Containerization is a method of transporting cargo by packing it into large containers. This cargo then can be moved as a unit by ship, truck, airplane, or railroad, and from one type of transportation to another. Containerization reduces the time and cost required to load and unload cargo.
Most shipping containers are made of steel. They can carry general cargo—that is, anything that can be packaged or that forms a package in itself. Containers also handle hazardous goods and cargo requiring refrigeration or tanks. Most major ports have special cranes that lift containers on and off ships. A container’s size depends on its cargo. But most containers measure from 20 to 40 feet (6.1 to 12.2 meters) long and 8 to 91/2 feet (2.4 to 2.9 meters) high. Containers transported by air may be smaller. Containerization was first used in 1956. Ships built especially to handle containers are called cellular vessels or container ships. Today, about 90 percent of the world’s general cargo moves by containerization.
See also Freight; Ship (Container ships); Railroad (Freight service).
