The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, overseeing the development of international trade and witnessing the growth of maritime cargo transport, which has become the predominant means of transporting all types of consumer goods from one end of the world to the other. 80% of global trade uses ships as the means of transport, a feat made possible by the standardization of the maritime container.
Standard-sized containers facilitate intermodal transport as they are quickly and efficiently transferred between ships, trains, and trucks. The goods are loaded into the container and unloaded upon arrival at their destination, resulting in time and cost savings.
Advantages of the standardized maritime container
The standardized maritime container was invented by American businessman Malcolm McLean in 1956. He realized that if truck cargo was directly transferred to ships, it would eliminate the heavy labour of moving goods item by item manually. Additionally, it would accelerate the process and reduce the risk of accidents and product loss. Of course, greater efficiency also meant cost optimization. “A ship makes money only when it’s at sea,” he said.
In 1964, UNCTAD was established and, by the end of the 1960s, witnessed the gradual consolidation of maritime cargo transport. By 1970, the volume of maritime trade was 2.6 billion dwt (deadweight tonnage, the international measure of a ship’s cargo capacity). UNCTAD predicts that this year it will exceed 12.6 billion. The world’s commercial fleet continues to increase its capacity, which now exceeds 2.353 billion dwt.
The dimensions of standardized maritime containers are regulated by ISO standards 668, 1161, and 1496 and the International Convention for Safe Containers. The most used containers in global trade are Dry Vans, including TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit) and FEU (Forty-Foot Equivalent Unit), designed to transport all types of packaged and palletized goods or loose cargo.
Types of containers for maritime cargo transport
- TEU: The twenty-foot container is the smallest of the standardized containers, with external dimensions of 6.06 meters in length, 2.44 meters in width, and 2.59 meters in height. The usable volume for transporting goods is 33.2 m³, and its cargo capacity is 21.8 tons.
- FEU: The forty-foot container is the ideal option for transporting large volumes of cargo, with a capacity of 67.6 m³. It measures 12.19 meters in length, with the same width and height as the TEU. It can carry up to 26.68 tons of goods.
- High Cube: With the same characteristics as Dry Vans, this is a 40-foot container taller than the FEU (2.9 meters) and, therefore, has a larger cargo volume (76.2 m³).
- Open Top: Available in 20 and 40-foot sizes, with external dimensions identical to Dry Vans, these are used for large items such as machinery, steel plates, iron, or glass that cannot be loaded into FEU or TEU containers.
- Bulk: A 20-foot container designed for transporting bulk goods, not liquids, such as cement, chemicals, sugar, seeds, etc.
- Flat: A different type of container, available in 20 or 40-foot sizes, designed for transporting cargo with special dimensions, such as machinery, cable coils, or heavy vehicles.
- Reefer: An insulated container necessary for transporting perishable goods or items that need to maintain a controlled temperature throughout the supply chain.
- ISO Tank: A container specifically for transporting liquids, including substances classified as hazardous.
At Startrans, we specialize in maritime cargo transport and, depending on the type of products you need to move, we offer the most efficient, sustainable, and tailored solutions to fit your needs.