The history of container shipping

Kuehne+Nagel's Shipping Insights

Dec 16 2023 • 22 mins

Do you know what innovation changed the entire sea freight industry from 1965 onwards? In this episode, host Sara Vollmer and Bill Rooney, Vice President Strategic Development at Kuehne+Nagel, talk about Malcom McLean’s famous invention and its effects on the entire world. They take a look back at the beginnings of container shipping and the development of the global sea freight industry. Join them on a journey back in time. Key topics of this episode are: What was the background of Malcom McLeans innovation and how did the first containers look like? How has the sea container changed the world and influenced globalisation? How did the economic aspects of the sea freight business develop? Recorded in February 2023. Details: (01:50) Bill starts the podcast by giving a brief introduction to the history of container shipping and Malcolm McLean's genius idea. (03:43) Sara and Bill discuss the potential reason why it took ten years for this genius idea to become a global phenomenon. (05:16) Bill shares the history behind SeaLand. (05:52) Bill explains how container shipping changed the world and its other enormous impacts on globalisation. (08:51) Sara and Bill talk about the current impacts of container shipping on how people live: how it has changed and continues to change our lives. (10:22) Bill mentions new shoring and its impacts on the sea freight industry. (11:37) Sara asks Bill what he thinks Malcolm would say today about the state of sea freight. (13:10) Bill brings up the low level of financial returns in the industry in the past and how it has recently changed. (17:47) Bill shares his thoughts on the future of the sea freight industry and its trends.