A shipping container is simply a large shipping box with sufficient strength suited for handling, transportation, and storage. Shipping containers range in size from large, reusable galvanized steel boxes used for domestic intermodal shipping to the plain yet sturdily corrugated boxes used by many international shippers. All shipping containers are designed to minimize damage in the event of an unexpected earthquake or other natural disaster that may destroy a traditional ship's cargo container. These containers are commonly used to transport food and raw materials to and from the storage facilities of food service providers.
It is common to confuse the terms "shipment" and "loading". When dealing with shipping containers, one distinction that needs to be made is that freight forwarders actually load the goods into the shipping containers, securing them to the vessel prior to departure. This differs from "loading" where a person actually moves the items onto the container carrier's trailer and unloads them at the destination. The confusion between the two often leads to charges for "loading" that are in excess of what it actually cost to ship the items in the first place... Read more