10 Unknown Facts about Shipping Containers

Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Email

1. There are currently over 17 million shipping containers in circulation globally with the number of active shipping containers at more then five million. In total, they make around 200 million trips a year, according to Billie Box.

2. The first metal shipping container was invented by Malcolm McLean in 1956 in order to replace the old style of break-bulk container handling.

3. Approximately 97% of all shipping containers are manufactured in China. This is due to a lower labour rate in the country and that much of the world’s products are produced in China.

10 Unknown Facts about Shipping Containers. (Source: Daily Mail)

4. Approximately 675 shipping containers are lost at sea each year.

Watch a video on the afterlife of a shipping container here

5. It is estimated that there were more than 530 million containers in the world in 2010.

6. The liner shipping industry has spent over US$236 billion in more than a dozen countries on the purchase of new vessels that can carry increasingly astonishing amounts of containers.

Are mega ships just too mega?

10 Unknown Facts about Shipping Containers. (Source: gCaptain)

7. If shipping containers are taken care of with regular maintenance, they can last for a total of 20 years, according to Container Auction.

8. 95% of the world’s cargo moves by ship. Due to higher costs, it still makes more financial sense to transport goods in high volume ships.

9. A standard TEU container can hold around 3,500 shoe boxes, and a 40ft high cube can hold more than 8,000 shoe boxes.

10. The Port of Shanghai is the busiest port in the world, handling more than 33 million TEU containers in 2013.

Shipping Containers: 10 Unknown Facts. (Source: Freight Filter)

Daily Email Newsletter

Sign up to our daily email newsletter to receive the latest news from Port Technology International.
FREE

Supplier Directory

Find out how to get listed

Webinar Series

Find out how to attend

Latest Stories

Cookie Policy. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.