Shipping container architecture, with its creative applications and impressive aesthetics, is a compelling trend that is expected to stay on. Our blog, "Shipping Container Architecture: Innovative Uses and Inspiring Designs" explains.

While shipping containers are reputed for their durability and efficiency in transporting cargo, they also pose a growing environmental risk. Our blog, "The Environmental Impact of Shipping: Exploring Sustainable Alternatives". explains.

Global economy relies on shipping and logistics to connect people and businesses worldwide, but safety and sustainability must be prioritized. Our blog, "Ensuring safety and Sustainability in Shipping" provides an in-depth explanation.

Driven by technological advancements and shifting consumer preferences, the shipping and logistics industry is set to undergo a revolution. Our blog, "Emerging Trends in Shipping and Logistics" goes into greater detail.

Containers must be able to withstand the rigors of international shipping. A third-party surveyor inspects and certifies them to ensure they meet industry standards. Our blog "What is a cargo-worthy container?" explains how such certified containers can benefit customers.

Shipping containers require routine inspections, just like other assets, to ensure longevity and financial worth. Our blog “Ensuring good returns for your containers through routine inspections and maintenance” explains how you can derive maximum benefits from your investment.

Leasing containers allows you to scale up or down your container needs as needed, which can be useful if your storage or shipping needs fluctuate. Our blog "Why leasing a container is a more practical and cost-effective option than owning one?” explains.

INCOTERMS minimize misinterpretations and disputes arising from inconsistencies in regulations and customs practices between countries. Our blog "The role of INCOTERMS in the smooth functioning of international trade and commerce” explains.

The world's first Green Shipping Corridor is coming up 100 miles south of the Panama Canal. What does this mean for the shipping industry? Please read the narrative in our blog post "𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝'𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥"?

Stadium 974" in Qatar has the unique distinction of being the world's only stadium built with shipping containers. Our blog "The 2022 FIFA World Cup and 974 shipping containers! What's the deal?" tells the story.

Tonnage is a measurement of a ship's capacity to carry goods and is frequently used to determine the fees for commercial shipping. Our blog "All that you ought to know on "tonnage" in shipping" explains more.

The IICL certification for professionals in container operations, inspection, and maintenance helps ensure you receive quality shipping containers. Our blog "How does IICL accreditation for our team help us ensure the quality of the containers we provide?" explains.

Seafarers form the backbone of the shipping industry, and they a pivotal role in international trade and commerce. Our blog "What are the chief attributes that make a quality seafarer?" examines their extraordinary qualities and the sacrifices they make.

Pollution on the high seas has been a matter of concern due to its impact on the well-being of living species. Our blog, "IMO 2023 and the maritime sector's preparedness to comply" explains the industry's readiness to obey this new regulation coming into force.

Rising fuel costs and inflationary trends are forcing the shipping sector to increase prices. Our blog, "How can shipping & logistics remain buoyant by conquering inflation and rising fuel costs? explains how the industry can remain resilient during these hard times.

Leaving spaces inside cargo holds and containers results in loss of revenue for the carriers and shippers. Our blog, "What is Broken Stowage and why is it necessary to reduce its occurrence?" explains how you can maximize revenue from every voyage.

Shipping containers might appear as a simple metal box externally, but they are made up of different components that play their respective roles. Our blog, "Understanding the components that make up a shipping container" tells more.

Shipping containers cost dear as an initial investment, but with good care and attention, you get decades of trouble-free service. Our blog, "What can you do to extend the life of your shipping containers?" explains the ways to care for them.

In February 2007, the container ship MV Limari collapsed in Damietta, Egypt because of stack overweight. Incorrect weight declaration of shipping containers proves detrimental to the stability and safety of shipping vessels. Our blog "Why is it vital to declare the correct weight of shipping containers?" explains the consequences of wrong weight declaration.

Shipping containers are enormously bulky and need specialized handling. Our blog "What are the different ways to lift shipping containers safely?" explains the different types of container lifting equipment in use.

Container ship engines are gigantic workhorses more powerful than a thousand car engines working together. Our blog, "Engaging facts on container ship engines" explores further.

Know more about the recent mishap involving a cargo vessel "Ever Forward" near Baltimore which is reminiscent of the fate of "Ever Given" that got stranded in the Suez Canal just a year back.

Forklift pockets constitute an important element in shipping containers, serving to balance, lift and move the containers safely over short distances.

Different types of floorboards inside shipping containers serve a multitude of purposes. They add strength, durability, and an aesthetic finish to the container floors.

Thousands of rubber ducks that spilled into the ocean from a shipping container 3 decades ago impart us good lessons on the value of preserving our environment.

What is the key document that accompanies a cargo to let customers and stakeholders involved in a transaction compare the goods with the commercial invoice? Let's understand more about “packing lists

One of the core elements that guarantee a buoyant shipping industry is the role played by a quality workforce, where the human factor must go hand-in-hand with advancing technology.

What is the ideal way to ship sensitive cargo that does not need a preset temperature, but demands a steady ambient temperature, unaffected by external conditions? Let's explore the world of Insulated Containers.

If you are planning to ship non-hazardous bulk cargo such as edible liquid products and chemicals, what is the ideal alternative you can choose as compared to a tank container? Let's explore the world of Flexitank Containers.

Technological innovations have improved the prospects for enhancing on board fire safety by detecting fires before they get out of control. Identifying areas that are warming up relative to the adjoining areas helps identify the cause and take quick corrective action. So what are the steps we can take to prevent fires in container ships?

Ensuring the safety of goods being transported or stored in container boxes assumes great significance to everybody involved in the supply chain process. In addition to the inbuilt safety mechanisms that keep containers safe from intruders, there are other methods to secure your precious cargo.

The digital age is pushing all frontiers of success in the business world. Smart shipping containers, which are a result of Internet of Things technology and integration, are becoming a reality now.

A Certificate of Origin is an essential document used in international trade certifying the country from where the goods being exported have originated. It plays a critical role in ensuring that trade agreements between nations are followed in form and substance.

The shipping industry is dealing with increasing challenges thrown by various types of security dangers. What is the nature of these threats and how is the industry rising to confront such dangers in the high seas?

The shipping sector faces the overwhelming task of cementing a sustainable supply chain process for the world. What are the practical ways by which this goal can be attained?

The shipping industry is overwhelmed by increasing costs in repositioning empty containers. What are the viable alternatives by which repositioning costs can be reduced?

Digitalization of shipping and logistics also brings along growing threats of cyber-attacks on the sector's IT systems. How can the industry deal with such threats squarely and maintain business continuity?

The current shipping container scarcity has left the global trade and commerce industry reeling under one crisis after another. What began as an early consequence of the pandemic continues to bring untold misery to the shipping industry. How did the post pandemic events play out in the supply chain, and how do they continue to impact the industry?

Many a time, you would feel disheartened to know that the cargo you booked has not reached the destination port on time. What are the causes for such delays, and why do freight forwarders have no control over such situations?

There are time-tested ways to practice higher resilience in the supply chain process and enhance a company's bottom line. Without cutting corners, a business can by-pass unexpected situations and instead concentrate on the core areas of their business.

Consolidation and deconsolidation of cargo prior to import and export are crucial elements in the supply chain process. Here, we review the world of "Container Freight Stations" that contributes to efficient sorting of goods and relieves bottlenecks at container ports and terminals.

Precise positioning of containers on board, well-maintained twist locks & lashings together with proactive steps to counter vessel instability arising from sudden and extreme weather can go a long way in reducing the loss of containers in the seas.

The safety of cargo in containers is often taken for granted, but it is a fact that losses from theft of cargo because of imperfectly secured container doors are a mounting problem. Paying a little more attention and using the right type of container door locks can mitigate the chances of burglaries to a great extent.

Pioneering model novelties in the type of fuel used by shipping vessels to cut down atmospheric pollution, thereby safeguarding our environment and the well-being of our people are among the urgent agendas the International Maritime Organization is working on. Such initiatives should make the industry more sustainable as it navigates the challenging times ahead.

Shipping container vessels abide by stringent safety procedures and time-bound schedules at ports of call. In the course of such port stays, the deck officers shoulder the responsibility of keeping a watch over the loading and discharge of cargo, as well as other activities happening onboard. As we can guess, for deck officers, port stays are often more demanding and stressful than uneventful days at sea.

Imagine you’re navigating half a century back in time! How would the ships and ports of those bygone times appear to you? The stark contrast you will experience compared with the scenario today will give us a good impression about the pace at which shipping has progressed over the decades. Even back then, industry experts had rightly said that standardized containers would revolutionize the economics and convenience of shipping merchandize far and wide across the oceans and deep into the interiors by rail and roadways.

The Federation of Freight Owners Association describes abandoned cargo as goods which the consignee has no intention to take delivery even after the elapse of a reasonable period of its arrival at the destination port. It also includes instances where the consignee cannot be identified or located. 

The COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm last year and the consequential shutdowns of factories and offices continue to have ramifications today. The emergence of new coronavirus variants is adding to the already crippled supply chains, while events like the accidental Suez Canal blockage in March this year by a giant container ship and its consequences point to the fact that the shipping & logistics industry is yet to regain traction.

It’s an everyday sight to see aircraft flying over the horizon. It’s something one would not give a second look or even raise an eyebrow because airplanes fly, anyway. But how would you feel seeing a gigantic ship suspended mid-air above the oceans? Would you not be wonder-struck thinking how that could ever be possible!? Such a possibility undermines human imagination. Is that a miracle that one may call the eighth wonder of the world or a natural phenomenon behind which there’s an established scientific explanation?

The International Code of Signals is a universally followed standardized classification of signals and codes that vessels use for communicating with one another on navigational safety and other related issues. These codes are a systematic progression of the different maritime flag signaling methods used during the earlier times.

Shipping containers perform a critical role in the global trade & commerce industry.  This can be gauged from the fact that ocean carriers are responsible for transporting 90% of the world’s finished goods & raw material, where shipping containers themselves constitute a major portion of this volume. Any disruption in the free movement or availability of containers for trade leaves behind ripple effects in industries dependent on raw materials as well as the consumer goods market. It also impacts various other activities reliant on the shipping industry.

One-trip containers are a category of containers that have made a sole trip carrying cargo to its destination before getting ready to look for a new buyer.  Such containers have spent relatively less time sailing the oceans, so they’re in peak condition when put up for sale. As we can infer, they cannot be termed brand new, but they’ve not been used for multiple voyages either. This means One-trip containers preserve their original utility and characteristics, but are priced lower than the “brand new” ones for having endured minor dents and scratches during the lone trip they undertook. 

The objects we use daily, be it housing, vehicle, equipment or even the clothes we wear on special occasions, are owned by us, or rented for a fixed period. Now, when we relate such a scenario to shipping and logistics, an obvious question that should arise in our mind is, “who owns the containers that serve a vital role in ferrying goods, and what happens to the containers after they have performed their jobs?”

Transportation of freight in shipping containers is a primary feature of the logistics business, and we know from our experience that businesses will continue to face increasing costs and challenges throughout the supply chain process.

Visualize a world where a woman is a master, chief officer or chief engineer with control over the course and destiny of a ship. The maritime industry is beginning to realize the need to bring about gender diversity in different fields of their activities.

An Officer on Watch (OOW) is a deck officer delegated the job of watch-keeping and navigation from a ship’s “bridge”.  Situated at the top of a vessel is the ‘bridge’ which is also known as the Command Centre, and from where all communication is transmitted and received. While keeping a watch from the bridge, the Officer on Watch functions as a representative of the ship’s master and is accountable for the safe navigation of the ship.

Operational discharges from sea-going vessels are one source of oil spills in the oceans. Indiscriminate release of waste oil and water without complying with the required regulations is the principal cause of this form of environmental pollution in the seas.

The International Chamber of Shipping estimates that there are approximately 1.6 million seafarers serving in merchant ships. The IMO stated that international travel restrictions imposed by the continuing Covid-19 pandemic affected countless seafarers who, even after the expiry of their current contracts, cannot leave their ships to fly back home, while many others are not able to renew their job contracts to start a new voyage. It would not be an overstatement to say that seafarers are the unsung heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic the world is passing through. 

Every year, insurance companies spend significant sums of money to settle wet-cargo damage claims from shippers. Water-entry into the cargo hold of ships and the resultant damage is one of the main causes. The right application of weather-tight steel covers, known as “Hatch Covers” plays a critical role in the protection of cargo from the ingress of water.  

A “Vessel Traffic Service” (VTS) is a shore-based marine traffic management system implemented by a competent authority to monitor vessels in real-time to enable the safe and smooth management of traffic in a specified maritime area. It performs tasks similar to air traffic control systems for aircraft. VTS checks the position of vessels and detects situations that pose danger to the vessel crew and the environment. VTS aims to improve the safety of navigation in and around the ports and its approaches. It is governed by SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Chapter V Regulation 12 along with the guidelines for Vessel Traffic Services, and came into force on 1 July 2002.

The shipping industry, which is the mainstay of world trade and commerce, is no exception to the new trends happening in the world. They are at the forefront of adopting state-of-the-art technologies and resources to stay competitive and meet the demands of a flourishing consumer class population which is benefitting enormously from globalization. International shipping has helped open up the world economy, enabling the unrestricted movement and exchange of commodities among nations. It’s a gigantic and complex industry ever under pressure to exploit the new digital technologies, raw materials and fuels.

Container Ramp is a levelling device used to make way for the height difference between a storage place (warehouse or building) and a transporting vehicle or shipping container. It creates a smooth passage for forklift trucks to carry cargo on and off the containers and loading bays. We commonly come across ramps in and around warehouses, shipping and locomotive yards. Ramps compensate for the height difference and the horizontal gap between the container and the loading bay in such a way that forklift trucks and pallet jacks can move in and out of the containers with goods safely, eliminating the need to fix a permanently raised structure. It also benefits in places having no loading bays, and the ramps act as an ascending bridge between the ground and the floor of the container.

We are all rather familiar with the appearance, dimensions and uses of the standard dry shipping containers and reefers. As we know, standard containers are closed on all sides and equipped with a door on the front side. But wouldn’t you be interested to know that there’s yet another type of container called “Flat Rack Containers”?

In 2019, the shipping industry carried 226 million containers across the globe with cargo valued at over US$4 trillion. It’s interesting to observe that between 2008 and 2019, on average1382 containers, sank into the sea every year due to stack collapses. This brings us to the question – What causes container collapses, and how can we exercise better control over such incidents?

Think of a scenario where a container owner places his empty containers at another location without having to incur the usual freight charges that would apply for empty container repositioning. Will this not sound profitable to the container owner? Well, this is indeed what is achievable when a container-owning company transports containers as “One-way containers” and “One-trip containers” to other locations. Let’s go a little deep to understand how this works.

According to the World Shipping Council, between 2008 and 2019, an average of 1382 containers was lost at sea each year. This adds up to a staggering 16,584 containers lost during the period.

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.

 

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