Almost 90 percent of everything we buy arrives via cargo ship. The shipping industry has been a colossal moneymaker for years, and frankly, not many have noticed.
One company that has noticed is LGI Transport. LGI is a leader in shipping container sales domestically, as well as internationally. Their containers are secure, provide ground level entry and available in either 20ft or 40ft sizes. LGI will also make any modifications to a container to meet your specific needs.
Below is a list of fascinating facts about the shipping container that may truly surprise you:
Shipping Is The Most Eco-Friendly Mode of Transportation – Shipping is the least damaging compared to by plane or by truck, in regards to the amount of greenhouse gasses released into the air. However, the industry is so giant that, if the shipping industry were listed as a country on this list of the world’s most polluting countries, it would come in sixth place. So, in no way is the shipping industry beneficial to the environment, but it is a much better option than trucking and by air.
Cargo Ships Are Big… Really, REALLY, Big – The largest container ship has the capacity to hold up to 15,000 filled containers.
Holy Ship, That’s A Lot of Cargo – It is estimated that around 20 million containers are actively traveling across the oceans. In total, they make around 200 million trips a year.
Watch Out For Jack Sparrow – In 2012, the rate of attacks by pirates, commonly off the coast of Somalia, was higher than violent assaults in South Africa. South Africa has the highest level of crime in the world.
Man Overboard! – An estimated 675 shipping containers are lost at sea every year.
Basically, No Inspections – Most of the world’s drug smuggling is done under the radar through the shipping industry. Why? Good question – only five percent of the containers shipped into the United States ports are physically inspected. That number is even smaller in Europe.
What Happens In Shanghai, Stays In Shanghai – The Port of Shanghai is the busiest port in the world, which handled more than 33 million TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) in 2013.
“Hands Across America” – If you laid out all of the containers in the world end to end, you could circle the globe more than two times.
History Lesson – The metal shipping containers that you see today were not developed until 1957. They were invented by Malcolm McLean to replace the “break bulk” method of transport. Break bulk is the method of loading each item of cargo individually. Mclean went on to be named “Man of the Century” by the International Maritime Hall of Fame.
They Are All From China – Roughly 97 percent of all dry freight containers are manufactured in China. This is due to most dry freight products are exported out of China combined with China’s extremely low labor costs.
There’s a solid chance that once a container has done its duty at sea, it makes its way to us at LGI Transport, LLC. We are experts when it comes to shipping container sales and rentals for both individuals and businesses who need shipping and storage solutions. Contact us today for a free estimate.