Without Standard Shipping Containers, the Global Supply Chain Would Not Exist

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Anna Nagurney for Fast Company writes, "Today, an estimated 90% of the world’s goods are transported by sea, with 60% of that—including virtually all of your imported fruits, gadgets, and appliances—packed in large steel containers."  She goes on to say, "In short, without the standardized container, the global supply chain that society depends upon—and that I study—would not exist."

In fact, the average size of a container ship has doubled in the past 20 years alone. The largest ships sailing today are capable of hauling 24,000 containers—that’s a carrying capacity equivalent to how much a freight train 44 miles long could hold. Put another way, a ship named the Globe with a capacity of 19,100 20-foot containers could haul 156 million pairs of shoes, 300 million tablet computers, or 900 million cans of baked beans—in case you’re feeling hungry.

Read Anna's full length thought-provoking and thorough article: The $14 trillion reason you should care about the shipping container shortage.