Container shipping documentary.

Container shipping made the world much smaller.  Containers have made it much easier to ship huge amounts of freight across the ocean.  Containers are one of the top supply chain innovations of all time.

History of Containers and Shipping

The history of containers and shipping dates back to the early 18th century, when James Brindley designed the Starvationer, a boat with 10 coal container spots. However, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that containers became widely used in shipping.

In 1956, American trucking entrepreneur Malcolm McLean invented the standard shipping container. McLean was frustrated by the inefficiency of traditional break-bulk shipping, where goods were loaded and unloaded individually. He envisioned a system where goods could be transported in large, standardized containers that could be easily loaded and unloaded onto ships, trains, and trucks.

McLean’s first container ship, the Ideal X, sailed from Newark, New Jersey to Houston, Texas in 1956. The ship carried 58 containers, and its success proved that container shipping was a viable concept.

Over the next few decades, container shipping quickly became the dominant mode of international trade. Container ships are now much larger and more efficient than break-bulk ships, and they can transport goods all over the world quickly and cheaply.

Containerization has had a profound impact on the global economy. It has made it possible to transport goods from one country to another at a fraction of the cost of traditional shipping methods. This has led to increased trade and economic growth around the world.

Here are some of the key milestones in the history of containers and shipping:

• 1766: James Brindley designs the Starvationer, a boat with 10 coal container spots.
• 1795: Benjamin Outram invents the Outram wagon, which is considered to be one of the first shipping containers.
• 1830s: Coal is transported by trains using containers.
• 1927: The first container ship, the SS Lake Alfred, is built.
• 1934: The first container ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, the SS Benjamin Franklin, sets sail.
• 1956: Malcolm McLean invents the standard shipping container.
• 1964: The first dedicated container ship, the Fairland, enters service.
• 1968: The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) sets standards for shipping containers.
• 1970s: Containerization becomes the dominant mode of international trade.

Today, over 90% of the world’s trade is transported by container ships. Container shipping has revolutionized the way we trade goods and has helped to create a more globalized economy.

Logistics and Supply Chain Training:

• Best supply chain companies to research.
• Can delivery drones and robots make it in “the last mile”?
• Grainger Supply Chain.
• Negotiation – from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
• SCM Information and Resources.
• Supply Chain Technology Trends.
• Supply Chain Training Resources.
• Take Inside Look at Apple’s Supply Chain.
• The Role of Transportation in Logistics and Business.
• The Story of Steve Jobs and Tim Cook You Didn’t Know About.
• Toyota Production System (TPS).
• Toyota Supply Chain Management.
• Two of the Keys to Walmart’s Success.

“The amateurs discuss tactics: The professionals discuss logistics.” ~Napolean Bonaparte

“Innovation comes from saying no to 1,000 things.” ~Steve Jobs

“Leaders win through logistics.  Vision, sure. Strategy, yes.  but when you go to war, you need to ahve both toilet paper and bullets at the right place at the right time.  In other words, you must win through superior logistics.” ~Tom Peters