When seeing handling activities in a container terminal from a distance, one is reminded of construction bricks being stacked. The movements of these coloured boxes, however, are anything but simple. They are the backbone of the economy. They move the products, or assets, that are produced by the economy.

One issue in this frenetic trade in goods often goes overlooked. As the commodities enter the container, they become cargo. Although the container has the appearance of a garage, it is just a cargo unit that can be loaded onto a vehicle. The cargo must, however, be able to endure the strains brought on by the various modes of transportation. These stressors have a mechanical as well as an environmental foundation.

What is the origin of container transport? The popularity of this mode of transportation for products increased gradually almost from the first journey, and in just five decades, containerships would carry roughly 60% of the value of commodities sent via sea.

Using a shipping container was not entirely a novel concept. During the Second World War, the US government utilised compact standard-sized containers, which served as a speedy and effective method of unloading and distributing supplies. Malcolm P. McLean, a North Carolina-based businessman in the trucking industry, purchased a steamship company in 1955 with the intention of shipping full truck trailers with their contents intact. One container that could be moved directly from a car onto a ship without first having to unload its contents would be considerably easier and quicker. However, his theories were founded on the premise that efficiency might be greatly increased by implementing a system of "intermodalism" in which the same container with the same cargo can travel with the least amount of disruption via several transport modes.

Moving containers between ships, trucks, and trains would be simple. This would ease the whole logistical process and, eventually, executing this notion led to a revolution in cargo transportation and international trade over the next 50 years. Making our delivery services much easier.

In terms of lowering transportation costs, product damage, and theft, this newly invented means of transportation has huge advantages for global trade. The distribution chain has been streamlined, and each movement is automated because the product stays inside the container from the beginning, continuing from the manufacturer to the final customer. So, whether you live in the US, UK, Asia, or anywhere else, your packages of any sort will be delivered safely and sound. For example, if you’re in Queensland, Australia you’d want to search container transport Brisbane.

The next obvious step was to standardise container sizes so that they could be stacked as effectively as possible and that cranes, trains, lorries, and ships at the port could all be equipped or constructed to a single size specification. The entire global industry would eventually be subject to this uniformity. Now, the entire international sector is subject to this standardisation. All containers have the same sizes. The two most significant, and regularly utilised sizes are the 20-foot and 40-foot lengths.

With cargo volume and vessel capacity now being measured, the 20-foot container, also known as a Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit, became the industry standard reference. The Forty-foot Equivalent Unit, or 40-foot container— two TEUs—became the most widely utilised container being used today. The traditional container includes two readily sealable leaves for the back closure and solid side surfaces. For uses, such as the delivery of liquids or food products, refrigerated containers, tanks, open tops (with fully accessible roofs) and containers with expandable side walls are utilised. Dry storage containers are the previously mentioned conventional shipping containers that are used to convey dry goods. They typically come in lengths of 10 feet, 20 feet, and 40 feet.