The Story of Shipping Container

The emergence of containers undoubtedly made a significant contribution to global trade,significantly facilitating the maritime transportation and storage environment.As a leading manufacturer in special containers industry,Container Family has cooperated with multiple brands both at home and abroad.Did you know the development of shipping and storage containers?

The time can be traced back to the last century.In 1949, inventive designs were already transforming cargo handling: containers with removable wheels, enclosed fruit containers, and compact plywood-and-steel units. At this point, the container industry had begun to take shape.These early experiments laid the foundation for modern logistics.

Subsequently,containerization soon took to rail and sea. In 1950, South Africa loaded three container-trailers onto a single railway wagon — an early vision of intermodal transport. In 1952, the S.S. Empire Cedric carried reusable containers on the London–Hamburg route. By 1954, Hanover hosted an International Container Exhibition.Containers began to enter the public's view on a widespread scale.

The 1960s brought scale and specialization. More functions/characteristics have been added to the ordinary container, such as insulation and foldability, etc.In 1960,Milan's BIC Exhibition showcased the industry's progress,and Hamburg's 1964 combined-traffic exhibition linked road, rail and sea.At this point, the container industry has achieved significant development.

As time goes by and technology becomes more mature,the development of containers came the turning point. Sea-Land launched a transatlantic container service in 1966, connecting the United States and Europe. In 1968, ISO 668 standardized the dimensions and ratings of Series 1 freight containers, making ships, trucks and trains compatible worldwide. By 1970, dedicated terminals like Teesport's Bell Lijn were cutting handling times and speeding vessel turnaround.

Mega ships followed. CMA CGM Marco Polo entered service in 2012 with 16,020 TEU; In 2013, the Maersk Triple-E class vessels were launched, with a capacity of approximately 18,270 standard containers. In the same year, the International Container Bureau (BIC) awarded the first BIC Industry Award. Today, the new generation of container ships have a capacity exceeding 24,000 standard containers.

With the development of the times, various types of containers have been designed and produced for different industries and transportation categories, such as open-top containers, half-height containers, reefer containers, flat rack containers, office containers, etc. The user demands are gradually becoming more specific, and the customization capabilities of factories are gradually improving. In the not-too-distant future, the container industry will move towards an intelligent direction, complemented by intelligent terminals, real-time cargo tracking systems, and environmentally friendly containers, providing more assistance for international transportation and storage.

Container Family will continue to provide you with high-quality containers, especially special containers. We can fully customize them according to your requirements and propose targeted solutions. We are committed to achieving greater success and further development in the container industry. This journey continues. If you have any needs, please feel free to contact us at any time. We look forward to cooperating with you!