Did You Even Wonder What's In That Huge Shipping Container?

A shipping container is one of the most durable of structures. It is developed in such a way that it can withstand the harshest climate conditions as well as carry huge loads of goods. Shipping containers are produced in accordance with international standards. They come in modular sizes and can be transported by rail, water, and highways to the ports. They can even be stored one inside the other. This is good; but because shipping empty containers is costly many of them lie unused in all parts of the world, especially in China and the USA. These containers then become ideal for housing or office purposes; dormitory rooms and even disaster shelters. And they come cheap.

True Purpose

But, of course, the real purpose of shipping containers is to carry a whole range of goods from one part of a country to another, or across the globe. Thus goods produced in China or India are stored in these containers and finally unloaded at docks in Europe, the USA, South America or any other part of the world where they have to be delivered. And the reverse also happens, on a daily basis. The containers come in all shapes and sizes. Since they are constructed in such a way that they can hold a huge range of products for weeks together, their architecture is different from other carriers. Except for live beings like animals, containers store all imaginable products. If the goods are perishable, like bananas, then they will be stored in artificially cooled or air-conditioned containers. There are thus specialized containers for almost every foreseeable product.

Its Other Uses

Shipping containers may also contain human beings – when they are based on land! The all-purpose container has become a place where people can live in comfort, with slight modifications. It can be used as a radical and new construction technique. However, the biggest barrier that stands in the way of not attracting just builders and contractors but even persuading city authorities that they are a good living option, is the city laws that govern such shipping containers. One of the hurdles that promoters of such “homes” face is getting fire clearance. Shipping containers by themselves can withstand fire and floods; but as there is no UL listing for these kinds of constructions, they are not allowed to be used as dwelling units in the city’s limits. It’s a pity for these containers make for a comfortable home, if they are properly fitted up.

Synonymous With Growth

A shipping container is an iconic structure that stands for growth. It is sometimes used to transport plastic parts to Asian countries where they are assembled into products and then transported back as water guns or other toys that you get at American discount stores. In the Central Asian country Kyrgyzstan, a nation that is furthest away from any sea port, these 40 ft high cube container have been put to great use, including housing purposes. Indeed the country has so many containers that their largest bazaars are made almost fully out of them. These structures are two stories high, many kilometers broad and employ more than 50,000 people!

Author Bio

SB trades products from South America like footwear and bags. He supplies them unbranded to different shops in Australia and New Zealand.