7 ms·

Containers have been more important for globalisation than freer trade

118 points by patrickk 13y ago

ZeroGravitas 13y ago
It's not mentioned here, but I think it's in the book they mention (and the BBC documentary based on it): containers were "open source" in the sense that they allowed anyone to use the patents, which was vital in kickstarting the network effects.
- patrickk 13y ago
  Thanks for mentioning there's a BBC documentary. Here's a link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/business/2008/the_box/default.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/business/2008/the_box/de...
  - ZeroGravitas 13y ago
    That was a year long project by the BBC, where they fitted a container with a GPS and then followed it around the world. But the also had a more traditional documentary called "The box that changed Britain": http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00scpzn http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00scpzn You can watch the first five minutes here: http://vimeo.com/21395880 http://vimeo.com/21395880
- Hontano 13y ago
  The book is a fascinating read: http://www.amazon.com/Box-Shipping-Container-Smaller-Economy/dp/0691136408 http://www.amazon.com/Box-Shipping-Container-Smaller-Economy... It chronicles competing standards, proprietary efforts, attempts at sea-rail-road integration, with some lively characters thrown in. It captures the entrepreneurial vibe of the heady postwar decades. I loved it.
  - hga 13y ago
    Indeed, it'll teach you a lot about how the recent "modern" world developed; containers became important for the Vietnam War, but its mostly pure business and economic history, with sufficient detail---well, enough for me---on the technical side. Also the interplay of government laws and regulation, and shipping cartels, on the path this all took. And tells you why most of the historic ports of old faded away. Absolutely fascinating.
- pchristensen 13y ago
  Also http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/07/07/the-epic-story-of-container-shipping/ http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/07/07/the-epic-story-of-conta...
diminish 13y ago
containers, planes, fax/email/chat/videocalls, computers/smartphones
masonhensley 13y ago
Containers & international shipping are pretty cool. In undergrad I interned for a barbecue grill company and worked on a project with the VP's of engineering and manufacturing to increase container yield. As simple as putting boxes in bigger boxes is, it was fascinating stuff, more so figuring out how to minimize the packaging of large hollow objects like bbq grills. In one case we were able to more than double the number of smokers we could fit into a container (which helped our margins big time.) That being said, shipping containers of tiny ipods has to be the most boring logistics task ever! Finally, it's pretty interesting that you can look at a container ship and have no idea what is in every single container. It can be filled with clothes, bikes, food, electronics, toys, you name it.
- bmbyers 13y ago
  ... or cruise missiles ready to launch straight from the container, if this Russian weapon-maker's video is to be believed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIgvGpH2smY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIgvGpH2smY
  - varikin 13y ago
    ... or some unknown radiation source that closes down a port for a long time and causes international headaches. http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/10/ff_radioactivecargo/ http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/10/ff_radioactivecargo/
- 205guy 13y ago
  I find logistics and packing problems to be fascinating. However, while there are inherent advantages to the standardization that containers provide, this comment also shows that for some of the work (here loading and packing), the container just moves to the burden to a different entity (here the manufacturer instead of the longshoremen). Also, smaller packet size (ship vs container) means there is less theoretical efficiency (more wasted space, plus the space and weight of the containers themselves). However, since ships weren't didn't have homogeneous cargo, the practical efficiency is much better for containers.
dlhavema 13y ago
It's really cool to read about how a "simple" metal box could change this industry and many others so dramatically, talk about ripple effect...
- betterunix 13y ago
  The article makes a big deal about efficiency, but underlying the efficiency of the container system is standardization. It is the same story as railroads using standard gauges and couplers, electrical sockets being standardized and having standard voltages and frequencies, the IP protocol, etc. It allows people to think about their problems more abstractly, which allows people to get more done.
jedc 13y ago
I highly recommend the book "The Box" which goes deep into the history of the shipping container. http://www.amazon.com/The-Box-Shipping-Container-Smaller/dp/0691136408/ http://www.amazon.com/The-Box-Shipping-Container-Smaller/dp/... In a nutshell, it was messy. It's not easy in the physical/infrastructure world to create a standard and then impose it world-wide. (ie, competing standards, etc.) Then the container literally created and destroyed neighborhoods & cities, but as the article notes revolutionized world trade. I can HIGHLY recommend the book.
- jashmenn 13y ago
  If I may piggy-back on this thread, the idea of "containerization" is one of our inspirations at IFTTT. Information is currently being transported in "break-bulk" [1] - everyone has a different way of shuffling it around. What we hope to do at IFTTT is develop a containerization of information; a common interface for moving data from point a to point b. Now, I realize we run the risk of creating the 15th competing standard [2], but we have some big ideas on the horizon of how we can make this work in a really general (and beautiful) way. BTW, if these types of problems interest you, we're hiring :) [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Break_bulk_cargo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Break_bulk_cargo [2] http://xkcd.com/927/ http://xkcd.com/927/
  - eli_gottlieb 13y ago
    We have a containerized standard for moving data around. It's called TCP/IP. What you're developing is a containerized standard for moving understanding around, manipulating data in a relatively standard way while still maintaining its context.
    - lsb 13y ago
      Understanding, or just information. Data is "things that have been given [to you]", from the Latin, whereas information is something that informs you [about the world].
- mcantelon 13y ago
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mind-your-language/2012/jan/29/literally-a-much-misused-word http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mind-your-language/2012/jan/...
guard-of-terra 13y ago
And the added benefit of unified containers is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yAGE3Bt1yE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yAGE3Bt1yE (Container missile system)
retroafroman 13y ago
It's interesting that the next step down from the containers in a transportation/logistics sense is the pallet, which is still pretty far from being standardized. Right now, there are a variety of competing standards-the EUR pallet, CHEP, iGPS, GMA, etc. Europe has done fairly well in standardizing on the EUR pallet and half pallet (which you can see at Ikea in the states). The North American market usually uses 40" x 48" pallets, but quality varies widely. It's a constant thorn in the side of any business who wants to standardize and automate their material handling, because without consistent pallets, automated systems can't be reliable.
- chiph 13y ago
  How well does the EUR pallet fit into the non-metric dimensions of a 40' container?
  - retroafroman 13y ago
    Worse, as you would expect. 15.2% wasted floor space vs 3.7% with 40x48 pallets. See here: http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/international/documents/PalletInfoandCalculationforExporters.pdf http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/international/documents/PalletI...
- rdl 13y ago
  Air pallets and unit load devices for aircraft are also pretty weird; they're specific to aircraft, and to specific locations in the aircraft. I guess there the labor vs. fuel-per-weight/cube thing tradeoff is a lot different than with ships or trucks, but it's still really inconvenient (plus, "air force pallets" (463L) are super expensive, corrugated aluminum)
socalnate1 13y ago
A religious non profit that I support uses decommissioned shipping containers to build "super kitchens" in poorer countries. They are able to ship an entire self contained kitchen to a site, and get it set up in (relatively) no time thanks to this standardization. If interested: http://outsidethebowl.org/?page_id=61 http://outsidethebowl.org/?page_id=61
- protomyth 13y ago
  I do hope they strip all the paint off them before using them for kitchens / housing. They are a bit nasty with the chemicals.
- 205guy 13y ago
  The reuse of shipping containers is becoming a rather trendy thing. There are many projects for the 3rd world, and many design/architecture projects for the 1st world. I don't think containers make good building materials, for many reasons not worth listing here. One additional critique is that the reasons for taking a container out of circulation (damage, corrosion, pollution) are exaclty the reasons you wouldn't want them for construction. So for construction, you have to buy a working container (especially if you want to ship it as a kitchen to the 3rd world), so building with containers is not recycling but more like buying an alternative construction material. Also, I wonder how good it is for local cultures to have religious organizations parachute food and foreign religion into their communities. That whole "teach a person to fish..." thing.
  - socalnate1 13y ago
    Couple more details on the points you brought up: 1) I think they buy used (not decommissioned) containers for the reasons you specified. So it is more like an alternative building material rather than true recycling. The biggest advantage is standardization and speed to launch so they can replicate in many places that don't have local materials available (i.e. Haiti) or where a local construction project from scratch would be nearly impossible to get off the ground. 2) The kitchens actually resell their food for very cheap to local ministries and non profits and is run by locals. (Volume/standardization = much cheaper food). So, self sustainability is built into their model. The South African kitchen is run and supported 100% by the community at this point.
No1 13y ago
To give credit where credit is due, Keith Tantlinger invented the system that allowed locking containers together for stacking and lifting to and from ships. He convinced the company he worked for to relinquish the patent to encourage adoption and standardization. That invention and standardization are what gave us our current shipping industry.
- gcb0 13y ago
  Wonder if the company ever regreted giving away that patent... In a purely financial context.
  - olefoo 13y ago
    Much like TCP/IP, HTTP and a plethora of other internet standards; it would have not been adopted had anyone maintained an active claim of ownership. The way to make money off a standard is to sell it's complements ( think Cisco or SUN selling equipment that works with TCP/IP and ethernet ) not to attempt to charge for use of the standard.
    - No1 13y ago
      "The way to make money off a standard is to sell it's complements" That seems to be how things went. Tantlinger created over 70 patents related to transportation in his lifetime. Sea-Land, his employer, sold containerized shipping services. I doubt there were any regrets about dropping the patent. Malcom McLean, owner of Sea-Land, did pretty well for himself: [R.J.] Reynolds agreed in January 1969 to buy Sea-Land for $530 million in cash and stock. McLean made $160 million personally and got a seat on the company’s board. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea-Land_Service,_Inc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea-Land_Service,_Inc
      - thaumasiotes 13y ago
        If I remember right, he hated serving on the board, left to found a rival container-shipping company, and ran it into the ground. (Not to knock Malcom McLean! But I think it makes the story even more interesting.)
usea 13y ago
The company I work for was located in a shipping container for a year. 3 people had computers and (eventually) a window air conditioning unit. It got cold in winter. We create products and services for the shipping industry (usually bulk cargo, but sometimes containers).
steve19 13y ago
I was talking to a former navy Intel officer recently who told me about the former art of deducting what cargo was on deck a ship by the shape of the tarpaulins covering them. books were written on the subject. now that is all obsoleted by containers that hide the objects being carried.
- hga 13y ago
  "Crateology" isn't completely obsolete, there's lots of vital stuff that won't fit in containers, but, yeah, this has certainly put a damper in it.
jbuzbee 13y ago
Reminds me of the Wired article comparing shipping containers to network packets: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.10/ports.html http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.10/ports.html
raymondduke 13y ago
Hi. Longshoreman here. I work around at the busiest port(s) in the USA and the 5th busiest port(s) in the world. Driving through and working around the 100,000's containers at the harbor never gets old even after working there for 7 years. There are some interesting things I can say about containers after working with them up close: • Half of the containers we export are empties. The way the process works is we get a majority of full containers from the East (China, Japan, etc.), unload them, and send them empty boxes. Quartz covered this recently: http://qz.com/64779/america-exports-a-lot-of-air/ http://qz.com/64779/america-exports-a-lot-of-air/ • A refrigerated container is called a "reefer". We call the mechanics that work on these reefer mechanics. A 40 foot chasis is called a 40. So yeah, chatter on the radio channels talks about reefers, 40's, and (work) gangs. • Here is a pic I took one night of the cranes before they started to "pump" (work). http://imgur.com/oxGNz9b http://imgur.com/oxGNz9b • I have a draft of a post almost done about what it is that Longshoremen do now a days. It's obviously changed a lot from unloading shit by hand. I met an old timer that would use a hook to stab a giant ice block to pick out the fish. This was before reefers. (I actually just published the post. It's not complete, but it has more general info about longshoremen and containers: http://raymondduke.com/who-are-longshoremen-what-do-they-do-your-questions-answered/ http://raymondduke.com/who-are-longshoremen-what-do-they-do-...) • I can't find the link, but the process that bananas go through as they get shipped here is very interesting. There is a special and very intricate cooling and ripening process with an exact temperature change at the right moment in order to make sure the bananas are the right ripeness when they arrive here. • The worst thing I've encountered is cowhides. Cowhides are a common export from the USA to China (I imagine there is not a lot of room for cattle there). The reason why they are bad is because of the smell. They are coated with some sort of chemical so they don't get dry, but instead of keeping them in a bag, they just toss them in a container and drench them with this foul liquid that drips out of the box as it gets moved around the yard. Luckily, I've only encountered this a few times. I'll be happy to answer any questions. I might not like a lot of things about my job (the politics and the schedule), but I am in love with the culture of the port.
- ww520 13y ago
  I've heard longshoreman make excellent money, and there's a long wait list of people to get into the trade. What's the pay like?
ww520 13y ago
Didn't Google use to build mini-data center fitted in the standard size container? Completed with powers, racks, cooling, etc. Ready to drop-ship it to any location in short notice.
- cobralibre 13y ago
  You're thinking of Sun. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Modular_Datacenter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Modular_Datacenter
wdr1 13y ago
> Containers have been more important for globalisation than freer trade Why did you editorialize the title? The Economist article doesn't say that. It does state "In fact, new research suggests that the container has been more of a driver of globalisation than all trade agreements in the past 50 years taken together." Although they do also state it's difficult to quantify & that "containerisation" seems to, in turn, drive freer trade.
- pg 13y ago
  That's the subtitle of the article, verbatim.
jpalomaki 13y ago
I liked the idea that containers with their transport routes are for physical objects what Internet is for digital content. I put stuff in the container, put a destination address on it and then let the network take care of it.

118 points by patrickk 13y ago

It's not mentioned here, but I think it's in the book they mention (and the BBC documentary based on it): containers were "open source" in the sense that they allowed anyone to use the patents, which was vital in kickstarting the network effects.

patrickk 13y ago
Thanks for mentioning there's a BBC documentary. Here's a link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/business/2008/the_box/default.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/business/2008/the_box/de...
- ZeroGravitas 13y ago
  That was a year long project by the BBC, where they fitted a container with a GPS and then followed it around the world. But the also had a more traditional documentary called "The box that changed Britain": http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00scpzn http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00scpzn You can watch the first five minutes here: http://vimeo.com/21395880 http://vimeo.com/21395880
Hontano 13y ago
The book is a fascinating read: http://www.amazon.com/Box-Shipping-Container-Smaller-Economy/dp/0691136408 http://www.amazon.com/Box-Shipping-Container-Smaller-Economy... It chronicles competing standards, proprietary efforts, attempts at sea-rail-road integration, with some lively characters thrown in. It captures the entrepreneurial vibe of the heady postwar decades. I loved it.
- hga 13y ago
  Indeed, it'll teach you a lot about how the recent "modern" world developed; containers became important for the Vietnam War, but its mostly pure business and economic history, with sufficient detail---well, enough for me---on the technical side. Also the interplay of government laws and regulation, and shipping cartels, on the path this all took. And tells you why most of the historic ports of old faded away. Absolutely fascinating.
pchristensen 13y ago
Also http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/07/07/the-epic-story-of-container-shipping/ http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/07/07/the-epic-story-of-conta...

diminish 13y ago

containers, planes, fax/email/chat/videocalls, computers/smartphones

masonhensley 13y ago

Containers & international shipping are pretty cool. In undergrad I interned for a barbecue grill company and worked on a project with the VP's of engineering and manufacturing to increase container yield. As simple as putting boxes in bigger boxes is, it was fascinating stuff, more so figuring out how to minimize the packaging of large hollow objects like bbq grills. In one case we were able to more than double the number of smokers we could fit into a container (which helped our margins big time.) That being said, shipping containers of tiny ipods has to be the most boring logistics task ever! Finally, it's pretty interesting that you can look at a container ship and have no idea what is in every single container. It can be filled with clothes, bikes, food, electronics, toys, you name it.

bmbyers 13y ago
... or cruise missiles ready to launch straight from the container, if this Russian weapon-maker's video is to be believed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIgvGpH2smY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIgvGpH2smY
- varikin 13y ago
  ... or some unknown radiation source that closes down a port for a long time and causes international headaches. http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/10/ff_radioactivecargo/ http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/10/ff_radioactivecargo/
205guy 13y ago
I find logistics and packing problems to be fascinating. However, while there are inherent advantages to the standardization that containers provide, this comment also shows that for some of the work (here loading and packing), the container just moves to the burden to a different entity (here the manufacturer instead of the longshoremen). Also, smaller packet size (ship vs container) means there is less theoretical efficiency (more wasted space, plus the space and weight of the containers themselves). However, since ships weren't didn't have homogeneous cargo, the practical efficiency is much better for containers.

dlhavema 13y ago

It's really cool to read about how a "simple" metal box could change this industry and many others so dramatically, talk about ripple effect...

betterunix 13y ago
The article makes a big deal about efficiency, but underlying the efficiency of the container system is standardization. It is the same story as railroads using standard gauges and couplers, electrical sockets being standardized and having standard voltages and frequencies, the IP protocol, etc. It allows people to think about their problems more abstractly, which allows people to get more done.

jedc 13y ago

I highly recommend the book "The Box" which goes deep into the history of the shipping container. http://www.amazon.com/The-Box-Shipping-Container-Smaller/dp/0691136408/ http://www.amazon.com/The-Box-Shipping-Container-Smaller/dp/... In a nutshell, it was messy. It's not easy in the physical/infrastructure world to create a standard and then impose it world-wide. (ie, competing standards, etc.) Then the container literally created and destroyed neighborhoods & cities, but as the article notes revolutionized world trade. I can HIGHLY recommend the book.

jashmenn 13y ago
If I may piggy-back on this thread, the idea of "containerization" is one of our inspirations at IFTTT. Information is currently being transported in "break-bulk" [1] - everyone has a different way of shuffling it around. What we hope to do at IFTTT is develop a containerization of information; a common interface for moving data from point a to point b. Now, I realize we run the risk of creating the 15th competing standard [2], but we have some big ideas on the horizon of how we can make this work in a really general (and beautiful) way. BTW, if these types of problems interest you, we're hiring :) [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Break_bulk_cargo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Break_bulk_cargo [2] http://xkcd.com/927/ http://xkcd.com/927/
- eli_gottlieb 13y ago
  We have a containerized standard for moving data around. It's called TCP/IP. What you're developing is a containerized standard for moving understanding around, manipulating data in a relatively standard way while still maintaining its context.
  - lsb 13y ago
    Understanding, or just information. Data is "things that have been given [to you]", from the Latin, whereas information is something that informs you [about the world].
mcantelon 13y ago
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mind-your-language/2012/jan/29/literally-a-much-misused-word http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mind-your-language/2012/jan/...

guard-of-terra 13y ago

And the added benefit of unified containers is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yAGE3Bt1yE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yAGE3Bt1yE (Container missile system)

retroafroman 13y ago

It's interesting that the next step down from the containers in a transportation/logistics sense is the pallet, which is still pretty far from being standardized. Right now, there are a variety of competing standards-the EUR pallet, CHEP, iGPS, GMA, etc. Europe has done fairly well in standardizing on the EUR pallet and half pallet (which you can see at Ikea in the states). The North American market usually uses 40" x 48" pallets, but quality varies widely. It's a constant thorn in the side of any business who wants to standardize and automate their material handling, because without consistent pallets, automated systems can't be reliable.

chiph 13y ago
How well does the EUR pallet fit into the non-metric dimensions of a 40' container?
- retroafroman 13y ago
  Worse, as you would expect. 15.2% wasted floor space vs 3.7% with 40x48 pallets. See here: http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/international/documents/PalletInfoandCalculationforExporters.pdf http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/international/documents/PalletI...
rdl 13y ago
Air pallets and unit load devices for aircraft are also pretty weird; they're specific to aircraft, and to specific locations in the aircraft. I guess there the labor vs. fuel-per-weight/cube thing tradeoff is a lot different than with ships or trucks, but it's still really inconvenient (plus, "air force pallets" (463L) are super expensive, corrugated aluminum)

socalnate1 13y ago

A religious non profit that I support uses decommissioned shipping containers to build "super kitchens" in poorer countries. They are able to ship an entire self contained kitchen to a site, and get it set up in (relatively) no time thanks to this standardization. If interested: http://outsidethebowl.org/?page_id=61 http://outsidethebowl.org/?page_id=61

protomyth 13y ago
I do hope they strip all the paint off them before using them for kitchens / housing. They are a bit nasty with the chemicals.
205guy 13y ago
The reuse of shipping containers is becoming a rather trendy thing. There are many projects for the 3rd world, and many design/architecture projects for the 1st world. I don't think containers make good building materials, for many reasons not worth listing here. One additional critique is that the reasons for taking a container out of circulation (damage, corrosion, pollution) are exaclty the reasons you wouldn't want them for construction. So for construction, you have to buy a working container (especially if you want to ship it as a kitchen to the 3rd world), so building with containers is not recycling but more like buying an alternative construction material. Also, I wonder how good it is for local cultures to have religious organizations parachute food and foreign religion into their communities. That whole "teach a person to fish..." thing.
- socalnate1 13y ago
  Couple more details on the points you brought up: 1) I think they buy used (not decommissioned) containers for the reasons you specified. So it is more like an alternative building material rather than true recycling. The biggest advantage is standardization and speed to launch so they can replicate in many places that don't have local materials available (i.e. Haiti) or where a local construction project from scratch would be nearly impossible to get off the ground. 2) The kitchens actually resell their food for very cheap to local ministries and non profits and is run by locals. (Volume/standardization = much cheaper food). So, self sustainability is built into their model. The South African kitchen is run and supported 100% by the community at this point.

No1 13y ago

To give credit where credit is due, Keith Tantlinger invented the system that allowed locking containers together for stacking and lifting to and from ships. He convinced the company he worked for to relinquish the patent to encourage adoption and standardization. That invention and standardization are what gave us our current shipping industry.

gcb0 13y ago
Wonder if the company ever regreted giving away that patent... In a purely financial context.
- olefoo 13y ago
  Much like TCP/IP, HTTP and a plethora of other internet standards; it would have not been adopted had anyone maintained an active claim of ownership. The way to make money off a standard is to sell it's complements ( think Cisco or SUN selling equipment that works with TCP/IP and ethernet ) not to attempt to charge for use of the standard.
  - No1 13y ago
    "The way to make money off a standard is to sell it's complements" That seems to be how things went. Tantlinger created over 70 patents related to transportation in his lifetime. Sea-Land, his employer, sold containerized shipping services. I doubt there were any regrets about dropping the patent. Malcom McLean, owner of Sea-Land, did pretty well for himself: [R.J.] Reynolds agreed in January 1969 to buy Sea-Land for $530 million in cash and stock. McLean made $160 million personally and got a seat on the company’s board. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea-Land_Service,_Inc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea-Land_Service,_Inc
    - thaumasiotes 13y ago
      If I remember right, he hated serving on the board, left to found a rival container-shipping company, and ran it into the ground. (Not to knock Malcom McLean! But I think it makes the story even more interesting.)

usea 13y ago

The company I work for was located in a shipping container for a year. 3 people had computers and (eventually) a window air conditioning unit. It got cold in winter. We create products and services for the shipping industry (usually bulk cargo, but sometimes containers).

steve19 13y ago

I was talking to a former navy Intel officer recently who told me about the former art of deducting what cargo was on deck a ship by the shape of the tarpaulins covering them. books were written on the subject. now that is all obsoleted by containers that hide the objects being carried.

hga 13y ago
"Crateology" isn't completely obsolete, there's lots of vital stuff that won't fit in containers, but, yeah, this has certainly put a damper in it.

jbuzbee 13y ago

Reminds me of the Wired article comparing shipping containers to network packets: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.10/ports.html http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.10/ports.html

raymondduke 13y ago

Hi. Longshoreman here. I work around at the busiest port(s) in the USA and the 5th busiest port(s) in the world. Driving through and working around the 100,000's containers at the harbor never gets old even after working there for 7 years. There are some interesting things I can say about containers after working with them up close: • Half of the containers we export are empties. The way the process works is we get a majority of full containers from the East (China, Japan, etc.), unload them, and send them empty boxes. Quartz covered this recently: http://qz.com/64779/america-exports-a-lot-of-air/ http://qz.com/64779/america-exports-a-lot-of-air/ • A refrigerated container is called a "reefer". We call the mechanics that work on these reefer mechanics. A 40 foot chasis is called a 40. So yeah, chatter on the radio channels talks about reefers, 40's, and (work) gangs. • Here is a pic I took one night of the cranes before they started to "pump" (work). http://imgur.com/oxGNz9b http://imgur.com/oxGNz9b • I have a draft of a post almost done about what it is that Longshoremen do now a days. It's obviously changed a lot from unloading shit by hand. I met an old timer that would use a hook to stab a giant ice block to pick out the fish. This was before reefers. (I actually just published the post. It's not complete, but it has more general info about longshoremen and containers: http://raymondduke.com/who-are-longshoremen-what-do-they-do-your-questions-answered/ http://raymondduke.com/who-are-longshoremen-what-do-they-do-...) • I can't find the link, but the process that bananas go through as they get shipped here is very interesting. There is a special and very intricate cooling and ripening process with an exact temperature change at the right moment in order to make sure the bananas are the right ripeness when they arrive here. • The worst thing I've encountered is cowhides. Cowhides are a common export from the USA to China (I imagine there is not a lot of room for cattle there). The reason why they are bad is because of the smell. They are coated with some sort of chemical so they don't get dry, but instead of keeping them in a bag, they just toss them in a container and drench them with this foul liquid that drips out of the box as it gets moved around the yard. Luckily, I've only encountered this a few times. I'll be happy to answer any questions. I might not like a lot of things about my job (the politics and the schedule), but I am in love with the culture of the port.

ww520 13y ago
I've heard longshoreman make excellent money, and there's a long wait list of people to get into the trade. What's the pay like?

ww520 13y ago

Didn't Google use to build mini-data center fitted in the standard size container? Completed with powers, racks, cooling, etc. Ready to drop-ship it to any location in short notice.

cobralibre 13y ago
You're thinking of Sun. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Modular_Datacenter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Modular_Datacenter

wdr1 13y ago

> Containers have been more important for globalisation than freer trade Why did you editorialize the title? The Economist article doesn't say that. It does state "In fact, new research suggests that the container has been more of a driver of globalisation than all trade agreements in the past 50 years taken together." Although they do also state it's difficult to quantify & that "containerisation" seems to, in turn, drive freer trade.

pg 13y ago
That's the subtitle of the article, verbatim.

jpalomaki 13y ago

I liked the idea that containers with their transport routes are for physical objects what Internet is for digital content. I put stuff in the container, put a destination address on it and then let the network take care of it.