Shipping Containers: The Box that Changed the World

By some estimates, there are as many as a half billion intermodal shipping containers in the world today, and they move virtually everything that can be moved for a fraction of the previous cost.

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This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.

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Script by THG

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[leahmonahan]

In Vietnam my father-in-law, who was a Dentist/Oral Surgeon, put all that was needed for a mobile dental/surgery suite in a container. They then air lifted to different places in the jungle! He got many awards from the Army for this innovation. Another novel use of containers.

[bgroovin]

I lived in a shipping container in Iraq. They were purpose built (I was told in Turkey) 40ft containers. The interior had a wall in the middle that created two 20ft sides. Everything was lined with an insulated wall material. Each side was designed for two people and came with bunk beds, 2 lockers, 2 desks, and 2 chairs. They were hard wired into a generator system and had lights and electrical outlets. On the door side was a traditional door and next to it a window AC/heater went through the wall. The main shipping door was still attached to allow for proper transportation.

[FuncleChuck]

It’s so amazing to me that the really important innovations are adopted SO FAST that people almost can forget the world before them. This seems like such a simple logistical improvement - but entirely upended the entire culture of every port town globally. Shipping containers are definitely a massively important part of our recent history.

[anthonygray]

The simple CONEX was, as you said, one of the most versatile inventions of all time. We used them to store gear, as perimeter reinforcements, sentry posts, small offices and a myriad of other things. A great tool.

[chicobicalho]

In 1989 I hitched a ride in a container ship from Rio de Janeiro to St. John, Canada, and eventually to Newark, NJ. It was an amazing 32 day trip where the ship stopped in 8 or 9 ports for loading and unloading containers. During this period of docking, I learned about the amazing choreography of container crane operation, the dance of trucks positioning for unloading, the machine operation that brings the containers from the dock to be loaded on the ship, but most of all, I learned about the fact not all crane operators are the same. There is a significant difference in agility and efficiency between the people responsible for lifting and loading the containers that mean precision, speed and safety. The amount of concentration required for crane operators is mind boggling; so, If a ship is served by three crane operators that are fast and efficient, the time of docking can be signifficantly reduced, and this translates in a leg between ports less rushed and slower (for there are schedued docking), thus saving quite a lot of fuel. The opposite means stress for the crew and a rushed leg to the next port. Also, the logistic of distribution of containers above or below deck, and the placement according to weight is extremely complex, and this is for the ship crew to decide, so there must be exact and fast comunication between crew and crane. Containers are amazing, but the logistics of handling them at the ports, so they go for origin to destination efficiently is even more amazing

[rampy]

Only The History Guy could make a video about a steel, rectangular box absolutely fascinating. I had no idea about when and why they were invented. Excellent video, Lance!

[sandovalperry]

Transportable military hospitals are CONEX based, specialized units are standardized for transport. We could have a completely functional operating room ready in less than 30 minutes.

[sibire]

The Box getting a THG shoutout? Yeah, today's a good day.

[FastEddy]

Minor correction: TEU: Twenty-foot *equivalent* unit(s). Great content as always. And "The Box" is an amazing book.

[nomarspaulding]

I used to be a mate on container ships, and I also drive tractor trailer trucks now and have done intermodal trucking. Containerization would be my pick for top invention of the 20th century.

[David-nxvm]

Im retired military. Our daughter was born in 1993 in an Army Deployable Medical Unit, or DepMed — a CONEX box, basically, in the parking lot of the 121 Evacuation Hospital in Seoul. Surgery was temporarily using labor and delivery rooms because of construction, so they set up the DepMeds. There are lots of military brats running around now as adults who were literally born in a metal box in the parking lot. It has always been a great family story.

[matthewlorig]

How about a video on the history of the pallet? That's another standard shipping thing that I have no idea how it started.

[kineticdeath]

I just love the way the guy went from a 58 container ship to 200.. From day 1 it was bigger/better

[johntrottier]

I worked in the Port of Oakland in the 1970's and 80's as a container crane mechanic. Best job I ever had.

[benjaminshropshire]

In interesting side note in all of this is that one of the humble yet critical enabling technologies for containerized shipping is the corner blocks of the containers. Specifically, there design allows locking containers to each other or whatever else is needed with no moving parts on the container itself, thus making them the next thing to zero maintenance. This is important because the way containers are used (the vast majority of handling is done by someone who doesn't own them) makes enforcing any kind of maintenance schedule the next thing to impossible.

[StevenDietrich-kw]

Learning about the history of shipping containers wasn't on my radar today. I enjoyed the video as I always do. Keep up the good work THG.

[robertjensen]

What do you call a shipping container full of snails?
Escargo.

[adreabrooks]

You're the only YouTuber I know of who could induce me to click on a video about the history of shipping containers with the expectation of a good program. I was not disappointed. :)

[maufuentes]

Every time I watch a video from THG, I leave a bit more educated. Thank you THG. Keep it up.

[TamagoHead]

I’m so glad that creators like you exist.

Science, history, earlier history need to be remembered & shared.

Also, you have a great narrative voice, and are as yet undiscovered by Hollywood.