/watch?v=0MUkgDIQdcMt=123s
HowaSteelBoxChangedtheWorld:ABriefHistoryofShipping
Containershippingmoves95%ofall
manufacturedgoodsaroundtheworldin
2017morethanfourtrilliondollars
worthofproductsweresentoverthe
oceansitsanindustrythatunderpins
theglobaleconomybutitwasntalways
asbigorasefficientasitistoday
theideaofshippingstartedinthird
centuryBCwhenmerchantsrealizedthat
sendingproductsoverseawascheaperand
fasterthanbylandearlyongoodswere
loadedontoshipsandsacksbarrelsand
woodencrateswithscoresofdock
workerssqueezingthemondecksorin
tightspacesbelowshipsoftenspent
moretimeatportsthansailingandnot
muchchangeuntil1956thatswhat
AmericantruckdriverMalcolmMcLane
stacked58metalboxesonashipgoing
fromNewJerseytoHoustonthisidea
completelyrevolutionizedtheindustry
thecontainersnotonlyprotectedthe
productsbutwhentheshipsdockedat
ports
truckbedsandfreighttrainscouldtake
themawaywithoutrepackagingaflurry
ofinnovationfollowedandcontainer
sizeswerestandardizedin1966more
McCormackLionsstartedthefirst
transatlanticcontainerserviceandthen
in1968oneofthefirstmodern
containershipshitthewaterthe
JapaneseHakonemottocarried752
20-footcontainersusingastandard
stillusedtodaycargocouldnowbe
movedfrompurpose-builtvesselstorail
androadsinmassivevolumescutting
transportcostbyatleast75%thisled
totheemergenceofglobalshipping
behemothslikeDenmarkSmurfsKlein
FrancisCMACGM
andChinasCostcobythe1980saround
90%ofmanufacturedgoodswere
containerizedfromdesignerdressesand
feedtohomegoodselectronicsandheavy
machineryglobalizationexplodedas
shipsmovedAsiangoodstothewestand
vice-versamakingstopsatdozensof
portsalongtheway
recentlythePanamaandSuezcanalswere
expandedallowingforbiggershipsto
crossandingreaternumbersbutits
notallbeensmoothsa