Containerisation

Containerisation

• Refers to the carriage of goods in standardised large containers (boxes) made of metal.
• The containers are:
• filled with goods ready for transportation.
• They are sealed in the presence of custom officials at the point of loading or dispatch.
• Opened only at the port of destination.
• They are stowed (stacked) before transportation.
• Used in air, rail , road and sea transport.

Advantages of using containers.

• Can be carried cheaply
• Are sealed during transportation at the port of loading therefore goods are safe from theft or damage.
• Can be transported easily from one mode of transport to another e.g. from sea to rail or rail to road.
• Allows the quick turnaround of vessels or vehicles at purpose built terminals.
• May be refrigerated to carry perishable goods i.e. the containers can be modified to carry specialised cargo.
• They are collapsible when empty thus making it easier to transport them and save space.
• More space can be saved since they can be stacked when filled with goods.
• They minimise customs checks at border entry points since they are sealed in the presence of customs officials.
• They protect goods from deterioration due to bad weather.
• They marked/numbered for easier identification.
• They can be grouped by traer or type of good thus saving time.
• Traders can combine to fill a container which is much easier to do than fill a whole ship.
• It allows goods to be stored more easily.
• They speed up the movement of goods.
• They allow the use of cranes and forks i.e. mechanise handling thus:
• speeding up the loading and unloading as well as
• reducing the cost of loading and unloading.

Disadvantages of containers.

• Containers:
• require special handling equipment which can be expensive to hire.
• Are not ideal for small loads since they can be expensive.
• Are expensive to hire or buy.
• May lead to unemployment at ports due to mechanisation.
• May be costly where there are no return loads.
• Some towns or cities are not ideal for use as container terminals.
• They may require the rebuilding of terminals and docks.
• Large amounts of capital are required to build ports that can handle containers.
• There may be bottlenecks at ports if they are not cleared quickly or if there is a breakdown.

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