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.

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.

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.

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?

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.