Published on July 27th 2024
Efficient cross-continental shipping is crucial to today's globalised world. Container shipping, a game-changing invention that altered the face of global trade, is central to this system. This in-depth guide answers the question "What is container shipping?" by examining its history, varieties, pricing, and the complex dance that maintains worldwide supply systems.
Container Shipping is the practice of shipping products by sea in pre-defined intermodal containers. Strong steel boxes in different sizes make it easy and safe to move a lot of different things, from electronics and dry goods to furniture and machines.
Containerisation originated in the mid-20th century. It used to be hard work and took a long time to load and unload goods piece by piece. Malcolm McLean made a big change when he came up with the basic shipping container in the 1950s. Standardized units sped up loading and unloading, enhanced cargo handling, and decreased weather and mishandled damage. Intermodal transportation, which makes it easy for containers to move between ships, cars, and trains, has changed global trade even more.
When compared to more conventional techniques, container shipping has many benefits:
Standardised containers make loading and removing faster, which cuts down on wait times at ports and speeds up the whole shipping process.
Containerisation cuts down on the cost of work needed to move goods by hand and keeps damage to a minimum during transport, saving money for both shippers and customers.
Shipping goods in strong containers keeps them safe, reducing the risk of theft and damage.
There are many kinds of goods that containers can hold, which makes them a flexible choice for shipping needs.
Standardised containers can move easily between ships, trucks, and trains, which makes door-to-door shipping faster and easier.
What is the cost of a shipping container? Depends on several things, such as its size, condition, and the desire in the market. For example, a brand-new 20-foot container can cost INR 1.5 to 2.5 lakhs, while a used one can cost INR 1 to 1.5 lakhs. You may find second-hand 40-foot containers for around 1.5 to 2.5 lakhs INR, whereas new ones cost about 2.5 to 3.5 lakhs. Keep in mind that prices change depending on things like the age and state of the container as well as where it is bought. Specialised containers, like ones that keep food cool or keep heat in, usually cost more because they have more features and functions.
Container shipping uses a wide range of specialised ships, all of which are built to work incredibly efficiently. The 5 Types of Container Ships are as follows:
The designers of these ships made them to be the biggest size that can fit through the Panama Canal. Although they aren't the biggest anymore, they are still a popular and useful size for shipping containers.
These ships are great for long trips across open seas because they are bigger than Panamax ships. Because of their size, economies of scale make it cheaper to move each container.
For more efficient regional product delivery, these smaller vessels run between minor ports and big container hubs.
These special ships are made to move cars, trucks, and big pieces of gear. They use multi-level decks with ramps to make lifting and unloading go quickly.
Freighting perishable items like medicines, fruits, and veggies requires temperature-controlled containers. Refrigerating systems on reefers keep the temperature stable throughout the trip.
Shipping containers involves a lot of different people and steps:
Shipping containers is an important part of today's international world. Exploring the history, costs and various types of ships involved in international trade can help you understand this complicated but interesting field. No matter how the shipping industry evolves, container shipping will always be the backbone of safe, dependable international freight transportation.