/watch?v=0MUkgDIQdcM&t=123s

HowaSteelBoxChangedtheWorld:ABriefHistoryofShipping

Containershippingmoves95%ofall

manufacturedgoodsaroundtheworldin

2017morethanfourtrilliondollars

worthofproductsweresentoverthe

oceansit'sanindustrythatunderpins

theglobaleconomybutitwasn'talways

asbigorasefficientasitistoday

theideaofshippingstartedinthird

centuryBCwhenmerchantsrealizedthat

sendingproductsoverseawascheaperand

fasterthanbylandearlyongoodswere

loadedontoshipsandsacksbarrelsand

woodencrateswithscoresofdock

workerssqueezingthemondecksorin

tightspacesbelowshipsoftenspent

moretimeatportsthansailingandnot

muchchangeuntil1956that'swhat

AmericantruckdriverMalcolmMcLane

stacked58metalboxesonashipgoing

fromNewJerseytoHoustonthisidea

completelyrevolutionizedtheindustry

thecontainersnotonlyprotectedthe

productsbutwhentheshipsdockedat

ports

truckbedsandfreighttrainscouldtake

themawaywithoutrepackagingaflurry

ofinnovationfollowedandcontainer

sizeswerestandardizedin1966more

McCormackLionsstartedthefirst

transatlanticcontainerserviceandthen

in1968oneofthefirstmodern

containershipshitthewaterthe

JapaneseHakonemottocarried752

20-footcontainersusingastandard

stillusedtodaycargocouldnowbe

movedfrompurpose-builtvesselstorail

androadsinmassivevolumescutting

transportcostbyatleast75%thisled

totheemergenceofglobalshipping

behemothslikeDenmarkSmurfsKlein

FrancisCMACGM

andChina'sCostcobythe1980saround

90%ofmanufacturedgoodswere

containerizedfromdesignerdressesand

feedtohomegoodselectronicsandheavy

machineryglobalizationexplodedas

shipsmovedAsiangoodstothewestand

vice-versamakingstopsatdozensof

portsalongtheway

recentlythePanamaandSuezcanalswere

expandedallowingforbiggershipsto

crossandingreaternumbersbutit's

notallbeensmoothsailingtheindustry

hasbeenplaguedbytoomanyshipsin

thewatersparkingaseriesofprice

warsthatplungedmanyoperatorsdeep

intotheredandcompletelysankothers

thiscausedawaveofconsolidation

seeingthetop-20oceancarriershrink

to11anumberthat'sexpectedtoget

evensmallershippinghasalsoseen

criticismfromgovernmentsand

environmentalistswhosaythatit's

responsibleforaroundaquarterofthe

world'snitrogenoxidepollutionin

responseoperatorsareadoptingcleaner

fuelslikenaturalgastodaythe

industrycontinuestoboomcontainer

shipsareashighastheEmpireState

Buildingifturneduprightandcanmove

morethan20,000boxeseachasingle

containeritcanhold10,000iPadsata

costoffivecentseachfromShanghaito

HamburgtheaverageTVcomingtothe

u.s.fromChinacostlessthan$2to

shipthemostrecentgrowthhasbeenin

refrigeratedshippingfreshproducefood

andflowersthatonceonlymovedby

planearenowshippedonsatellite

trackedreeferboxesthatkeepthem

freshbananascanlastintheseforup

to50dayssowhatdoesthefuturehold

likelycrewlessbehemothsrunningon

batteriesthatcanmove50thousand

containersandglobalcargodistributed

throughblockchaintechnologythatwill

eliminatepaperworkandfurthercut

costslaterthisyearthefirst

so-calledTeslaoftheSeaswil