Discussion: Containerization n Maritime Shipping Student Instructor Institution Date Containerization is defined as the method of transporting goods in standardized containers making them easil ...

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Discussion: Containerization n Maritime Shipping
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Instructor
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Containerization is defined as the method of transporting goods in standardized containers making them easily moved between different modes of transport such as trains, trucks and ships. The following are some of the advantages that containerization has brought to the maritime shipping industry:
Standardization- containers are standardized transport products that are subject to ISO standards in terms of modes, equipment and the terminals of transport. Containers have unique identification numbers and code that indicate their size allowing easier management of transportation between different modes.
Costs- containers save on shipping costs due to advantages such as standardization and economies of scale. It allows a more efficient loading process and unloading of cargo from ships thus reducing the handling costs and time.
Warehousing- Containerization reduces the costs of warehousing and also provides a solution to warehousing as they are made to be sort of warehouses for goods. A container is its own warehouse, protecting different types of cargo from any form of damage.
Security and safety- Containers offer security and safety to products as what they contain is unknown to the carriers as they can only be opened at the port of origin, at customs and at the destination. It reduces losses due to theft and spoilage.
Other advantages of containerization in the maritime shipping industry include; velocity due to reduced times for shipment turnaround, and also flexibility in that containers can be used to carry a wide variety of goods.
In the air freight industry there are parallel containers but made to meet the needs of air transport. Such containers are designed for air cargo and are custom designed to for upper and lower deck storages. They are designed to offer structural durability, low tare weight, ease of use and maximum volume. Some examples of air freight containers include; AAA, AAX, AAD, AMJ, AMD and ABC containers among others.
References
Garg, C. P., & Kashav, V. (2019). Evaluating value creating factors in greening the transportation of Global Maritime Supply Chains (GMSCs) of containerized freight. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 73, 162-186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2019.06.011
https://www.satco-inc.com/air-cargo-containers/