships are getting bigger, so do the containers. Today the type of cargo doesn’t restrict the box from shipping it. Whether the goods are in the form of solids, liquids, or gaseous, the transportation of the boxes in bulk is not an issue anymore. The shipper has the benefit of compartmentalization, so different goods can easily be shipped in a container, which was just a dream earlier. This increased transport of goods in so much quantity has given the whole shipping industry a boost and taken the global supply chain to another level.?

A link to global economy?

Shipping containers have a great role and hands in shaping up the global economy of today. Since its invention, it has given jobs to millions of people, connected many countries and continents, helped the countries or continents in times of war-like situations, natural disasters, etc. They made transportation of higher to lighter cargoes super easy. Earlier due to manual loading and unloading, it took quite a number of workers who could do the task and consumed a lot of time but after the boxes came, the loading and unloading of cargo is not a tedious affair anymore and takes minimal time. The shipping units have bound the countries and continents with each other, grown strong relations, and gave an exponential boost to the global supply chain.?

Evolved type of containers?

The history of containerization draws a map of how the container types have advanced. How from being a simple standard container now they are giving refrigerating, heating, and liquid transportation solutions. From the day when Malcolm McLean came with his first container to now the container has changed many designs and is available in many types to make the life of shippers easier. Now, there exist different dimensions of shipping containers like 8ft, 10ft, 20ft, 40ft, 45ft, 48ft, 53ft, and 60ft so?

that the shippers can send the cargo in the needed container size without shelling out extra money. But 20ft and 40ft are considered as the standard ones, where 20ft shipping containers are perfect for shipping heavier cargo, 40ft shipping containers are perfect for shipping tall and voluminous cargo.?

Coming to the progression of types, we see that dry van containers are perfect for sending dry and non-perishable cargoes, pallet wide is used to ship heavy pallets. The side door and double door containers provide the feasibility of putting the cargoes that cannot be put through the normal back door of boxes. The reefers and insulated containers are suitable for transporting perishable goods by maintaining the temperature and keeping them safe. The open top and hard top open top shipping containers are better for transporting tall merchandise like tall machinery, metal pipes, etc. The bulker gives the freedom to carry bulkier goods. And by using tanker containers, liquefied goods can be easily transported. The flat racks and the platform containers are efficient for shipping out-of-the-gauge merchandise that cannot be shipped in standard shipping boxes and they both are easily stackable so they give ease of transportation and save empty positioning costs as well. The development of high cube containers gives the height of extra 30cms to the boxes and solves the shipper’s most prevalent problem of putting heavier goods.?

The cost-effective prices of shipping containers?

The containers may seem a bit pricey but when you are shipping tons of cargo then it is the most cost-effective and efficient solution. The freight shipping costs have gone down by a huge level as container handling is being efficiently handled by using advanced technologies. Earlier huge manpower was needed to ship the cargo but now with automation, the shipping box can easily be loaded and unloaded. So, you just have to contact the right container trader, and viola you can get your new shipping container in the best deals whenever you want.?

More secured shipping container?

Earlier before the invention, the shipping of goods was always a riskier affair as there was a fear of goods getting lost due to pirate attacks. But with the invention came the freight container with locks and the huge problem of boxes’ safety is solved. There are different types of container locks to solve the problem of shippers and safeguard the boxes. Container Padlocks secure the containers by locking them with a lockbox where the lockboxes make the locks hidden from the viewer’s eyes thus making it impossible for the thieves to loot the merchandise. Hidden shackle padlocks are the locks that keep the steel ball hidden in the body and shackle of lock, making it impossible to penetrate. The crossbar locks tighten the container’s door handles by clamping to it, rendering the locks from getting bent providing maximum security. There are sensors, alarm systems, designed specifically for the boxes that give security to the boxes if someone goes near them or tries to harm them. There are smart containers also available that give security to the cargo.?

Eco-friendlier containers?

The shipping containers provide the eco-friendlier solution of transporting cargo as they can be used for a longer time and even after they serve their purpose of shipping goods, they can be scrapped and recycled. The International Maritime Organization is struggling and keeps coming up with guidelines to keep restraint on sulphur cap emissions, carbon emissions, and other hazardous chemicals. The shipping units provide the most perfect and green solutions or even ‘blue’ solutions in this case, in the shipping industry.?

Used for purposes other than shipping?

Shipping containers have been used for shipping and storing goods for many years. But they are not restricting it anymore. They provide the building solutions as they are innovatively used as shipping container homes, thus providing a sustainable solution. Other than homes, they are vastly used as?

offices, emergency hospitals, restaurants, public toilets, etc. They are also being used as swimming pools as people find it easier to renovate and reuse them. The scrapped metal from boxes can be used as different art pieces, containers, or other such modelling.?

Commutable over different modes of transport?

The shipping containers can easily be sent to distant places by using intermodal transportation systems. Earlier where the transportation of merchandise was not an easy task, today the cargo can reach the most distant or remotest places with the help of an intermodal transportation system. The cargo can be shipped through oceans, transported through trains or trucks. Or they all can be used if one service is not sufficient for reaching the cargo to the destination.?

Thus, we see that the usage of shipping containers has monumentally evolved over the decades. From being so difficult to ship the cargo to efficiently shipping it to distant places, the boxes have seen different phases. And the evolution of container usage will not stop here, it will keep growing and advancing.?

At BOXXPORT, being a major open container trading platform, we provide more than perfect and on-point container solutions. We have an abundance of new and used shipping containers, whatever container type in any dimension, we make it available for you.?