Most people see a container being carried on a truck either on the way to and from the port or actually on the dock for those of us that live in a city that has a container port.

Have you ever wondered who invented them and why?

Well we thought it would be interesting to do the research for you and give you some container facts. Keep checking back to this page as we add them in. If there is a question about containers that you would like answered please use our Contact Us page and we'll try and enlighten you.

Firstly click these relevant YouTube videos:

 

• On April 26, 1956 the first container ship called the Ideal-X moved 58 containers from Newark to Houston in the United States. She was a converted WW2 oil tanker and this operation was the brainchild of a trucking magnate called Malcolm Purcell McLean. From this day forward shipping was changed forever.
• There are about 22 million teu (twenty foot equivalent units) in use today. The numbers are growing roughly by 10% every year.
• Containers are built to exact standards monitored by the ISO (International Standards Organisation) so that they are able to be carried by ship, truck or rail with no modifications. When you hear the term intermodal, this is what this is referring to.
• The largest container ship built to date is the Emma Maersk. She can carry 15,000 teu and has a crew of only 13 people. She has a top speed of an amazing 55.8 kilometres/hour.

 

• At a recent visit to a container factory in Shanghai our managing director noted that a 40' high cube container rolled off the production line every 4 minutes! The picture below was taken there in May 2010.
• The price of containers has risen by more than 55% since 2008 due to factors such as the rising price of raw materials and increased demand from the shipping companies who are "slow steaming". This term means that the ships are travelling slower than normal to save fuel. A consequence of this is that the container fleet stays on the water longer meaning more containers are needed on land for vanning and de-vanning. Another factor of the global financial collapse was that shipping companies were carrying less cargo so they sold some of their containers to maintain cash flow. Now it is 2011 and world freight is picking up again so shipping and leasing companies are again buying containers from the Chinese factories. This demand has seen prices rise to levels not seen before. These costs have now started to filter down into our business too.
• To see what we can do with containers other than the usual click here