How do Shipping Containers Get from Point A to B?
Every day, thousands of shipping containers arrive at a specific port carrying goods received from all around the world. The shipping industry is the service of transporting goods by means of high capacity, just like a train or trucking company would. It involves the flow of goods and documents from the place of origin to the place of destination. International shipping is anything but simple and involves many people to help synchronize the flow as smoothly as possible. Exactly how does the process of getting goods from one country to another happen?
Shipping Container Process and its Participants
It starts with a business in need of a particular product, better known as the importer. This could be a car dealership that’s getting new automobiles in stock or a department store getting a new shipment of tennis shoes. The exporter, also known as the seller, manufactures the needed product requested by the importer or buyer. A container is loaded at the factory, usually by a freight worker, who are the persons that coordinate the shipping process on behalf of the importer and exporter. The items are then loaded onto a truck and taken to the port. Once the container arrives at the port, it is then carefully loaded on to a cargo ship by large cranes. That cargo ship will then travel to its destination port where it will then be unloaded from the ship by many dockworkers, like crane operators, clerks, and cargo equipment operators. The shipping containers are usually loaded onto another truck and taken to the import distribution center. As they say, it takes a village. In addition to all parties mentioned above, there are still several other people that are involved in the shipping process, such as customs, port authorities, and intermodal transport providers.
Shipping Container Life Cycle
When the shipping container is no longer needed by the freight company, it can be sold to container companies like American Trailer Rentals. In this way, the container can then be sold and upcycled for other uses by companies and individuals. Contact us for a free quote to get a shipping container for yourself today!
