Evolution of Container Chassis Provisioning
Written by Mike Wilson
When Malcom McLean introduced the world to container shipping in 1956, it not only touched off a seismic shift in the way cargo was handled but also the equipment and infrastructure needed to support containerized operations.
Loading and unloading cargo from ships piece by piece in breakbulk operations, a process that could take days and even weeks, became mostly obsolete. Containerization allowed whole containers full of goods to be lifted or driven on and off ships securely, safely and quickly. Ports had to adapt, jettisoning old wooden finger piers and dockside warehouses and building marginal wharves with gantry cranes and container storage areas near the stringpiece. Ocean carriers bought containers and built cellular container ships. And chassis became a critical component in the supply chain, as they were needed for all first- and last-mile container truck moves.
