By the year 1965, ships equipped with stackable containers began traversing the Atlantic Ocean, facilitating trade between the United States and European countries. The concept of standardized containerized cargo in the U.S. logistics industry was popularized by entrepreneur Malcolm McLean. A container, also referred to as a box/van. A container is defined by the International Organization for Standardization as "an article or transport equipment."
Advantages of Containerization:
The standardized length, width, and height of containers allow for seamless transportation across three different modes (road, rail, and ocean) commonly known as intermodal. The most commonly used sizes are 20 ft and 40 ft standard containers.
Containers can be efficiently stacked on board ships (below the deck & or above the deck), at Terminals, and in Container Freight Stations/Inland Container Depots (CFS/ICD), as well as on Rail transport, optimizing space utilization.
Containers facilitate easy Stuffing and Destuffing (20 ft & 40 ft standard), either manually or with the assistance of Material Handling Equipment (MHE).
Goods remain secure within the container from the moment they leave the exporter’s warehouse until they arrive at the importer’s warehouse, except for any unforeseen incidents that may occur during transit.