The Roll and Rock of Containerization in Transport Economics

The movement of freight in containers which are transferred from one vehicle and one type of carrier to another, avoiding rehandling of the contents en route, is one of the fastest growing developments in transportation. Still in its infancy, containerization has sparked a revolution which could culminate in a genuine renaissance in transportation. Limited experience already has produced abundant proof that containerized transportation shortens transit time, results in greater safety of cargo, and effects substantial economies for both carriers and shippers. The clearly discernible potential of the concept is fully co-ordinated transportation, by all media, on a global basis. Agreement on standard sizes of containers, a first essential, has already been reached in this country, and key European nations have tentatively accepted our standards. Methods and techniques have not been perfected or standardized, but this phase of the problem is being tackled with intelligent determination. An all-purpose container, capable of carrying almost any type of cargo, is a second phase of the concept and is a definite possibility. Policy problems must be solved before the services of the underlying carriers are completely co-ordinated so that containers may be freely interchanged among all modes of transport.