The intermodal shipping container is a large steel box created to transport goods by train, truck or ship for about 50 years. The pioneer of this revolutionary Box Go was a man named Malcom McLean who began his interest in transportation with his trucking company (McLean Trucking) which he grew into one of the largest in the country. From there, he developed the steel container in 1956, which replaced the old method of loading and unloading known as the "Break Bulk Method". The Break Bulk method was a much less efficient method in which all goods were loaded individually using bags, boxes, drums, crates or barrels instead of large unified containers. This method is certainly much more time consuming and risky in terms of theft or increased damage. These containers only come in a few standard sizes (10', 20' and 40'), although there are many different types of these containers. Dry storage containers are very common and are used for dry products without the need for temperature control. Flat Rack Containers are collapsible containers, with or without walls, which are suitable for heavy goods or goods which may require unloading from different sides. Open top containers are exactly that, as they have removable roofs for products that may require unloading from the top of the container, often used with transport machinery. Tunnel containers have doors on each end for easy access to unload material from both sides. Open side storage containers have doors on the sides of the container in order to transport much wider products. Insulated or thermal containers maintain warm temperatures for certain products. Tank containers are used for liquids and are made with a steel frame to protect the tank middle of paper...... and 10 to 14.5 thousand TEU, and can only sail through the Panama Canal . after all the extensions it received. Finally, the Ultra Large Container Vessel class can contain more than 14,500 TEUs. The largest in the world is currently owned by the Danish shipping company Maersk and can hold 18,270 twenty-foot equivalent containers. (Maersk)Some ships are equipped with their own gantry cranes, but most rely on ports to provide them because they are less likely to be damaged in port than at sea. They also save money on fuel without additional weight and require less maintenance overall. The cranes can hold more than 10 tonnes and are capable of moving a container on or off the ship in around three minutes. Shore-based gantry cranes increased their efficiency compared to shipboard cranes and were another important step in increasing overall efficiency..