Unclassified

The invention of the shipping container

February 17, 2016

When ? Or ? Why was the shipping container created?

The container, what a great invention isn’t it?

But before getting to this global success, there were stages.

A little history for this post…

The container is a American invention by Malcolm McLean. He invented the process in 1956 when he saw road transport completely saturated near ports. He therefore turned to the sea route and bought second-hand ships which he transformed to transport truck trailers.

This is the start of a meteoric rise!

In the 60s, the American army gave containers a boost. Indeed, thanks to (or because of) the Vietnam War, the army had significant needs for supplies, it naturally requested Malcolm McLean's company (Pan-Atlantic then renamed Sea-Land) to help it with this task. .

The years pass and the rest of the world understands the economic interest of the maritime container. Containerization is slowly but surely spreading across the globe to become what it is today.

In 60 years, the container has become the symbol of globalization. Today, a large quantity of our clothes, our televisions, our computers, our pens arrive directly by standard container (often 20 and 40 feet).

Malcolm McLean, 1956

Some dates to remember:

1956 : Malcolm McLean loads aluminum containers aboard the Ideal X in 1958, to be sent from the Port of Newark to the Port of Houston.
1958 : the Pan-Atlantic company is developing in Puerto Rico. The Matson company follows her between San Francisco and Hawaii.
1958-1967 : Container sizes are becoming standardized: the “box” is starting to conquer the world.
2014 : As of January 1, the global fleet numbered 4 container ships capable of simultaneously transporting 976 million TEU (17,3-foot equivalent) boxes.
2015 : The CMA-CGM inaugurates the largest French container ship: The CMA-CGM Bougainville. 400 meters long for 18.000 containers (20 foot equivalent)
In 2018: Once again, CMA-CGM is inaugurating its new container ship “Le Saint Exupéry” in Le Havre. Capable of carrying 20.600 containers (20 foot equivalent)
In 2019: Who will dethrone him?

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