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How do Shipping Containers work?

Shipping Containers USA



Over a thousand shipping containers USA arrive at seaports from countries all around the world every day. They are carried aboard the liner ships, which offer regularly scheduled service on fixed routes- much like a truck or plane service does. Every shipment is representing a specific supply chain. Whether it is sports shoes from Houston bound for a Milan retailer, avocados from south America destined for a supermarket in Bielefeld, or as illustrated here – shoes shipped from Argentina to an athletic supply store in Europe or North America.

Almost every day, used shipping containers USA also arrive at seaports from countries all around the world. Each supply chain is very unique and involves the timely and accurate transfer of dry goods between various modes of transport. Dry goods transported by used shipping containers on liner ships can be placed into the container at the factory origin, farm or at other locations where cargo is consolidated. The shipping containers are locked and also sealed so the dry goods can remain safely secured inside the shipping containers and transported with unprecedented efficiency until it arrives at the purchaser’s warehouse, factory, or store for this reason, over 50 percent of the value of dry goods moved internationally by sea is now moving in shipping containers on liner ships.


It Begins Here


Well, this all starts with an order. An athletic supply store in China is running low on the season’s hot, new shoes, which are manufactured in south China. The store places an order for 1000 pairs. The shoe company works with a freight forwarder to arrange transport from a Chinese factory for the shipment of shoes.


From Warehouse to Train


It all starts from warehouse to train. A train company arrives at the German factory and loads the order together with orders from many other retailers, into a 40-foot container that is bolted shut and fitted with a high-security seal. Shipping containers will not be opened again until it arrives at a distribution warehouse in the destination country unless customs officials decide to open and inspect them.


The Ships are Loaded


The ships are loaded. The freight forwarder determines it is most economical to train the container to the port of Houston. The truck deposits the container at the terminal in the port, from where it is loaded onto the ship. The freight forwarder has contracted with a container shipping line, which must submit documentation about the shipment to government authorities in the exporting and importing countries. This manifest data includes information such as exact contents, the exporter, the importer, and who is transporting the cargo. Loaded onto shipping containers, the shipping container of shoes is bound for a discharge port on another country far away. Before the ship is scheduled to arrive at the destination port, the captain of the vessel a local agent or the company’s global documentation center provides data to the government of the destination country concerning the ship, its crew, and its cargo. The shipping containers are offloaded. The dockworkers sometimes more than 300 per vessel- arrive to work with the ship. The include crane operators, lashers, clerks, and cargo equipment operators.


Customs Clearance


Customs officials, armed with a careful evaluation of each container’s documentation, may select specific containers for further inspection, and the last pick-up is cleared by customs, workers load the container onto a special truck trailer or chassis. Now the shipping container of shoes can be shipped to the distribution center. The shipping containers are often transported by train when the destination is too far from the port.


The Final Delivery


The train arrives at an import distribution center located not too far from the port, where the container is opened and the orders by individual stores are separated and prepared for shipment. The next day, the athletic supply store receives 500 pairs of the season’s most popular athletic shoes. World shipping council is excited to welcome Pacific International Lines as a new member, to join in its work for a safe, secure, and sustainable industry. We are very pleased to welcome PIL to WSC, and we look forward to their contribution to our Councils and working groups. As a vessel owner and direct employer of over 2,000 seafarers, PIL will bring important perspectives and insights to our work, “says John Butler, President & CEO of the WSC.




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