As people become increasingly reliant on a global economy, shipping containers are the primary method that goods are transported globally.
How the shipping container industry grows and changes from year to year affects when and how you get the things you want right when you want them.
So, what are the emerging trends in the shipping container industry? Below, we have compiled five emerging trends to keep in mind throughout 2020.
- Increased Containerization
Containerization refers to the development of new ways of keeping goods safe and secure while they are being transported in a shipping container. This can range from the adaptation of products, packaging, and the design of the container itself.
Instead of loading products onto pallets, manufacturers are taking into consideration the internal dimensions of a shipping container and adapting their methods to fit those dimensions. This leads to more efficient use of available container space, as well as better protection for the goods being transported.
Why is containerization a trend?
As the demand for goods increases and manufacturing continues to move overseas, industry leaders find themselves needing to put an increasing amount of attention on containerization.
If goods are arriving damaged, it means a substantial loss of business for them and a delay in when products become available. Containerization also helps keep damaged good out of landfills and on store shelves – another important trend to stay ahead of.
- Thinking sustainably
We are experiencing a global climate crisis.
While manufacturers and companies find ways to mitigate the impact their businesses have on this problem, many agree that the goods you want to buy should come at as minimal a cost as possible.
That is why, in 2020, you can expect to see a focus on the impact ships that carry shipping containers have on the environment. This means that more regulations will be introduced to reduce any environmental impact container ships have on the oceans they travel, and the ports where they dock.
The reality is that logistics chains are preferring to work with shipping companies that are already striving to do their part to help save the planet. The environmentally-conscious shipping chains that are willing or have altered their practice by bringing their methods of transportation into line with changing regulations will be successful in this new climate.
From logistics to shipping, the industry is investing in new technologies designed to reduce the environmental impact by ensuring the utmost security for shipping containers.
- Tracking technology
As already discussed, the shipping container industry is entering a considerable period of change; the biggest perhaps coming in the form of technology and tracking.
“Smart Containers” is a trending phrase in shipping container circles, and the smart container is becoming the new norm.
What is a smart container?
Smart containers are primarily about adapting technology to secure shipping containers. This comes in the form of advanced container tracking and increased security for the goods contained inside. Better tracking means that shipping containers are moved more efficiently. It can also expedite a container’s clearance through customs.
A speedier process is not only far more efficient but also infinitely more profitable. The latest technology in tracking devices used in shipping containers can log data like:
- The location of the container
- Whether the shipping container is locked
- Monitor the ambient temperature inside the container
- Monitor moisture levels inside the container
The best part of this innovative technology is that the container does not have to be altered; it is as simple as attaching it to the shipping container’s doors.
- Growing ports
As more and more vessels are required to keep up with transport demands, ports need to be able to grow and adapt too. With the growth of the container industry, ships are becoming bigger and bigger, and ports are becoming far more congested.
The workload is reaching a point where it needs to be spread out in order for shipping containers to get where they need to go when they are expected. The good news is that this could lead to the economic growth and expansion of smaller ports looking to increase their presence in the shipping industry.
If the shipping industry does not expand to include other ports, major ports will just become even more congested to the point where the shipment of cargo containers will be slower rather than faster, as new technology intends.
- Shipping containers are multi-use
Up until this point, we have shown how the 2020 trends are changing around the shipping container and efficiency, but this isn’t the only — or the biggest — growing trend around shipping containers.
No longer is a shipping container only used for transporting or storing goods around the world. These days containers have launched a new building and modification trend that sees shipping containers being repurposed for all sorts of new and innovative ideas.
Because they are constructed from solid and very sturdy steel, and much of the build is already in place, many people are using and reimagining old shipping containers as:
- A backyard workshop or shed
- A granny flat
- Home extensions and new home builds
- Pop-up stores
- Roadside and mobile kitchens, bars and cafes
- Ablution blocks
- On-site offices
- Home offices
- And much more!
What will you do with your shipping container?
The Future of Shipping Containers
There you have it, the shipping container trends of 2020! As you can see, there are many big things happening that will greatly affect many facets of how you many be receiving goods in the future and it is always important to stay in the know.
To learn more about the latest trends and things you can do with shipping containers, call Secure Container at (416) 817-3216 or contact us here.
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