Blog Post Written By Mohammed Ahmed at Lion Containers Ltd
Have you ever wondered where and when the first shipping container was born? Many people think it was invented in China. There are at least 20 million containers crossing the world. The first shipping container was created in 1955 in America by Malcolm McLean. It was 10ft in the length, 8ft wide and 8ft tall and at that time it was used by Malcolms haulage company to transport empty tobacco barrels.
2. Track My Container…
All containers come with their own serial number which is made up of a 4 letter prefix and finishing with a 6 digit number and a final check digit. This is used by the custom officers, ship crews and practically everyone that needs to identify who owns the container. This prefix can also be used to track your containers location anywhere in the world.
3. Sleeping With The Fishes…
It estimated that an average of 10,000 shipping container get lost in our seas every year. Thats pretty much one container every hour. These lost containers can end up floating in the sea and damage other boats or they get damaged and end up sinking to the bottom to start a new life with the fishes.
4. 7,500 Eiffel Towers…
Lining up the containers that belong to Maersk alone would create half a ring around the world, if you were to stack them they would be equal to 7,500 Eiffel Towers. Also, if you loaded them onto cargo ships they would create the same amount of greenhouse gases as 750 million cars would.
5. Sleepy In Singapore…
In April 2011, a Bangladeshi man by the name of Din Islam decided to take nap in container whilst he was working through his 12 hour night shift in Chittagong. By the time he woke up he had been hauled onto the ship and spent nine days without food or drink until he was heard banging and screaming in an Singapore Container Terminal.
