Every year, moving empty containers costs the shipping industry in excess of 20 billion dollars, according to Boston Consulting Group. This equates to 12% of the shipping industry’s operating costs.

Shipping Containers pass through varied climatic conditions & environments and are subject to severe weather on the seas and ports.  They come in contact with harmful pathogens like mold, bacteria and viruses together with pollen, liquids and other dangerous material.

Weight distribution in container stacks directly affects a vessel’s stability.

Ballast Water can cause serious ecological imbalances due to the release of non-native marine species in coastal areas.

Imagine when it comes to transporting goods in shipping containers, why should we display a sense of complacency with an instinctive trust that the consignment would be in safe hands till it reaches its final destination?  In reality, many a time we are caught on the wrong foot and will regret the casual attitude adopted while stuffing containers with goods and handing them over to the shipper without giving a second thought about the security of the valuable contents inside. 

Opened in 1869, the Suez Canal took 10 years to construct. 12% of world commercial trade and 2.5% crude oil passes through the Suez Canal each day. 50 ships pass through the canal every day. 1.03 billion tons of cargo passed through the canal in 2019.  The Suez Canal is one of the most crucial waterways in the world strategically and economically.

Let’s begin by figuring out the magnitude of atmospheric pollution caused by the maritime industry from an example. Barely 15 large mega-ships account for an equivalent amount of pollution as caused by 760 million cars in the world. Today, shipping is the sixth biggest contributor of emissions and accounts for 2.5% of global greenhouse gases. It is estimated that the maritime industry emits approximately 940 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.

One-fourth of all cargo loss and damage that occur during shipments arise as a result of poorly fastened cargo boxes and objects carried inside containers, studies have revealed. This loss is largely preventable with care, attention and the application of guidelines stipulated for securing cargo inside the containers.

2021 has started with a global shortage of containers and vessel space on container vessels. There are a number of reasons that led to this ‘perfect storm’ that has left importers and exporters around the world scrambling for containers.

When dealing with used containers, an obvious question that pops up in our minds concerns their quality and grade. There is no clear-cut universal grading system for containers, so it is challenging to reach a firm conclusion on a grade or quality. Understanding some abbreviations and terms normally associated with used shipping containers can help bring some transparency and clarity to how one can look at issues concerning the grade and quality of shipping containers.